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Confident Jones requests heavyweight fight

ESPN staff
January 31, 2012
Jon Jones is sweeping aside all before him in the UFC © Getty Images
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Jon Jones is so confident that he will remain light-heavyweight champion by the end of this year that he has requested a fight at heavyweight in 2012.

Jones is a dominant force on the 205lb scene, already destroying Mauricio Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida. Next up is Rashad Evans in April, another man he is a huge favourite to overcome.

That would arguably only leave Dan Henderson as Jones' one remaining outstanding test. After that he would potentially be looking at rematches with the likes of Machida, who is convinced he could overcome the champion at the second attempt.

However, Jones has previously confessed he wants to fight at least three times this year, and wins over Evans and Henderson would leave him needing one more challenge. The youngster eyed a heavyweight splash, but the UFC said no.

"I figured beating Henderson and Rashad, there would be a period of trying to figure out who I would fight next, and during that period, at the end of 2012, I requested to fight a top 10 heavyweight just for the fans," Jones told The MMA Hour.

"But Dana [White] and Lorenzo [Fertitta] did not think that was the best thing for me to do right now, they wanted me to continue in the light-heavyweight division."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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