Jon Jones has addressed the backlash over a video he posted following Alex Pereira's loss to Ciryl Gane, insisting he had no intention of disrespecting Pereira. Jones said the clip was a direct message to his own critics, who had been claiming Pereira would become the greatest fighter of all time if he won.
Jon Jones has spoken out to clarify the intent behind a social media video he posted in the wake of Alex Pereira's heavyweight loss to Ciryl Gane, saying the clip was never meant as a shot at Pereira but was instead directed at critics who had been building a greatest-of-all-time case around the Brazilian champion.
Jones, 38, holds a 28-1-0 record and is widely regarded as one of the premier heavyweights on the planet. Standing six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach, he lands 4.38 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes — a combination that has long made him difficult to categorize as simply a striker or wrestler. He made clear the video was a response to the narrative being pushed by his detractors, who argued Pereira would surpass him in the all-time conversation with a win.
Pereira, also 38 and standing six-foot-four, is the reigning light heavyweight champion and carries a 13-4-0 record. Fighting out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness in Brazil, he lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy. His venture into the heavyweight division ended in defeat against Gane, a result that Jones indicated his critics had not anticipated when they were making sweeping proclamations.
Gane, the number-two ranked heavyweight out of France's MMA Factory, improved to 14-2-0 with the victory. The six-foot-four, 36-year-old leads the division in striking output at 5.29 significant strikes per minute with 61 percent accuracy, and the win further cements his position as a top contender in the 265-pound class.
Why it matters
- Jones is directly protecting his legacy claim as the conversation around all-time greatness intensifies at heavyweight
- Pereira's defeat halts any cross-divisional momentum that could have complicated the heavyweight picture
- Gane's win at rank two strengthens his case for a title shot and keeps pressure on the division's top spot
