Jon Jones Says He'd Submit Pereira Fast, Grind Down Cormier in Wrestling

Jon Jones isn't fighting Alex Pereira. He tried, the money never lined up, and Pereira went a different direction — losing an interim heavyweight title bid to Ciryl Gane via second-round knockout at UFC White House on June 14. But Jones still wants everyone to know how he thinks that fight would've gone, and the short version is: not long.

In an interview with ALF Global released Tuesday but recorded before Pereira's loss, Jones argued his grappling would have overwhelmed the Brazilian almost immediately. He pointed to Pereira's wrestling as being far behind his own, and to the size gap — Pereira weighed 251 pounds against Gane, and Jones sees him as a lean 250-ish striker rather than a genuine heavyweight in the mold of Stipe Miocic or Gane. Get him down, Jones said, and the submission comes quickly.

The Grappling Case

The math backs the theory more than the trash talk usually does. Pereira's record sits at 13-4 with 11 knockouts and zero submissions — his entire game is built around what happens standing. That's a fearsome resume against strikers, but it's a glaring hole against a grappler of Jones' caliber. Jones was careful to soften the shot, calling himself a fan and saying he wants Pereira to do well.

Then came the other rival. Jones was asked about a hypothetical wrestling-only match with Daniel Cormier, the man he beat twice inside the Octagon. Cormier — a decorated wrestler who's spent months insisting he'd handle Jones on the mat — has accused Jones of ducking seven figures for a six-minute exhibition.

Jones didn't dismiss the challenge, which is telling given Cormier's pedigree. He conceded it wouldn't be easy but said he'd win, and he laid out a specific plan: don't shoot, don't chase takedowns, just hand-fight relentlessly and lean on Cormier's reportedly troublesome back until it gives out. It's a grinder's blueprint, not a highlight-reel one.

None of this is happening, of course. Pereira, now ranked #3 at light heavyweight, is chasing his next assignment after the Gane defeat, and Cormier's wrestling-match talk remains a podcast segment rather than a signed bout. But Jones being Jones, he'll happily win the fights nobody's booking — and on paper, at least, the grappling argument against Pereira is hard to wave off.