Ahead of his highly anticipated return at UFC 309 this Saturday, Jon Jones took the same grip strength test that Alex Pereira completed before his title defense at UFC 307.
Jones, who won the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 last March after Francis Ngannou left the UFC, will be defending his belt for the first time.
His opponent, former champion Stipe Miocic, has not secured a win since 2020, making this matchup somewhat controversial among fans. Many believe that Tom Aspinall, the current interim heavyweight champion, deserves a shot at Jones instead.
However, Jones, 37, has hinted he may skip a fight with Aspinall, even if he wins this weekend. Instead, he’s eyeing a potential matchup with Alex Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion, seeing it as a fight that would better cement his legacy.
Pereira, who defended his 205lb title at UFC 307 against Khalil Rountree Jr., took part in a grip strength test before his fight. Pereira scored an impressive 159.2 lbs, while Rountree Jr. led the pack with 166.2 lbs.
Fans were left in shock when Jones, now preparing for his return, matched Pereira’s powerful grip strength score, adding even more intrigue to the idea of a possible showdown between the two champions.