Jon Jones, who is looking to return this summer for a bout against Alex Pereira, has been handed a fairly simple plan to take down the Brazilian.
Jones has made it clear he would be open to taking on ‘Poatan’. He has talked openly about his plans and has not hidden his interest in stepping into the Octagon with the light heavyweight champion.
‘Bones’ is eyeing a place on the UFC White House card this summer in Washington, DC. He has expressed a real interest in facing Pereira, especially after recently being called out by the Brazilian.
A former UFC champion sees one particular area where Jones could gain an edge over Pereira, who has not faced much resistance during his rapid rise through the ranks.
Jon Jones encouraged to apply ‘Ciryl Gane plan’ against Alex Pereira
Two years ago, Jones made his long-awaited move to heavyweight and marked it with a decisive win over Ciryl Gane for the vacant title.
The former interim champion was stopped early after the GOAT contender took him down and finished with a guillotine choke. Michael Bisping believes that approach could work just as well against Pereira.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bisping said: “Let’s be honest Jon Jones beat Ciryl Gane by taking him down and he’ll probably take down Alex Pereira, so it’s kind of one of those matchups that would favor Jon Jones.”
“Now, Jones, of course, he’s had a legendary career. And he is very well-rounded. …Jones went out there and beat Ciryl Gane, he did. He beat him easily.”
Jon Jones admitted past worries about another fighter known for his knockouts
Should Jones end up sharing the cage with Pereira, he will need to find a way to navigate the Brazilian’s powerful striking – something that has raised comparisons to a fight he once said he was glad never happened.
During his initial run at light heavyweight, Jones managed to beat every challenger who came his way. There was only one exception.
That would have been a match-up with Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. The fight never materialised after UFC 187, and Johnson was known for racking up some of the division’s most memorable knockouts.
‘Bones’ later admitted missing out on that bout was not something he regretted.
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