Coach claims Jon Jones is now ‘more powerful’ than Alistair Overeem: ‘his skillset is at an all-time high’
Jon Jones has gotten jacked for his move up to heavyweight.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jones ruled the 205 lb division in his run at the top. He has remained on the sidelines for over two years since his last outing against Dominick Reyes in Feb. 2020. Jones decided to move up a weight class and the recent developments indicate he might be ready.
Coach claims Jon Jones is now ‘more powerful’ than Alistair Overeem
In an interview with Submission Radio, coach Brandon Gibson of JacksonWink MMA shared major updates regarding Jon Jones’ preparations for a move to heavyweight.
“His weight is up there right now, and it’s much more than 25 pounds,” coach Brandon Gibson said (ht MMA Mania). “So, he is hitting extremely hard and extremely accurate and technical, and fast. I’ve trained a lot of amazing heavyweights. I trained (Andrei) Arlovski and (Alistair) Overeem and Frank Mir and Travis Browne, and Jon Jones is more powerful, explosive, creative, dynamic than all of ‘em.
“So, I can’t wait to see Jon make that walk at heavyweight. It’s gonna be something truly, truly special, and I’m humbled to be a part of it.”
Gibson defended Jones’ move up amidst criticism from fans
After “Bones” posted a couple of training videos online, fans were not impressed. He was criticized for adding more muscle to his frame which may not be a perfectly natural fit. However, Gibson is confident in his pupil’s capabilities.
“We’re not trying to show our sharpest work, right? Jon sometimes just likes to throw up a combination, kind of let everybody see where he’s at. But we’re not going for a speed record or some power record right now,” the JacksonWink striking coach continued. “All we care about is being ready when the bell rings on fight night. So, I think it’s cool when he shares a little snippet of that, but I don’t let any fans’ critique of Jon’s mitt work get to me at all, cause I know how it feels.
“I know how fast he is. I know how focused and dedicated he’s been the last two and a half years working towards this goal. So, I don’t mind if he shares something. I also don’t mind if we just keep working in the shadows. Because all that matters to me is that fight night. But believe me, Jon is hitting hard, and he’s so skilled right now.
“His skillset’s at an all-time high, and he has so much power and athleticism and stamina on top of it all. I think the fans are gonna be really, really shocked and surprised when they see him at heavyweight.”
Are you excited to see Jon Jones make his heavyweight debut?
