Jones: I'd tap Pereira quickly, his wrestling 'way behind'
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- Jon Jones told ALF Global he'd 'quickly' submit Alex Pereira in a heavyweight bout, saying that after watching him train he believes Pereira's wrestling is 'way behind.'
- Jones dismissed Pereira as undersized at heavyweight, estimating he 'weighs maybe 250' and contrasting him unfavorably with 'big, big boys' Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane.
- Pereira was knocked out in the second round by Gane in his heavyweight debut at UFC Freedom 250 in June, a result Jones pointed to as evidence the weight class is a bridge too far.
- Jones hasn't fought since defending the heavyweight title against Miocic in November 2024 but re-entered the UFC drug testing pool less than two months after announcing his retirement and vacating the belt.
- Jones vacated the title rather than unify it with interim champion Tom Aspinall; per the source, the UFC must contractually offer him fights but he isn't obligated to accept them.
- Jones' stated focus now is coaching Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, who made a successful debut at UFC 329.
Why it matters: Jones had publicly campaigned for the Pereira fight that never materialized, and now sits retired in name only — re-entered testing but not obligated to accept any UFC offer — while leaving the heavyweight belt vacant rather than unifying with interim champ Tom Aspinall, leaving the division's top contender unresolved.
