Books don't like his odds moving up, but he looks good at middleweight
There is a pretty strong consensus in the MMA world that Jon Jones will compete in the heavyweight division at some point in his career.
The UFC light heavyweight champion is tearing through all comers in the 205-pound class, and at just 24 years old and standing 6-foot-4 with an incredible 84-inch reach, he still is growing into his body.
There is far less agreement on just how well Jones would do if and when he does make that leap.
The key, of course, would probably be just how big Jones would get in preparation for that next step in his career, if and when he decides to take it.
He has never been known to have much difficulty cutting down to 205 and typically walks around at about 225 pounds.
Alistair Overeem, who fights Brock Lesnar next week in Las Vegas, has been in the same position.
Overeem didn't move up to heavyweight full time until 2007, when he had more than 30 fights under his belt, and he has gone from a skinny 205-pounder to a sculpted 260-pound beast.
"He will do good, but he will not be as successful is if he remains a small heavyweight," Overeem said. "If he takes the time to gain weight and strength, he will be a formidable foe at heavyweight."
Jones refuses to even speculate on all this for now, as he rightly points out there are still several challenges ahead in his current weight class. So, if he were to go up, it would be quite a bit down the road.
But if Jones were to hypothetically try to compete with one of the top five heavyweights in his next fight, the odds wouldn't be in his favor.
"Heavy" odds against Jones
Online wagering site Bovada would install UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos as a minus-350 favorite over Jones, meaning a bettor would have to bet $350 on dos Santos to win $100.
(for the ******s, they know who they are)
According to handicapper Bovada, the odds would be stacked against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones if he moved up to heavyweight.
Odds vs. Jones
Junior dos Santos minus-350
Cain Velasquez minus-325
Alistair Overeem minus-325
Brock Lesnar minus-300
Frank Mir minus-240
Odds vs. Jones
Junior dos Santos minus-350
Cain Velasquez minus-325
Alistair Overeem minus-325
Brock Lesnar minus-300
Frank Mir minus-240
Roy Nelson volunteered his services to welcome Jones to the heavyweight division should he choose to make that jump, though Nelson would probably throw his hat in the ring to fight a grizzly bear if asked. Nelson said Jones has the frame to successfully move up to heavyweight, but there would certainly be some challenges.
"There are a lot of heavyweights I think that could beat him if he moved up," he said. "One of the biggest differences is we tend to hit harder, but [against Machida] it looked like he could take punches." Not everyone is in agreement that Jones would be in over his head in the short term if he makes the jump to the heavyweight division.
Louis D'Andrilli, who helps set the MMA numbers for Cantor Gaming at the Tropicana in Las Vegas, would make Jones a very small favorite against any of the top five heavyweights.
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