Daniel Cormier would like to see Jon Jones to assume Alexandre Pereira if he passes Stipe Miocic.
Heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) expects his first title defense against Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) to take place at UFC 309, Nov. 9, in New York.
Last Saturday, in the main fight of UFC 303, light heavyweight champion Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) made his second title defense by knocking out Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC ) in their rematch.
Jones admitted to a fan when answering their question on “X” that he is unsure about retirement and that “the options seem crazy right now.” With Pereira already teasing a move to heavyweight, Cormier sees a fight with Jones as the best possible move.
“I’ll tell you what Jones said: Now he can stick around because he says, ‘The options look great,’” Cormier said in his “Funky and the Champion” show with Ben Askren.
“If I’m Jones, I fight Stipe, I beat Stipe, and then I call the UFC to make Pereira move up (to heavyweight), knowing that you could handle all that thunder because Jones x Pereira would be a great prize. .”
Ben Askren thinks Jones vs. Pereira would be similar to Jones’ quick submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, and Cormier agrees.
“Jones is a -800 favorite to fight Pereira and beat Pereira if they were to fight,” Cormier said. “So it’s not a great matchup, but I love Alex, man. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
