Photo: Sean Haffey/Getty Images
On Monday, Jon Jones announced that he will be relinquishing his Light Heavyweight title and plans to eventually move to Heavyweight.
“Just got off the phone with @UFC,” Jones said via Twitter. “Today I confirm that I’m vacating the Light Heavyweight Championship. It’s officially up for grabs…”
Ever since 2011, Jones has been the king of the division and has defeated the likes of Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and many more. Although his road to victory has been a rocky one, he is still considered the number one, pound-for-pound fighter in the world by the UFC.
From 2011 to 2015, Jones reigned supreme. However, everything from legal trouble to failed drug tests started piling up, and in 2015, he was stripped of his Light Heavyweight title and was issued various bans and punishments from both the UFC and USADA.
In 2018, Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson to become the Light Heavyweight champion yet again.
Jones said via Twitter that he will move up to Heavyweight as long as negotiations between him and the UFC go smoothly.
Does Jones have what it takes to become the Heavyweight champion? Will he see a title fight right away, or will he have to move back up the ranks? Let us know!
Written by: Drew Pierce