Jon "Bones" Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at UFC 187 this April, but even though he'll stare across at one of the hottest light heavyweights in the world, he's talking more about heavyweight Cain Velasquez than the task at hand.
"If I do go to heavyweight, or when I do go to heavyweight, I do believe I have the skill set to beat Cain," Jones said recently when asked about a super fight.
"My main reason for believing I'll beat Cain is his size," Jones said. "He's not one of these massive heavyweights who's going to just outweigh me and out-power me in every situation. He's a guy I can totally compete with."
Debate rages constantly about Jones' chances vs. the heavyweight mauler, but the light heavyweight knockout artist gunning for his title shouldn't be taken lightly. He quickly dismissed Alexander Gustafsson to earn this title shot, and Gustafsson took Jones to the wire in a thrilling main event at UFC 167. Johnson doesn't have the name recognition of Jones just yet, but he's confident.
"If you're considered the best at something, you want to go out and prove you're the best," Johnson said. "Whatever the champion can do, you always need to believe you can do more. It's a mental thing.
"I'm going to believe in myself. I don't care what anyone says."
Johnson was on the verge of washing out of the UFC following a submission loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 as a middleweight. The loss pushed his record down to 6-4 in the UFC before he re-dedicated himself to the sport.
"I listen and I actually believe in myself now. I take my job seriously. When I was younger, I was young and wild. I'm more mature now, don't have to cut as much weight."
Johnson has run through quality opposition in his last three fights, defeating Phil Davis, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Gustafsson-the latter two were done away by knockout in Round 1.
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