Jon Jones is fresh off a controversial victory over Dominick Reyes. Many believe that the challenger did enough to win the fight but ‘Bones’ was given the decision. In truth, it could have gone either way. The real controversy came from the fact that one of the judges gave Jones four of the rounds.
Now the big question is what is next for Jones? A rematch with Reyes would be totally justified because it was that close. However, the UFC and Jones are not particularly enthusiastic about this. Unfortunately for Reyes, his good sportsmanship after the fight may cost him an immediate second shot at the belt.
Will Jones finally make the leap up to heavyweight? Right now Corey Anderson is the favorite to fight him next so it seems unlikely. However, the light-heavyweight GOAT has another goal for the future. He believes that he’ll perform in the WWE one day in the near future.
Inevitable
Jones thinks he is the perfect fit for the WWE. It’s a popular stop for the most successful and famous UFC fighters. The likes of Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and most recently, Cain Velasquez are all doing well in the world of professional wrestling. There’s little doubt that ‘Bones’ has the personality and charisma to be a hit. It’s also incredibly lucrative for its biggest stars. Plus, you don’t take all of that brain trauma from getting punched in the head.
“I think it’s inevitable,” Jones said to Sports Illustrated. “I’ve always respected WWE, and I feel like the sports can be so similar. I have the size and athleticism and the following to transition over really well. To get the opportunity to just show up, even as a special guest, would be a dream come true.”
Robbery?
For his part, Reyes is bitter about the result. He believes he won the first three rounds of the fight and that the judges robbed him. It’s the first loss of his career and the fact that it was in a title fight definitely has to make it hurt even more.
“One, two and three were home runs. I knocked them out of the park,” Reyes told Ariel Helwani. “I fought a near perfect fight, and for that night I was a better fighter than Jon Jones. But greatness is still just a round away, I guess. Shout out to Jon, his chin was amazing and he doesn’t get enough credit for that. I was hitting him with some bombs – he knows it. I landed shot after shot and a headkick that knocked the sweat off his head, I knew I had him on the ropes, that’s why it hurts more.”
Next Up
Corey Anderson is the favorite to fight Jones next. Is that a match-up to excite the masses? Probably not. But unless Jones takes the rematch against Reyes it feels like that’s all he really has left at light-heavyweight. However, there’s definitely a feeling that he’s losing his aura of invincibility.
His performances in his last two fights have seen him look vulnerable. Thiago Santos definitely tested him on one leg for most of the fight while Reyes even dropped him in the first round. The latter’s comment about Jones’s chin is an excellent point. But would he be able to handle heavyweight power like from a Francis Ngannou?
