Tito Ortiz: ‘I would think I’d have a great chance’ against Jon Jones

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz likes his chances in a prospective showdown with the promotion’s reigning light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

In fact, he believes he’d perform better against Jones than Daniel Cormier did.

“I think I would do a lot better against Jon Jones than Daniel Cormier, because Cormier is just a shorter guy (with) bigger legs, bigger torso,” Ortiz said recently on the Domenick Nati Show (transcript via Bloody Elbow). “He’s just a big, big guy.

“Jon Jones is long and lengthy. I’m going to get in the inside and try to overpower some of the positions.

“But if it would be Jon Jones, I would think I’d have a great chance against (him).”

Tito Ortiz continued, assuring that with proper preparation, he could be the man to defeat the seemingly unbeatable UFC light heavyweight champion.

“Yup, I think I could. If I have a camp like I did the last one of 18 weeks, 100 percent,” he said. “There really hasn’t been anybody to fight Jon Jones, to get in his face, and stay in his face. Everybody else, they want to strike on the outside with him. He’s too damn long, you cannot do that. You got to get in the inside of him. That’s the way to fight him.

“As a coach and as a fighter, that’s the way to beat him,” he continued. “Someone should be aggressive enough to keep the fight, pushing him around. Make him feel uncomfortable.”

This is not the first time Tito Ortiz has made comments of this kind. He recently shared what he believes is the best strategy to beat Jon Jones in an interview with Helen Yee. 

While Ortiz likes his chances against Jones, of course, he’s currently got his hands full with an upcoming showdown with former pro wrestler Alberto Del Rio, which will occur under the Combate Americas banner. Stay tuned for updates on that.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/17/2019.