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It’s very tough to intimidate Jon Jones, who’s considered the greatest of all time when it comes to MMA. However, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson did that with ease. During his peak, the host of the JAXXON Podcast was as mean as they came and gained popularity for being one of the scariest fighters in the world. Jones used to talk about being scared of Jackson, which was evident when he refused to look his ex-rival in his eye when they faced off in 2011. But as we all know, ‘Bones’ won, and when someone like ‘Rampage’ tells you his take on Jones and the current heavyweight landscape, it’s worth listening to. Case in point, the disastrous ending to the main event of UFC 321 sparked some serious questions about the current UFC heavyweight landscape. Tom Aspinall‘s decision not to continue the fight after getting poked by Ciryl Gane has seen him lose a bit of credibility. Does Tom really have the credentials to beat Jon Jones? Well, ‘Rampage’ Jackson entered the conversation recently, and it appears that he doesn’t seem to think so. And that, according to Jones’ ex-rival, is also the same with Alex Pereira. ‘Rampage’ Jackson claims Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall are no match for Jon Jones For all those who were adhering to the narrative that Jon Jones was ‘ducking’ Tom Aspinall, ‘Rampage’ Jackson thinks you’re wrong. He believes that the Brit never posed any threat, and the former two-division champion knows it. “I don’t think there’s nobody out there right now that can really beat Jon Jones. With that being said, Jon Jones, he is very intelligent with his decision-making of who he fights and his opponents. I don’t think he was worried about Tom Aspinall as everybody thought he was,” Jackson stated on his podcast. Jon Jones has been calling for “legacy fights” for a while now. And for many, he’s got every right to do that due to the resume he’s built over the course of his career. And that’s why the emphasis for ‘Bones’ is on fighting Alex Pereira. The 38-year-old has often said in his interviews that he wants to give fans what they want, but Rampage Jackson is not buying that. He doesn’t think the consensus GOAT will go straight into business on the ground and finish Pereira. “He knows what type of fight he’ll take to Alex Pereira. Come on, let’s not be stupid… He’s not going to stand and bang with him. I don’t see it. If he does, I’ll drop a thousand dollars right here on you,” Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson added. “Look what he did to Ciryl Gane the first time… That’s the same type of fight he wants to give to Alex. He don’t care about the entertainment. He cares about his legacy only.” Well, people have opinions, and they differ from person to person. We say this because another former champion chimed in on this conversation, and, unlike Jackson, he seems to believe that Alex Pereira has got Jon Jones’ number. Here’s what he had to say. Sean Strickland backs Pereira to beat Jones While the speculations regarding a potential Jon Jones vs Alex Pereira White House fight, a fight that they both want, are keeping fans engaged, Sean Strickland decided to give his take on the potential outcome. The former middleweight champ, who has trained with Pereira, is convinced that ‘Poatan’ is the only legitimate fighter able to beat Jones. That’s especially because of the 2-time light heavyweight champ’s ability to stuff takedown attempts. “If there’s anyone to beat Jon Jones, it’s Alex. But Jon Jones, that guy can wrestle. That level of black athleticism. That guy can wrestle. The thing about Alex, is he’s really f—ing hard to take down. … He’s a really hard motherf—er to take down. If you’re going to have any success with him, he better be tired because naturally he has a defensive stance,” Sean Strickland told MMA Junkie. We are still some time away from the UFC White House fight, and if Jon Jones and Alex Pereira are to headline the show, we’ll get our answers then. But what happens to Tom Aspinall in the meantime? He will be re-matching Ciryl Gane for sure, so it remains to be seen if he can get past the Frenchman to secure his place in a fight against Jones. Drop your comments below.
