Jake Paul has lots of respect for Jon Jones, but believes there's one more fight the UFC star needs to take before calling it a career.
Jones reigned over the UFC light heavyweight division for many, many years, and last year, finally became a two-division champion when he climbed up to heavyweight and submitted Ciryl Gane to win the division's vacant title.
By that point, most fans considered Jones one of the greatest fighters in MMA history — maybe the best outright. According to Paul, however, Jones must fight the top heavyweight in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) before his legacy is set in stone.
The PFL's top heavyweight will be decided when Brazil's Renan Ferreira takes on Cameroon's Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on October 19.
"I would love it if Jon eventually fought Ngannou or Ferreira," Paul told Esquire Middle East. "I think these two guys are the best heavyweights on the planet right now, and to cement his legacy, Jon should fight the winner of this upcoming fight.”
Ferreira is the PFL's 2023 heavyweight champion, and defeated long-time Bellator champ Ryan Bader to earn the opportunity to fight Ngannou.
Ngannou, meanwhile, is a former UFC heavyweight champion. He never actually lost the title, but left the promotion after a highly-publicized contract dispute over pay, and subsequently signed with the PFL.
After leaving the UFC, he participated in two blockbuster boxing matches — making more than he did in his entire UFC career in the process. First, he battled Tyson Fury to a controversial decision loss in a fight that was far more competitive than anyone imagined. Then, he suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in a fight that prompted his move back to MMA.
Paul, a social media star turned Professional boxer, also plans to compete in MMA, and signed a contract with the PFL to make it happen.
He served as the emcee for a recent Saudi Arabia press conference for Ngannou and Ferreira's upcoming fight, and was wowed by the size of the two athletes.
"Those guys are terrifying,” Paul said. “That was my first time announcing a fight like that, and if they had started shoving each other, I would’ve ran off the stage. No way I was standing between that."
Jones has not fought since defeating Gane last year. He is expected to fight former champion Stipe Miocic next, but has been dogged by criticism for pursuing the matchup with the 42-year-old, who has not fought in almost four years.
Instead, most fans would like to see Jones fight UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, or Ngannou, who remains the lineal MMA heavyweight champion.
