This feels like a lose/lose for Jones. Stipe is one of the greatest ever of course, but if Jones beats him the narrative will be "Oh, Bones beat a 40-year-old, washed up heavyweight. Clearly ducking Francis". But if Jones loses, the narrative will be "Oh, Bones lost to a 40-year-old, washed up heavyweight. He should retire."
tryna convince himself beating a 40yo shot Stipe means anything. no shame
tried to befriend and Wakanda his way out of a fight with Francis
he was PRAYING 40yo Stipe was still somehow champ so he can try to fight him
I'll be surprised if he ever fights at HW to begin with, but I don't see the problem with fighting Stipe. It will be a good measure of how much, if any, Stipe has left, and what Jones might look like against the big boys. At least he's not ambling for a fight with Hardy.He wanted nothing with prime Cain or Stipe when he was in his prime. Now that Francis/Gane are in their prime he again wants nothing with them. Maybe if he actually believed he can beat the best HW he wouldn't have been talking about "moving up" for a decade.
Beating the champ proves more than beating the former and almost retired champ.
Jones wants nothing with Ngannou, we know, just fight someone FFS.
He also said this: "I'd rather snort coke and get drunk, then drive a car filled with strippers into a telephone pole than spend time with my daughters"