Jon Jones will be a major success at heavyweight. At least according to American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez.
Jones is currently planning a move up to the heavyweight division following the vacating of his light heavyweight crown.
It’s a move he has been planning as far back as 2013 which has led to some ridicule from many in the sport. However, this time, it appears to be very serious especially now that he is no longer the 205-pound champion.
As for how he will perform, the jury is out until fans actually see him in action. But Mendez — who studied Jones extensively for his 2015 and 2017 fights with Daniel Cormier — believes “Bones” will do great moving up.
“I think he’ll do great,” Mendez told Helen Yee in a recent interview. “I think that Jon Jones calculates everything. He’s extremely smart, got a super high IQ in the fight game. He knows exactly what to do, when to do it. I think he’ll do fantastic. I think he would do incredible.”
That said, there is one opponent who can give Jones problems according to Mendez and that’s Francis Ngannou.
When Jones was initially planning a move up earlier this year, it was for a super fight with Ngannou only for failed negotiations with the UFC to scupper it. And “The Predator” aside, Mendez feels Jones steamrolls everyone else in the division — including current champion Stipe Miocic.
“I think the only person that probably can give him a problem is [Francis] Ngannou because of the size and the power,” Mendez added. “And I think Ngannou is a problem for anybody but I think other than that, I think Jon Jones steamrolls everybody.”