Curtis Blaydes on Jon Jones: ‘I could put him away’

Curtis Blaydes doesn’t think Jon Jones would fare too well at heavyweight.

Jones has hinted at a possible move to heavyweight for quite some time now. But, after UFC 247 many think he should rematch Dominick Reyes or fight the winner of Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz. So a potential move to heavyweight could be delayed.

If Jones does end up moving up to heavyweight, Blaydes doubts the light heavyweight legend will be able to deal with the power difference.

“I believe he has all the skill in the world,” Curtis Blaydes said on BJPENN.com Radio. “‘I don’t think anyone is as creative or blends as well as he does, but there is gravity and weight and it does become a factor when you come up to heavyweight. I just think kind of like how it was with [Max] Holloway versus [Dustin] Poirier when Holloway tried to bump up to 155, he was able to land just as often as Poirier, but when Poirier would land, you could see it hurt. When Holloway lands, Poirier would just keep moving.

“I think it would be a little bit of that going on at heavyweight you get into one of those exchanges, which I’m not saying Jon Jones would brawl,” he continued. “But it’s a fight you never know. I think if he gets in one of those exchanges with a big boy, he can get put down. It’s just physics.”

If Jones does move up though, Blaydes would be interested in fighting him. He believes it is a favorable matchup for him and believes he could take “Bones” down. Once on the ground, he suspects he’d put him away with his elbows and ground and pound.

“On the ground also, I know he’s an amazing wrestler, jiu-jitsu player, but again gravity plays a bigger factor in heavyweight fights,” Blaydes said. “And I know speaking for me personally I bet real heavy hitters with amazing pressure [would have success]. I think I’d be able to hang with him on the ground. I think I’d be able to get some elbows in. And again, the power I’m bringing on the ground I could put him away.”

For now, Blaydes is focused on the heavyweight division but is frustrated with the division being stalled by Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

Do you agree with Curtis Blaydes that Jon Jones would be put away at heavyweight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/14/2020.