Jon Jones Willing to Sacrifice Main Event Slot if Alex Pereira Fight Is Booked Amid Russia Backlash

Jon Jones is clear about how much he thinks fighting Alex Pereira matters to him, even if it requires him to sacrifice a UFC main event match. Recently, the former UFC heavyweight champion posted on X what fighting Alex Pereira means to him. He is even willing to give up the main event spot to face off against Pereira irrespective of whether there’s any title on the line or not.

Jon Jones had a strong response to a fan’s question about giving up the main event spot to fight Alex Pereira, and it was

“Absolutely.”

Certainly, Jones’ response was enough to catch everyone’s attention on social media immediately after it came out. Not to forget, for 15 years of his appearance at the UFC, Jon Jones was always a part of the main event. It was back in 2011 at UFC 126 that Jones fought against Ryan Bader, having no title at stake or the headlining match.

The seriousness of fighting Alex Pereira is exciting the fans already, especially when both “Bones” and “Poatan” are likely having link with the UFC White House event of next year.

Context Around Jones’ Comments and Why the Timing Matters?

Jones’ response to fighting Alex Pereira matters for one more reason, and that’s something to do with his Russia visit. The statement of Jones had come while he was in Russia and was seen with Khamzat Chimaev and Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader. Some clips showing their activities were shared by Jones, even showing a lighthearted banter with Chimaev, where the latter took Jones down. Yet, what caught everyone’s attention the most was Jones sitting beside a controversial political figure.

Surely, the unexpected sight became a major discussion all over social media, even creating some backlash over it. This comes especially when Jones is campaigning for a big UFC fight. Nonetheless, Jones portrays his trip as more personal and recreational than what it looks to many. This could also be because his presence is in connection to the White House card.

In fact, UFC can have ease with the flexibility of Jones, as he isn’t willing to fight the Light-Heavyweight Champion for a specific placement on the card. For Jones, it’s going to be more about fighting for the legacy than fighting for a title, making it even more interesting for everyone to watch it.

Though, for some, perception does matter. Not restricting his fight with Alex to a specific position may help in negotiations. But his recent appearance does make him influence many, believing how aggressively UFC is promoting him.

Still, Jones is clear he wants a fight with the Brazilian, and there’s no condition to it. After more than a decade-long presence at the UFC, Jones is all ready to go beyond traditions to fight his chosen opponent at any cost.