Ali Akbar Rosady
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has recently offered candid insights into potential matchups against two prominent figures in combat sports: former UFC Middleweight and current Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira, and longtime rival Daniel Cormier. Jones, widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, conveyed strong confidence in his ability to swiftly submit Pereira in an MMA contest and to strategically overcome Cormier in a wrestling bout, despite the latter’s formidable Olympic pedigree.
The discussions around a potential clash between Jones, a dominant force at light heavyweight before his ascent to heavyweight, and Alex Pereira, a striking phenom from the kickboxing world, gained traction as Pereira solidified his status as a two-division UFC champion. Jones, in an interview with ALF Global released recently, detailed his strategic blueprint for confronting Pereira. The interview, recorded prior to Jones’s own triumphant heavyweight debut at UFC 285 in March 2023, highlighted Jones’s perception of Pereira’s grappling vulnerabilities.
Jones had previously expressed interest in a heavyweight encounter with Pereira, a proposition that intrigued fans given both fighters’ championship credentials and contrasting styles. While a deal for such a super-fight never materialized, Jones’s analysis underscored his belief in a clear path to victory. "I watched Pereira train," Jones stated in the interview. "I see his level of wrestling and it’s way behind." This assessment forms the crux of Jones’s confidence, identifying a significant disparity in grappling capabilities as his primary advantage.
Alex "Poatan" Pereira, renowned for his devastating striking power cultivated through a decorated career in GLORY Kickboxing, where he held titles in two weight classes, transitioned to MMA with remarkable success. He swiftly climbed the UFC middleweight ranks, culminating in a championship victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022. After losing the middleweight title in a rematch with Adesanya at UFC 287 in April 2023, Pereira moved to light heavyweight, capturing the vacant title against Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 in November 2023. Pereira’s professional MMA record currently stands at 9 wins and 2 losses, with seven victories coming by knockout.
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Jones’s comments regarding Pereira’s size were also noteworthy. While Pereira competes primarily at 185 pounds (middleweight) and 205 pounds (light heavyweight), Jones envisioned a hypothetical heavyweight clash. "Alex Pereira is not a big, big boy. He’s a lean guy. I think right now he weighs maybe 250," Jones hypothesized, contrasting Pereira with natural heavyweights like Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane, whom Jones described as "big, big boys" in person. For context, Pereira’s official weigh-ins for his light heavyweight bouts have been at or below the 205-pound limit, never approaching the 250-pound mark. Jones’s estimation likely refers to Pereira’s potential bulk-up for a hypothetical heavyweight fight, where Jones himself weighed 248 pounds for his championship bout against Gane.
The UFC Heavyweight Champion, who secured his title with a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, elaborated on his predicted strategy. "I feel as if my physical strength would have been too much for him," Jones asserted. "I felt as if the moment I would have gotten him to the ground, my submissions would have come pretty quickly. I mean, everyone knows that. I think that’s the clearest path to victory for me against Alex Pereira." Jones’s record reflects his formidable grappling prowess, with 10 of his 27 professional MMA victories coming by submission. His diverse submission arsenal and control on the ground have been hallmarks of his career, enabling him to neutralize striking threats throughout his tenure in the light heavyweight division. Despite his competitive analysis, Jones expressed admiration for Pereira, stating, "But we’re not fighting. I am a fan of him. I support him, and I want to see him do well."
Beyond the contemporary landscape of active UFC champions, Jones also addressed the long-standing animosity and competitive history with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier. The rivalry between Jones and Cormier stands as one of the most intense and personal in UFC history, marked by two highly anticipated championship encounters. Jones emerged victorious in both, first at UFC 182 in January 2015 via unanimous decision, and then at UFC 214 in July 2017 via third-round knockout, though the latter was later overturned to a no-contest due to a positive drug test for Jones.
Cormier, a former Olympic wrestler who placed fourth at the 2004 Athens Games and captained the 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, has consistently maintained his superiority in a pure wrestling context. Earlier this year, Cormier publicly declared his confidence, stating he could "kick his ass" in wrestling. Cormier further alleged that Jones had declined a substantial offer for a wrestling match, claiming Jones "turned down seven figures for a six-minute match." These comments reignited the debate among fans about who would prevail in a grappling-only contest.
Jones, however, holds a different perspective. "I think I would have beat DC in a wrestling match," Jones countered, acknowledging the difficulty of such a feat. "It wouldn’t be easy, but I think I would beat him in wrestling." Jones’s wrestling background, though not as decorated as Cormier’s Olympic-level achievements, is formidable in its own right, including a junior college national championship and a Division I collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College and later at Morrisville State College. His ability to utilize wrestling offensively and defensively has been a cornerstone of his MMA dominance, allowing him to control opponents and dictate the pace of fights.
Jones’s proposed strategy for a wrestling match against Cormier revealed a calculated approach, taking into account Cormier’s reported physical ailments. "I hear that he has problems with his back, so my strategy would be to just try to wear on him," Jones explained. "Not shoot, not go for the takedown, but just hand fight, hand fight, hand fight, and see if I could wear on that back." This strategy underscores the tactical nuances of high-level wrestling, where conditioning, leverage, and exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses can be as critical as explosive takedowns. Cormier retired from MMA in 2020 and has since transitioned to a successful career as a UFC commentator and analyst, but his physical condition, particularly concerning his back, has been a recurring topic of discussion in his post-fighting career.
The prospect of Jones engaging in a wrestling-only match with Cormier, or an MMA super-fight with Pereira, remains speculative. Jones is currently the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion and is expected to defend his title against Stipe Miocic in his next outing. However, his recent remarks highlight his analytical approach to combat and his unwavering self-belief, continuing to fuel discussions among fans and analysts about his legacy and his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
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