Randy Couture on Jon Jones at heavyweight: ‘You’ve got to approach them differently’

Randy Couture knows a thing or two about fighting at light heavyweight and heavyweight at the highest level. Jon Jones looks to do the same.

After relinquishing his 205-pound title in 2020, Jones declared that he’s finally going to make the jump up to heavyweight – something fans have been anticipating for nearly a decade.

“I’ll be interested to see,” Couture told MMA Fighting. “He’s a big guy, he’s a tall guy. I think he’s taller than I am. I think he’s 6-foot-3, I’m only 6-foot-1. He certainly has the frame to put on the mass, and technically, he’s as good as anybody.

“It will be interesting to see how he works around bigger, stronger guys, cause that is a challenge. You’ve got to approach them differently. You don’t want to go head up with a guy that’s that big and that strong.”

No stranger to either of the sport’s heaviest divisions himself, Randy Couture managed to capture both UFC titles during his 14-year career. In just his fourth professional MMA bout, Couture became heavyweight king by earning a majority decision against Maurice Smith.

It wouldn’t be until eight years later where Couture made the drop down in weight to pursue a second title. Immediately upon doing so, he picked up the interim title against Chuck Liddell before unifying against Tito Ortiz. Hot potato-ing the belt a bit afterward, Couture would eventually go back up to heavyweight after a small hiatus from the sport to hold the heavyweight title once again.

In the case of Jones, he’s planning to go from light heavyweight to heavyweight where he will presumably end what has already been a long and accomplished career.

At a time, Jon Jones vs. Randy Couture actually seemed like a real possibility. However, another former champion in Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida had other plans. At UFC 129 in 2011, Machida’s second-round crane kick knockout of “The Natural” spelled the end for the legend while awarding the Brazilian with a title opportunity.