Jon Jones might be sitting on the sidelines for now, but it turns out if another fighter is prepared to call him out, he’s still prepared to answer.
Earlier today, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell confirmed his intentions of returning to fighting, likely against old rival Tito Ortiz later this year. But while that might not be much of a surprise to fans — after all, Liddell and Ortiz have been teasing a third bout for the past few months — Liddell’s reveal that he wanted to fight a couple of times before meeting Jon Jones in the cage certainly raised a few eyebrows.
“To be honest in my mind I’d like to fight two warm up fights and I’d like a shot at Jon,” Liddell said, speaking on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour. “I’m serious. I’d like a shot at him. But we’ll see. Match[-up], styles. … In my prime I would have matched up with him perfect. Right now, I dunno, but I’d like to take a shot at it.
“If we get there, we’ll see. I’ll be evaluating the whole time, but we’ll see.”
Evidently, not only is Jones willing to give Liddell the shot he wants, but he’s also willing to foot the bill. Shortly after Liddell’s comments, Jones took to his social media, referencing a long standing issue between the two and inviting Liddell down to his gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Old Chuck has been calling me out for years! I get it, I hold pretty much every record in the division. I normally try to respect my elders but if you want it come get it. Id literally fly you out to Albuquerque this weekend.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 14, 2018
You might want to test the strength of that jaw before you take a bite you cant chew
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 14, 2018
In all seriousness @ChuckLiddell I appreciate your offer for a fight, but due to scheduling conflicts may not be able to fulfill till mid 2019 .
In the Upcoming months I have similarly lethal opponents in Ric Flair and George Foreman awaiting .— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 15, 2018
“Old Chuck has been calling me out for years!” Jones wrote. “I get it, I hold pretty much every record in the division. I normally try to respect my elders but if you want it come get it. I’d literally fly you out to Albuquerque this weekend. You might want to test the strength of that jaw before you take a bite you can’t chew.”
Currently, Jones is awaiting a verdict from USADA in relation to his latest controversy — a failed drugs test for the steroid Turinabol. But, with both he and Liddell apparently unwilling to let this rivalry drop, it’s likely not the last we’ve heard of it.
