Heavyweight champ Jon Jones has been out of action for quite some time now. The 36-year-old is nursing a shoulder injury, and fans are expecting to see him in action soon. Nevertheless, his absence from the Octagon has raised considerable questions about Bones’ credibility. And amidst all the doubts surrounding the champion, his longtime rival Daniel Cormier has come out in support of Jones.

Daniel Cormier has fought Jon Jones twice and seen his greatness from close quarters.  According to the former champion, Jones can now redefine his legacy in the UFC with the emergence of a new challenger, Alex Pereira.

Daniel Cormier feels Jon Jones will be much hungrier than before

Alex Pereira is slowly and steadily inching towards the title of the greatest fighter in the UFC. The Brazilian has defended his title twice in a span of months’ time. Not only did he win his fights but also dominated his opponents. Yet, Cormier feels the emergence of Alex Pereira in the sport will help Jones in his career.

The former champion praised his longtime rival on his YouTube channel. He said, “I believe now Jon Jones can truly redefine his greatness. LeBron’s playing in season number 20, he’s 40. Tom Brady played till his mid-40s.” Cormier feels Jones can reach the level of Lebron James and Tom Brady and Pereira will play a huge role in this.

Jones suffered a major setback before his UFC 295 clash where he suffered an injury. Since then ‘Bones’ has stayed out of action and most of the fans feel he is way past his prime. Cormier on the other hand feels he now has the chance to create a new legacy.

He further said, “Now guys can fight and compete longer. If he can do that he can redefine history. One thing I know about Jon Jones he hates when people start to bring other people into the conversation of who’s best and better than him. So all the momentum Pereira is getting will maybe motivate him to do this for longer than he had intentions of doing. “

Jones is indeed up for the challenge with Alex Pereira. After his emphatic UFC 303 victory, most fans now want to see ‘Poatan’ in the heavyweight division and go for the title. However, the champion is unfazed by the threat of the Brazilian and even shared a message for him on his X account.

Jon Jones predicts an easy win against Alex Pereira

There are very few fighters in the UFC who are unfazed by the threat of Alex Pereira. The Brazilian is known for his lethal left hooks and knockout power. His last few performances inside the Octagon have instilled fear in most of his opponents. However, Jon Jones is confident of his ability and predicts an easy win against the 36-year-old. Pereira has now won two titles in two different divisions. Most experts and even the fans now want to see him go for the third title. But will he ever get the opportunity to face Jones in his career?

It seems he might just get it in the near future, but has one condition laid down for him. Jones took to his X account to lay down the conditions for Pereira in order to face him. He wrote, “When I beat Miocic, I might give him a chance, but only if he beats Aspinall. In any case, it would be an easy night for me; I would choke him out just like I did Gane. I’m the king of the jungle.” 

Pereira has yet to make any announcement about his move to the heavyweight division. However, it will be interesting to see whether the pair take on each other in the future. Who do you think will win the fight between the two? Let us know in the comments below.