In the ever-evolving landscape of mixed martial arts, discussions about the prowess of legendary fighters are bound to captivate fans. A bold proclamation has emerged from none other than Jon Jones’ old adversary, Rampage Jackson. Jackson envisions a former ADCC gold medalist outshining the iconic Jon Jones in the realm of MMA.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson recently made an intriguing statement where he believes the only fighter who can present a challenge in front of the UFC heavyweight champion is Nicky Rod.
Rampage Jackson envisions former ADCC champ outmatching Jon Jones
Rampage was recently featured on the Jaxxon Podcast, and with Gilbert Burns, he talked about the potential challenger to Jon Jones. Jackson said that if Nicky Rod, the American gold medalist in ADCC, transfers to MMA, then maybe he could take Jones down.
Jackson said, “Nicky Rod say he don’t want to go. But no disrespect to Jon Jones, but I think if anybody out there that can have a chance of beating Jones, I think it’s Nicky Rod.
“I’ve been, I’ve been really thinking about this because his wrestling is so good and his ground game is great. And that would be a good fight because Jon Jones is training with Gordon Ryan. Don’t you think that Nicky Rod can…?” Jackson asked.
To which Burns replied,”I think Nicky Rod can do very good.”
Jon Jones outshines Khabib and Makhachev in UFC’s top 5 submission experts list
In a recent list of the Top 5 submission fighters, Jones outshined the legendary fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov and the reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Khabib and Islam, known for their grappling skills and excellent ground control, could not top the list but Charles Oliveira topped it. Jones, an aggressive fighter, sat in the second position, which was a little shocking as Khabib was in the fifth position.
Jon Jones is currently recovering from his pectoral muscle tear. He is expected to be back in action in mid-2024. He was supposed to defend his title against Stipe Miocic in UFC 295 main event but got injured. Dana White has been adamant about moving Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic back to 2024. At this stage of his career, Miocic feels that every opponent he faces must make sense, and he too wants to take on Jones.
Do you think Nicky Rod can really outmatch Jon Jones? Tell us what you think in the comments.
