Jon Jones as a heavyweight? Not so soon says UFC President
“Jon Jones is a physical specimen,” White said. “The guy is huge at 205 pounds. He’s out there doing things,…
“Jon Jones is a physical specimen,” White said. “The guy is huge at 205 pounds. He’s out there doing things, and not only is he a big guy, he’s super athletic. He was throwing elbows like they were hands tonight.
“But he needs to stay at 205. He can make 205. This is where he needs to stay. Once he cleans out a division and [expletive] starts getting a little old and stale, then maybe he makes that move to heavyweight.”
Henderson, 42, has extended his career in large part due to his adaptability. In recent years, he’s competed at middleweight, light heavyweight, and even heavyweight (for a bout with famed Russian Fedor Emelianenko). But the moves were born more out of necessity as Henderson attempted to secure big fights with Strikeforce and now for a title fight in the UFC.
Jones, though, has the luxury of staying put. And according to White, it’s a luxury he should enjoy while he can. After all, the heavyweight division is a different animal altogether.
“You move up to heavyweight, and you’ve got [expletive] Junior Dos Santos up there,” White said of the division’s current champ. “Dude’s got bombs in his hands. … You’ve got some big serious dudes at heavyweights. It’s a big jump.
“It’s not going to be that fun at heavyweight.”
