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If Jon Jones sticks around beyond his upcoming matchup against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, then he’s got designs on a potential fight against a reigning champion but not the one you might think.

With rumors of retirement swirling around his return on Nov. 16, the now 37-year-old heavyweight champion doesn’t have anything left to prove when it comes to his accomplishments in the sport. That’s why Jones isn’t interested in just fighting anybody at this stage of his career but there is a certain Brazilian knockout artist who’s captured his attention lately.

“If there were to be a fight of a guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it but legacy worth it, it would be Alex Pereira,” Jones told Kevin Iole ahead of UFC 309. “Alex Pereira and I, we’re both 37 years old. Right now I weigh about 235 [pounds]. I’m an incredibly light heavyweight. I think Pereira walks around at 240.

“I think that fight would go much farther on my legacy than a young man who’s cool today and maybe gone tomorrow.”

In his short time since joining the UFC roster, Pereira already claimed titles across two different weight classes and he’s scored wins over five former UFC champions. He’s currently riding a five-fight win streak with four knockouts along the way while becoming arguably one of the biggest stars in teh sport.

Meanwhile, the “young man” in question is UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who is expected to be in attendance at Madison Square Garden in New York when Jones defends his belt against Miocic in the main event.

Aspinall has asked numerous times for the chance to face Jones since defeating Sergei Pavlovich to claim the interim title but his calls have largely fallen on deaf ears.

While he’s said recently that he hopes that the winner in the UFC 309 main event sticks around long enough to unify the titles, Aspinall probably won’t be thrilled to hear what Jones had to say about that potential matchup.

“More than likely not [fighting Tom Aspinall],” Jones revealed. “I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don’t want to say nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything. I understand that he won his belt against Sergei [Pavlovich]. Sergei just got slaughtered by [Alexander Volkov]. I’m not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me.

“I’m here to compete against the guys when we look back 10 years from now like ‘Jon Jones fought this guy and that guy and this legend and this champion and this champion.’”

As impressive as Aspinall has been during his UFC campaign with an 8-1 record overall and all of his wins coming by knockout or submission inside the first two rounds, Jones just doesn’t see a big enough body of work to make it worth his time to seek out that fight.

Throughout his 16-year UFC career, Jones has witnessed plenty of highly touted prospects come and go and he’s just not interested in sticking around to face the next big thing.

“I remember a time when the whole world thought Johnny Walker was going to be the guy to beat me,” Jones said. “No disrespect for Johnny Walker but we’ve all see the way his career has played out.

“I’ve just been here too long to get all excited about someone who’s hot today. I’m here for legacy. I’ve been gambling for too long to just take random fights.”

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Dana White and Jon Jones recently offered starkly different opinions on whether the much-anticipated fight with Tom Aspinall will come to fruition following UFC 309.

Jones is set to make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two were originally scheduled to face off at UFC 295 in November 2023, but the fight was scrapped at the last minute after “Bones” suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

As a result, Aspinall stepped in to claim the interim heavyweight title with a stunning knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. Since then, the Brit has been outspoken about his desire to face Jones in a title unification bout. However, the former light heavyweight champion has repeatedly brushed off the idea, with the UFC CEO also firmly asserting that Jones’ next challenge will remain Miocic.

Both Jones and Miocic have repeatedly suggested that their upcoming bout could mark the end of their careers. Despite that, in a recent interview with TNT Sports, White expressed his belief that the winner of UFC 309 would likely face Aspinall next.

But during an interview with MMA reporter Kevin Iole, “Bones” outright rejected the notion of facing Aspinall next should he emerge victorious against Miocic next weekend.

Jones argued that the interim heavyweight champion has yet to prove himself worthy of facing him in the Octagon.

“I feel like Tom Aspinall is — I don’t want to say nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything; he hasn’t done anything. And I understand that, I mean, he won his belt against Sergei, but Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else. So it’s just like, I’m not here to gamble with someone else making a name off of me.”

Jones went on to say that he’s primarily focused on competing against high-profile opponents, those capable of elevating his already storied career. At the moment, reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira is the opponent who piques his interest the most.

“If there were to be a fight with a guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it but legacy-worthy, it would be Alex Pereira. Alex Pereira and I are both 37 years old right now. I weigh about 235 [pounds]; I’m an incredibly light heavyweight. I think Pereira walks around at 240, and I think that fight would add much more to my legacy than a young man who’s cool today and maybe gone tomorrow.”

• Read More: Tom Aspinall Explains How Stipe Miocic Can Beat Jon Jones At UFC 309

Continue Reading Dana White & Jon Jones Share Contradictory Answers On If Aspinall Fight Will Happen After UFC 309 at MMA News.

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Marcus Buchecha finally re-enters the ONE Championship ring on Friday to face Amir Aliakbari in Bangkok in what could be his last walk to the ring in Asia

Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of ONE 169, the jiu-jitsu legend said the winner of his clash with Aliakbari could determine who’s next in line for the heavyweight belt—on the line later that night between Anatoly Malykhin and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane. However, as it is the final bout of Buchecha’s contract with the organization, he might not stick around to find out.

“This fight will give me leverage,” Buchecha said, “So I’ll focus 100 percent on this fight and then discuss better terms. This is the goal.”

Buchecha publicly complained about a lack of fights in early September, saying “I’ve been out waiting for a fight for almost one year.” The Brazilian heavyweight has been inactive since August of 2023, when he suffered his first loss in the sport against “Reug Reug.” ONE booked him versus Aliakbari shortly after his post.

Asked if his long layoff will be taken into consideration when he has to decide whether or not re-sign with ONE, Buchecha said “you can’t cry over spilled milk,” noting he is fully focused on the task ahead of him.

“I hope to talk to you again on Saturday and definitely talk about the future, but my goal right now is Friday,” Buchecha said. “It obviously wasn’t my decision [to stay out for over a year] but I was in the gym, training and evolving in every aspect as an athlete on the feet, in wrestling, in jiu-jitsu. I feel a much better fighter now than I was last time I entered the ring.

“The actual fight [with Kane] was a great experience. I won’t be a hypocrite and say it was the result I wanted, of course not, but it turned out to be great experience. After that fight, plus the 15 months [of training], it added a lot to my career as a MMA athlete. I learned a lot about a Buchecha I didn’t know. It was good to learn to control my emotions in bad and good situations.”

For now, all Buchecha wants is to stop Aliakbari’s four-fight winning streak and enter free agency on a high note.

“He has a good background in Greco-Roman wrestling and he’s one of the two heavyweights I haven’t fought yet, him and Anatoly,” Buchecha said. “I think it’s going to be a very interesting fight to watch, a clash of grapplers.

“He has heavy hands, but his background is in wrestling. If the fight goes to the ground, I’m ready. If it stays on the feet, I’m ready. I don’t care what he wants to do, I’m focused on my goal and my plan.”

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Kamaru Usman and Shavkat Rakhmonov have shared a gym, but that doesn’t mean they can’t share the octagon on fight night.

UFC 310 is still in flux with welterweight champion Belal Muhammad having withdrawn from the scheduled main event after suffering a foot infection. Muhammad was to defend his title against Rakhmonov and it is not yet known if their fight will be rescheduled or if a new opponent will be found for Rakhmonov to stay on the Dec. 7 card.

Should the matchmakers need an elite name to step into Muhammad’s spot, Usman is ready for the call, even if it means squaring off with a fighter he’s often seen in the same training space.

“First of all, let me clarify something: We’re not teammates,” Usman said on his Pound-4-Pound podcast. “He comes in and trains in my gym where I was for most of my career until the last four or five years, which I’m still in that gym. That’s [Henry Hooft’s] gym, Kill Cliff now is the name, but he’s not my teammate per se.

“But if the UFC’s going to call who they think is going to be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there, is crazy enough to step in there on short notice and go out there and possibly shock the world, definitely the UFC know who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I’m going to answer the call, we’ll get a couple of things straight and if we’ve got to do it, we’ve got to do it. I don’t shy away from any of that. I’ve done it on six days’ notice. I’ve done it on eight days’ notice and hey, this is only a couple of weeks’ notice.”

Usman is currently on a three-fight skid and has been patient with searching out his next opponent. Most recently, he lost a majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in a middleweight bout that he accepted on short notice. Prior to that, he lost back-to-back title fights against rival Leon Edwards and is now winless since November 2021.

There has been no love lost between Usman and Muhammad and while that’s a matchup he’s also targeted, he hopes Muhammad is given proper time to recover and suffers no longterm negative effects from his toe infection.

“That’s my personal belief, I do sometimes think he does act like a dork, but Belal, he’s a man,” Usman said. “He’s a man at the same time. He’s a competitor, he’s a fighter, and I would never want to see that happen to anyone. I’ve dealt with series of series of injuries and it’s never fun, especially when this is our livelihood. This is how he feeds his family, so I would never, ever want something like that to happen. So hope for a speedy recovery for Mr. Belal Muhammad.”

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Future Clash?
| BJPenn.com

The Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing spectacle, which streams LIVE on Netflix on Fri., Nov. 15, 2024 from inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will have an all-star lineup handling broadcast and commentary duties next week in “The Lone Star State.”

The main card broadcast will be led by veteran play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo, joined by boxing icon Roy Jones Jr. — who fought Tyson to a draw back in late 2020 — and Hollywood actress Rosie Perez of “White Men Can’t Jump” fame.

Perez is a lifelong boxing fan.

A series of fight week activities will be staged at the nearby Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, free and open to the public daily at 5 p.m. local time. That includes open workouts (Nov. 12), final press conference (Nov. 13), and official weigh-ins (Nov. 14).

Other notables broadcast talent expected to appear includes Kate Scott, Sean Wheelock, Sibley Scoles, Amir Tyson, Wade Plemons, Dasha Kuret and Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts, among others. The main card broadcast kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix.

For much more on the upcoming “Paul vs. Tyson” boxing event click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dana White might just be practicing the art of positive affirmation because he’s certain no matter who walks out with the heavyweight title at UFC 309, the winner will move on to face interim champion Tom Aspinall next.

The showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic has been anticipated for over a year after they were booked to meet in November 2023 until a torn pectoral muscle suffered by Jones delayed the fight. In Jones’ absence, Aspinall become interim champion but White and the UFC were adamant about Jones still facing Miocic in a battle between two all-time greats.

There has been plenty of talk of Jones, Miocic or both of them possibly retiring after their fight concludes on Nov. 16, but White continues to believe that the winner won’t walk away without giving Aspinall his chance to unify the titles.

“I truly believe that whoever wins this fight, just competitively the way that these guys are wired and the reason that they’re both massive legends in the sport, they’re not going to just ride off into the sunset without settling the dispute with Tom Aspinall,” White told TNT Sports.

Aspinall has repeatedly called out Jones, who claimed a vacant heavyweight title with a quick submission of Ciryl Gane back in March 2023. In response, Jones largely scoffed at Aspinall’s demands while staying steadfast that he’s always wanted to face Miocic, who holds the record for most successful title defenses (4) at heavyweight in UFC history.

While Miocic won’t make any commitment about his future until after he fights at UFC 309, Jones has publicly hinted at his own retirement numerous times. Despite that, White believes that Jones and Miocic respect the sport enough to give Aspinall his opportunity to become an undisputed champion before hanging up the gloves.

“When you think about Jon Jones becoming the youngest champion in [UFC] history and all the things that Stipe accomplished, they were given opportunities when they were young,” White said. “I think that they will reciprocate.”

Aspinall plans on sitting cageside for the event and he’s also weighing in as the backup, although it remains to be seen if Jones or Miocic would actually agree to face him on short notice if disaster struck during fight week.

For his part, White knows that either fighter eventually taking on Aspinall would do huge business for the UFC and he’s not giving up hope on making it happen.

“People will lose their f*cking minds if either one of those fights happen,” White said. “Stipe or Jon Jones [against Tom Aspinall].”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts