UFC Legend Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson on Jon Jones’ Move to Heavyweight: ‘Hell Yeah, He Should Be Worried’

Jon Jones will make his much-anticipated return to the Octagon on March 4, more than three years after defending his light heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision over Dominick Reyes.

This time, he is moving up to the heavyweight division, where he will face off with Ciryl Gane for the vacant championship belt at UFC 285.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson made the same move in his career, and said the dominant Jones should be concerned about the switch.

“Hell yeah, he should be worried, because when you’re a heavyweight, the punching power goes up,” Jackson told Compare.bet. “You can get clipped.”

Jones defeated Jackson by submission for the first successful title defense of his light heavyweight crown at UFC 135 on September 24, 2011. Jones has a career record of 26-1-1, with the lone defeat coming via disqualification for illegal elbows.

2/6 TDs and 1/2 submissions completed vs Rampage Jackson at UFC 135

R1: 3:23, 0:11
R2: *4:25, 4:18

Rampage proved to be much more aware of Jones TD threat in the clinch and didn’t concede any of the first 4 attempts. A guillotine choke is prevented in R2. pic.twitter.com/Lfuszjcc8i

— Alexander Volkara France (@ThisIsntVolk145) February 25, 2023

Jones told reporters last week that he moved up in weight class because “I wanted to be nervous again. I wanted to have fear again.”

When Jackson was asked if he is uneasy about the move for Jones, he made it clear that he doesn’t care how Jones fares against Gane.

“I ain’t worried about shit for Jon Jones,” Jackson said. “If he gets his ass kicked, that’s on him. I don’t give a f— about Jon Jones.”

Jackson said his own move up in weight class wasn’t a big deal, but it could be for Jones.

“It didn’t bother me,” Jackson said. “I didn’t fight any super big guys though. Even though I was heavy, in all my fights I was always the bigger guy. I don’t think he’s going to be the bigger guy, though.”

Jones is listed as the -165 favorite to win the fight on Saturday, per DraftKings on Feb. 27. Gane comes in as the slight underdog at +140, as the oddsmakers believe he has a shot at the upset.

UFC legend Tito Ortiz does not agree with Jackson, believing that Jones will have little problem in his move to heavyweight.

“I think he will move up and succeed really well,” Ortiz told Compare.bet. “He’s a great wrestler and he’s able to put a little weight on. Will it slow him down? Maybe, maybe not. He’s 6-5. He’s a big guy. For him to cut down to 205, I know it was hard for him to make that weight. If he puts on size and muscle and keeps the speed with that, he could be untouchable.”

#OnThisDay in 2002: Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock met for the first time in the UFC! This is what happened…

📺 Watch more on @UFCFightPass now! pic.twitter.com/mDRAgtAh0n

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) November 22, 2022

Even though Jones is already an all-time UFC great, Ortiz said adding a heavyweight belt to his light heavyweight dominance would put Jones at another level.

“The only person that has ever done that is Randy Couture,” Ortiz said. “Jon Jones is one of the greatest ever. The way he strikes, gets submissions, takedowns. He was untouchable at light heavyweight. It adds another layer of greatness if he does become heavyweight champion.”