UFC heavyweight contender Chris Daukaus would entertain a Jon Jones fight if offered, but he may hesitate to sign the dotted line.
Daukaus is set to face Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Columbus headliner this weekend. Daukaus and Blaydes are looking to re-emerge in the heavyweight title picture with a win.
Jones has teased a potential return to the Octagon later this year at heavyweight, just over two years since he vacated the light heavyweight title. Daukaus, however, isn’t sure if Jones would end up making it to fight night if they ever agreed to a bout.
During a recent interview with Just Scrap Radio on BJPenn.com, Daukaus explained why he may think twice before agreeing to a fight with Jones.
“If they offered me, Jon Jones, it would be an honor to fight Jon Jones as I’d be fighting the light heavyweight GOAT or the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Daukaus said. “He has his legacy and I’m building mine but I don’t know if his track record and his history are enough to get me to sign on the contract. Yes, I respect Jon Jones as a martial artist and what he has done in the UFC. But, I don’t know if I could give that man 12 weeks of my life and then nothing happens at the end of it (like) if he gets in trouble, and I’m strictly basing that on his track record of what we have seen in the past.
“That’s no dig at him or put him down, but that is me right now. I’m still building who I am as a fighter and continuing with my career. I hope he gets his sh*t together, I hope he does come back, but we will see.
“If I was offered it I probably wouldn’t take it strictly because there is no guarantee. Unless something happens after weigh-ins, I’m not getting paid, I’m not getting paid to fight Jon Jones. If I sign a contract, there is nothing that says I will get paid for wasting 12 weeks of my life when he will go f**k it up. That is why I don’t think he factors in the heavyweight division until he has a fight.”
Jones was arrested in September on battery domestic violence and vehicle tampering charges just hours after his UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas. The charges were later dropped and Jones paid a fine for the damage he did to a patrol vehicle.
Daukaus is a former police officer who has been critical of Jones in the past for his previous legal issues. The UFC hasn’t punished Jones for his latest out-of-competition troubles, and he’s still planning on a return to the Octagon later this year.
What are your predictions for Chris Daukaus and Jon Jones in 2022?