The UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones finally returns to action on November 16.
The UFC makes its yearly trip to New York on November 16 when UFC 309 takes place at the historic Madison Square Garden.
The main event will see heavyweight champion Jon Jones face the legendary Stipe Miocic, but it’s a fight which has received backlash from MMA fans.
With rumours rife that Jones and Miocic could announce their retirement from the sport come the conclusion of the contest, it will kill any dream of a clash between Jones and the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
While fans will be calling for Jones to face Aspinall next if he beats Miocic, Javier Mendez, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s trainer, believes there is a bigger fight for Jones than Aspinall.
“I definitely could see [Alex] Pereira next for Jones. He’s a fan favourite, a champion warrior like I’ve never seen before,” Mendez told CanadaCasino.ca.
“He’ll take a fight on two weeks’ notice against the best guy in another division. I’ve never in my life seen that. He’s special, one of a kind, so I’m not surprised by anything that could happen with Alex; he says ‘yes’ to everybody.
“I do think Jon Jones vs Pereira is a bigger fight than Jon Jones vs Aspinall. Pereira is such a fan favourite, and he’s been active. People respect him a lot.
“I think Aspinall might be the more dangerous guy for Jon Jones, but worldwide, Pereira would be the favourite that people would want to see with Jones.”
Alex Pereira is the current UFC light heavyweight champion and has been one of the standout fighters in 2024 making three successful title defences with every victory coming within the scheduled distance.