UFC
UFC QUOTABLES: Jon Jones looks to Randy Couture as an example in thinking of fights at heavyweight and light heavyweight
Jan 10, 2011 - 12:38:50 PM UFC QUOTABLES: Jon Jones looks to Randy Couture as an example in thinking of fights at heavyweight and light heavyweight

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"Right now I'm weighing 218 (pounds). I have a great diet and I'm realizing the weight cut really isn't that bad. This fight is the first fight where I really, really stuck to my diet and I haven't been cheating. So I feel great, I feel really agile, I feel really excited to be honest with you right now. When I'm off and out of training I do get up to almost 230, and I've been a smaller heavyweight my whole life growing up and wrestling my brother who was ranked No. 1 in the nation as a heavyweight wrestler, and I've always been pushing around the bigger guys, so fighting heavyweight definitely doesn't threaten me... I kind of like how Randy [Couture] has done it all throughout his MMA career. With the right fight, I would definitely take a fight at heavyweight, but my dreams and my goals are all at the light heavyweight division, and I don't want anything to get twisted saying I want to fight Cain [Velasquez] or any of the top heavyweights. If there was a cool fight stylistically for me at heavyweight, I'd give something to the fans and fight at a bigger weight."

-Jon Jones talks to MMAWeekly.com about the weight cut ahead of his UFC 126 bout with Ryan Bader and the possibility of taking a fight in the heavyweight division in the future.

Penick's Analysis: At 23-years-old, Jones is still growing into his frame, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually make a full time move to the heavyweight division. But as he says, his goals right now are all in the light heavyweight division, and he's got plenty left to accomplish there. He's one of the most exciting young fighters to watch right now, and his fight with Bader is going to be an excellent one next month. I think he'll test the heavyweight waters at some point in the next couple of years, though, but that division is so much of a crap shoot right now there's no point in speculating who might be interesting to see Jones in against in that division. But his speed, strength and long limbs will serve him well regardless of which division he's competing in.