Jon Jones: Fighting at heavyweight not as appealing as it once was
While the UFC's best pound-for-pound fighter has teased the idea of jumping up to the heavyweight class, Jon Jones is re-thinking that notion as he gets older.
"To be honest with you, heavyweight really doesn’t really seem as appealing to me as it once did,” Jones, who turns 29 in July, told MMAjunkie.
Jones is concerned that it will be tougher to make weight as he advances in age, and he has no intentions of breaking his perfect weight-making record.
"I’m almost 30 now, and I’m not really having any more growth spurts," Jones said. "This is pretty much the size I’m going to be, and it’s so easy for me to make light heavyweight.
"As I get older, and as I mature and take things more seriously – you know, diet and everything – it’s become easier for me to maintain, and I’ve never missed weight."
The 28-year-old interim light heavyweight champion will battle Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 for the right to be called the undisputed champ, but Jones has goals yet to be attained in his current weight class after his July 9 showdown.
"I would love to rematch (Alexander) Gustafsson at some point," Jones said. "Anthony Johnson is obviously a fight that I need to get out of the way. Beating Daniel Cormier again is huge for my legacy.
"But really, just those three names, Cormier, Gustafsson and Johnson, are the guys I want to fight again the most, and that’s it. That’s as far as my eyes can see right now."
Gustafsson (16-4-0) gave Jones his toughest career fight at UFC 165, while the interim champ has yet to face "Rumble" Johnson (21-5-0) since moving to the light heavyweight class.
Jones isn't completely ruling out a move up to heavyweight, but says it would take an ideal situation for him to make the jump, and as long as he's dominating his current class, there's little motivation.
"The only way I will go up to heavyweight, it will really have to be stylistically the right fight for me, and the numbers will have to make sense," Jones said. "Or, obviously, just fighting the right champion for that opportunity to go straight for the title.
"Move up and finish my career there? I don’t see a point when I’m doing so well where I’m at."