Daniel Cormier is pleased with Jon Jones’s “business” decisions! ‘Bones’ is currently on a hiatus to recover from a torn pectoral tendon that sidelined him from his UFC 295 title defense against Stipe Miocic last year. However, he has indicated that while the Miocic fight is still a target, he also has his eyes set on a clash against Alex Pereira.

In a recent post on X, Jones stated, “The most massive fight the UFC could make. Give Alex a chance to avenge all those great Brazilian champions I’ve defeated.” And according to Cormier, a former rival of Jones, the decision to take on ‘Poatan’ is the right one despite Tom Aspinall currently holding the interim heavyweight title, as he broke down why ‘Bones’ is interested in taking the Brazilian instead!

Daniel Cormier approves of Jon Jones targeting Alex Pereira instead of Tom Aspinall

In a recent episode of ‘Funky and The Champ’ show, Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren engaged in a discussion about Jon Jones’s next move once he returns to the UFC. Askren began the conversation by inquiring, “Can we talk about your bestie, Jon Jones and who he’s gonna fight? What he was making was a pitch to fight (Alex) Pereira. We want to see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall, Aspinall’s got the interim belt, Jon’s got the belt…”

This led to Cormier responding by stating, “Ben, hold on. Jon Jones said, that if he fought Alex, it would be the biggest fight that the UFC could make. Is he wrong?”. The conversation then touched upon the chances Pereira would have against Jones inside the Octagon.

Askren raised concerns about Pereira’s takedown defense, pointing out that fighters like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya refrained from attempting takedowns against him, implying a quick finish if Jones were to face Pereira. He also pointed out what happened to Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 as an example of ‘Bones’s grappling prowess compared to ‘Poatan’.

Cormier then revealed why Jones is interested in facing the Brazilian instead of Aspinall. He stated, “He’s fought all the best killers. He’s from our generation, him and I, he fought from the prior generation when he was a kid. Now he’s saying why do I want to take on a third generation of fighter? Cause that is what Tom Aspinall is. Business-wise, it’s about as smart as he can be. I’m taking his side because I recognize what he’s doing.”

And so, Cormier’s insights shed light on Jones’s strategic mindset, suggesting that his preference for Pereira over Aspinall may be driven by business considerations and a desire to capitalize on the biggest potential fight available. And it seems that ‘Poatan’ has been paying attention to ‘Bones’ as he also revealed his thoughts on the prospect of the clash between the two titans inside the Octagon!

‘Poatan’ responds to Jones’s calls for a fight against him  

Alex Pereira, the current UFC light heavyweight champion, hasn’t missed Jon Jones’ message for him! At the recent UFC 301 fan Q&A session, Pereira shared his thoughts on ‘Bones’ stating the following about a possible clash between him and ‘Poatan’, “No one can argue that that would be the biggest fight in MMA history. There’s absolutely no fight that generates a payday like that. Marketing would be insane.”

Pereira responded by stating, “Becoming a three-division champion is very hard and not many people try it, but if I have that opportunity, I just want to bring joy to everyone and a better life for my family.”

The Brazilian also revealed that the longer it takes for the heavyweight clash to be finalized, the easier it would be for him to bulk up to make the move to the higher weight class. In conclusion, as discussions around potential matchups continue to unfold, fans eagerly await further developments in the ongoing saga between Pereira and Jon Jones, anticipating the possibility of witnessing a historic clash between two formidable champions!