Jon Jones Has No Desire to Face Lyoto Machida a Second Time

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will next defend his title against Dan Henderson at UFC 151, but should he be victorious, he’s not too interested in the next opponent chosen for him by the UFC.

Jones on Friday made it clear that he has no desire to face former champion Lyoto Machida for a second time.

Machida was given another title shot after he knocked out Ryan Bader at UFC on Fox 4 earlier this month, but it came with a few head scratches from fans because the Brazilian has only competed once since being choked out by Jones last December.

“I don’t want to fight Lyoto Machida. He was my lowest pay-per-view draw of last year,” Jones said an interview with ESPN.com. “No one wants to see me fight Lyoto Machida. I don’t want to fight Lyoto again. Lyoto is high risk and low reward.

“He’s a tough fighter, but no one wants to buy that fight.”

Obviously this whole plan could be thrown into disarray should Jones lose to top contender Dan Henderson on Sept. 1, but if he’s victorious the fight staring him down next doesn’t make sense to him.

When UFC president Dana White first announced that the most impressive winner from the UFC on Fox 4 show would get a title shot, which featured two light heavyweight main card bouts, it perplexed Jones even then.

“Scratching my head,” Jones wrote on Twitter when the news about the title contender scenario was first revealed.

The four fighters involved – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Brandon Vera, Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida – were all competitors that Jones has fought and finished within the last two years.

It appears now the UFC light heavyweight champion is making a stand to face new challengers instead of a fighter he defeated just nine months ago.

Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more UFC 151 news and title picture developments.