MMA legend and multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture says that it’s time that Jon Jones stepped as much as the actual challenges of the heavyweight division. Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall had been each ducked by the present heavyweight champion.
Randy Couture
The Pure’ Randy Couture is a five-time UFC champion having collected titles within the gentle heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He’s greatest recognized for his rivalries towards fighters resembling Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Tim Sylvia.
Regardless of the Olympic wrestler being a trailblazer within the sport, he’s on the UFC’s naughty listing as he was continually clashing with the brass on his rights and contractual disputes. Within the 2000s, he walked away from the UFC to pursue a struggle towards the all-time nice heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko because the UFC refused to co-promote with the organizations that had the contract of Fedor.
Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall
‘Bones’ Jon Jones vacated his gentle heavyweight title after having an all-time nice profession operating via the division. He then moved to heavyweight and captured the throne and later defended it towards the aged Stipe Miocic whereas avoiding the interim champion Tom Aspinall. Moreover, whereas Francis Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones refused to step up the heavyweight at the moment as an alternative he selected to attend till the Cameroonian fighter had left the group.
Sufficient is sufficient in accordance with Randy Couture. Based on him, Jon Jones should face Aspinall or Ngannou for the sake of his legacy even when it requires co-promotion. In a latest interview with talkSPORT, Couture mentioned:
“That was actually the struggle I pursued for a very long time—to struggle Fedor. It by no means occurred. I believe that that dialog, clearly, we’re nonetheless having it proper now. And Jon Jones—as a lot as he doesn’t wanna struggle Francis—is gonna have hassle avoiding that. Now he says he didn’t wanna struggle Tom. I imply, why? You’re supposedly the GOAT. Step up and struggle whoever they need you to struggle.
“I’m not in Jon’s head, so I couldn’t let you know. I believe, you already know, he must step up and struggle the fellows they need him to struggle. You possibly can’t draw back from guys, anyone, truthfully. So, I imply, that’s a problem. However actually, Tom has earned—earned a crack and deserves that. Whether or not Francis—and so they do a co-promotion or cross-promotion—that, you already know, that’s one thing that… our sport continues to be very anti-competitive.
“There’s no transparency within the sport. There’s no strategy to do these sorts of cross-promotions.The restrictive nature of the contracts within the promotions themselves prevents that. That’s why the Fedor struggle by no means occurred. One wished to do a co-promotion with the UFC, and the UFC wasn’t keen to try this. I don’t suppose their perspective on co-promotion has modified. In order that might be a giant problem—to see Francis get in there with Jon or Tom, if Tom beats Jon.”
Francis Ngannou presently holds the lineal UFC titles as he left the group with out dropping the crown. He then competed in blockbuster boxing matches and picked up the PFL heavyweight title.
Couture is presently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia a part of the published crew for PFL 10 2024 on November 29 which options the event closing bouts.
