Jon Jones likes Conor McGregor. He likes what he does in the cage. He likes that McGregor is holding the UFC's feet to the fire. That doesn't mean he's not going to make the most of the opportunities that are presented to him, though.
With the UFC currently looking for a new headliner for UFC 200, the former light heavyweight champ is ready, willing and able to step into that spot. "Absolutely, I would totally step into UFC 200 and fill in that main event or co-main event slot," Jones told the media at a UFC 197 media event, per ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto.
Jones (21-1), who is currently set to face Ovince Saint Preux in an interim light heavyweight championship fight at UFC 197, would likely be the best possible replacement for the company. Stripped of the title last year, Jones has a bitter rivalry with reigning champion Daniel Cormier, which started before, and continued through, their fight at UFC 182.
A Cormier vs. Jones 2 would most likely do very big business and may actually be comparable to the previously scheduled rematch between McGregor and Nate Diaz.
That said, Jones doesn't necessarily think the featherweight champ will be gone for long. "I don't think he's going to retire. Just a few days ago, he said on Instagram he's hungry like day one," he said. "Conor is a fighter, and he is a winner. I don't think he would want to go out on a loss. I think if he doesn't fight again, his legacy is really that Diaz fight."
The UFC, and most MMA fans, are hoping Jones is right on that, but few would complain about Jones making the quick turnaround and sliding into the headline of UFC 200.
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