José Aldo talks about the negotiations between UFC and Jones and sees him as a 'favorite' in the heavyweight division

J. Aldo (photo) is coming off a victory over Marlon Vera. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

The Brazilian José Aldo was asked about the controversy between Jon Jones and UFC and gave his opinion on the matter. The man from Manaus says he understands the side of the former light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg), but stated that conflicts in negotiations are normal in any organization. The veteran also declared that the veteran is a favorite against any fighter in the group up to 120,2kg. and explained the reasons.

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“An athlete will always want to receive more and a boss will always try to pay less. This conflict happens not only in the UFC, but within any company. It will always be like this. I understand the side of Jon Jones and I also understand the Ultimate side. They both want to defend their sides. I've been there and I know what negotiations are like. It's part of the game. Let's see what happens in the end”, declared Aldo to the website 'MMA fighting'.

Regarding Jones' change of category, Aldo stated that he already sees him as one of the best fighters in the new division and explained the reasons.

“I always saw Jones as a big favorite at heavyweight. He is fast and has great reach. Jon may not have the same punching power as a heavyweight, but he has other qualities. His Olympic fighting game is very good and can take down any fighter. If he puts you on the ground, I think it's difficult for any heavyweight to deal with him on top”, concluded the Brazilian.

MMA legend, Jon Jones dominated the light heavyweight division for around 10 years. Considered one of the greatest fighters in the history of the category, he decided to leave the belt in August 2020 and test himself in the top division.

After being confirmed by Dana White as the next heavyweight challenger, Jones saw the president change his speech after the UFC 260. The 'big boss' insinuated that 'Bones' would be asking for a high amount of scholarship because he was afraid of facing the new champion, Francis Ngannou. The accusation generated outrage among the veteran, who even asked, via 'Twitter', to be released from the UFC, but he went back and deleted the post.