If anyone can succeed at heavyweight, it’s Jon Jones according to friend and fellow former UFC champion Holly Holm.
Training partners under the tutelage of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn at Jackson Wink MMA, Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) have long been supporters of each others’ careers. In particular, Holm admires Jones’ mindset, the psyche she believes will help him continue his greatness at the heavyweight weight class.
“I think Jon always knows how to take a lot of pressure and embrace it,” Holm recently told MMA Junkie. “I think that’s one of the biggest things. There are a lot of things that make Jon great. There are a lot of things that make Jon unbeatable. One of those things is that he really does well with a lot of pressure. A lot of people in his position, where everything is expected of him, sometimes don’t really perform super well even if they train super hard. I think he really knows he’s doing what he needs to do.”
Jones’ choice to test the waters at a weight class above the one he reigned in for so long tells Holm “Bones” knows something not everyone else does. His gauge for his own abilities and potential are an accurate indicator.
“He’s putting in the time to get stronger, and I know that he’s going to make this change and really embrace it and jump in 100 percent and do everything he needs to be ready,” Holm said. “I always have so much confidence in Jon because it’s almost like he doesn’t know how to lose. When he goes in there, it’s almost expected that he’s going to win by so many people. If there’s any fight that somebody gives him a little bit of a fight, then they’re like, ‘I don’t know’ – just because it’s a close fight.
“… He’s a champion for a reason. He’s not going to go to heavyweight and just do it half-assed. He’s going to jump in. We all know he’s not just going to go in thinking he wants to just try it out. He’s going to go with purpose. He’s going to go with intent. He’s going to go with the will to want to do it. In order to do so, he’s going to do it right. That’s what he’s always done.”
Holm thinks Jones’ skills will match up well with the UFC’s largest athletes. Jones has the height and the reach to match many occupants of the heavyweight division, but Holm also sees potential for him to have sharper skills.
“I don’t know how many fighters are actually taller than him and he’s very strong,” Holm said. “His skill set, I believe, is just better. He has a better skill set. He’s already as tall as them. I don’t think people really think about that a lot. It’s like, ‘Oh, he’s going up in weight, and these guys are big.’ It’s like, ‘Yeah, they are big, but Jon is a big guy.’ If you’ve ever stood next to him, he’s a big guy. He’s not a small 205er. He’s tall. He’s long. He’s skilled. He’s got more speed. Like I said, his skill is just on another level – so I think he can go in and do very well.”