Some fighters become synonymous with their sport, much like Muhammad Ali did in boxing. In MMA, Jon Jones has been that defining figure for nearly two decades. Often hailed as the undisputed king of mixed martial arts, ‘Bones’ boasts a resume filled with records that may never be matched. However, the current heavyweight kingpin is now faced with a pivotal decision, and according to verbose analyst Chael Sonnen, this choice could significantly impact how the MMA community will ultimately remember him.

‘The Bad Guy’ has laid out three potential paths for Jones to consider. “If you have the power to decide if Jon Jones, A) fight Tom, B) fight Alex, or C) walk away; I would like to know of those three options, which gains the most respect,” Sonnen stated in a YouTube video. While fans have been clamoring for a heavyweight title unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall, the New Mexico native seems to be more interested in pursuing a ‘super fight’ with Alex Pereira.

‘Poatan’ has quickly become a star in the promotion, which could pique Dana White’s interest. However, the head honcho is adamant about booking the Aspinall fight, calling it the biggest matchup to make. But then again, there’s something to gain for Jones if he competes against  Pereira. Sonnen believes the 37-year-old could claim “the greatest light heavyweight of all time” status in company history if it gets the green light. 

Meanwhile, the most sensitive option, according to Sonnen, is the choice to “walk away.” While mentioning how fans understood the reason behind Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s decision to retire in his prime, he insinuated that the reception for Jones could be vastly different among fans since he has been called out for ‘ducking’ Aspinall on social media by the MMA community for over a year.

In addition to that, Sonnen also added that White may not be too high on his cash cow, Conor McGregor, making a return due to his recent controversies amidst a three-and-a-half-year hiatus from active competition. “When Khabib did it, it was not met with a chorus of boos. But it’s a tough juxtaposition to imagine Jon would get that same result because the top contender and the biggest payday is not a former slowed-down current drunk c—head. It’s a younger, bigger, reigning champion,” the UFC legend added.

“The way you leave is how you will be remembered. Khabib Walked on the cusp of his biggest payday. Jon Jones is in a position to walk on the cusp of his hardest challenge.” But did you know that, in the meantime, Jones has another opponent that he could consider fighting instead? Well, it’s none other than Francis Ngannou, but recently, even he seemed to have lost interest in it as well.

MMA fans may never get to witness Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones

A fight that’s been dubbed as arguably the greatest heavyweight clash in MMA history. The discussions surrounding Jon Jones potentially fighting Francis Ngannou had taken shape back when ‘The Predator’ was still a part of the UFC. But in the wake of his departure from the promotion after failed contract negotiations, the chances of that fight taking place slimmed down considerably.

Despite that setback, Ngannou continued to speak out publicly that he still believes he and Jones can fight one day if the UFC champion can play his cards right. However, it seems like the PFL heavyweight champion has run out of patience. Just days before we celebrated the recent New Year, he appeared to have been tired of waiting for the fight against Jon Jones, claiming that he’s moving on.

“It’s been four years that I’ve been saying it. I’m confused that people keep asking me this question. It’s been four years. That’s not my problem. I don’t care about it anymore. If it happens, yes, if it doesn’t, f— it,” Ngannou stated on ‘Seconds Out’.

While the UFC champion has lost that option, the only ones available to Jon Jones are the three that Sonnen has pointed out. So what do you think? Let us know in the comments down below.