Written by Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Jon Jones put on such a dominant performance at UFC 309 that he may have fought his way out of the matchup he really wanted next.
In his first defense as heavyweight champion, Jones dismantled Stipe Miocic over three rounds before finishing the fight with a vicious spinning back kick to the body. Jones beat Miocic at every level from grappling to striking and it was another complete performance from a fighter many consider to be the greatest of all time.
Watching Jones walk through Miocic in such lopsided fashion also convinced UFC CEO Dana White that he shouldn’t even begin to entertain a potential matchup pitting Jones against current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. It’s the fight Jones wants most but clearly White doesn’t agree.
“You know what tonight told me? There’s no f*cking way I make the Pereira fight,” White said at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. “Jon’s too big.
“[Jon is a] great wrestler. Did you see how he took Stipe down in that first round? I like Alex Pereira. I like him personally. It just doesn’t make sense to make that fight.”
White was already adamant prior to UFC 309 that he has no real desire to book Jones against Pereira despite interest from both athletes in making the superfight happen in the future.
At one point, White went as far as saying he would entertain Jones’ request to fight Pereira only if “Bones” faced and defeated interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall next. This time around, White didn’t bring up Aspinall when addressing the potential matchup between Jones and Pereira but his feelings seemingly remain the same.
That said, White thinks the only way he might be convinced to change his mind would be if Jones and Pereira are absolutely insistent on fighting each other and then he might be forced to pull the trigger.
He just wouldn’t feel good about it.
“If they both want it bad enough and they’re both f*cking hounding me or something, maybe I would do it,” White said. “But it’s just Alex Pereira is killing it. Look at his age and what he’s doing right now, what’s the reason to go up and fight a guy that’s so much bigger than you and such a good wrestler? Money? That’s definitely a reason but just so we’re clear, I don’t want to make any of that kind of money. I want Pereira to stay where he is and do what he does and run the street.
“But again if they go crazy on me and they want to do, what am I going to do? They’re grown ass men and I’m sure the fans want to see it, I’m sure you want to see it, I guess we’ll talk about it.”