UFC president Dana White may be onto something, according to Colby Covington.
Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones never intended to compete at heavyweight, according to ‘Chaos,’ and that ‘Bones’ was simply aiming to face Francis Ngannou for ‘one more paycheck’ before retiring from the sport.
Although White did not say it that way, the UFC president strongly implied that Jones may never fight in the UFC again.
“No, he’s [Jon Jones] not fighting at heavyweight man,” Covington said on the MMA Roasted podcast (h/t Essentially Sports), echoing White’s sentiments. “He’s done, he doesn’t have the right scientist, the right juice to do anymore. He knows he’s done. He’s trying to get one more cash grab and hope that it’s so much money that he doesn’t have to do anything but I don’t think he’s ever fighting again. I just don’t see it.
“If he wanted a fight, he would have fought already,” Covington added. “He would have gone back to light heavyweight and fought Jan or something. He’s too small for a heavyweight man. He’s just looking to get a big cash grab with Francis but he knows he’s going to get knocked out so he’s trying to get as much money as he can to take that ass beating.”
Jones gave up the light heavyweight championship last year in the hopes of moving up to heavyweight and becoming a two-division champion, but things haven’t gone his way.
The pound-for-pound No. 1 has been in limbo for the past year after failing to strike an agreement with the UFC on fighter pay. Although he just hired Richard Schaefer, the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, as his new advisor, White still doesn’t anticipate Jones to return to the ring anytime soon and has “completely moved on” from the concept of Jones ever fighting at heavyweight.
White revealed that former interim champion Covington will face Kamaru Usman for the welterweight belt next. The 33-year-old previously suffered a broken jaw after losing to Usman in a welterweight title fight at UFC 245 by fifth-round TKO.
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