No one knows when UFC star Jon "Bones" Jones, who was stripped of his light heavyweight title in May because of a failed drug test in December 2014, and a hit-and-run incident just a few weeks before a scheduled defense at UFC 187, will return to the octagon.
When he does though, MMA legend Bas Rutten wouldn't be surprised if he did so against former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, and he doesn't think Jones would have a cakewalk.
"If I think about him coming back -- because maybe he had injuries and those were the reasons he started losing -- I don't know but just in my mind if I picture myself that Fedor coming back, I think the sky is the limit for him. You know, even a Jon Jones. I don't know -- he always finds a way to win," Rutten said.
Jones has always campaigned at light heavyweight, but before his downfall there were talks of a potential super fight down the road vs. then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Rutten also said that Emelianenko had to put on extra pounds to campaign at heavyweight, and could potentially fight as a light heavyweight. Emelianenko is returning to the cage, but it's not clear whether or not he will even be joining UFC.
Emelianenko is a legendary mixed martial artist, revered by many top fighters including UFC women's bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey. Rutten said he hopes his comeback is with the UFC because it will wipe off a chance for detractors to say he didn't fight the best competition.
"I always say this -- if you're a fighter and you don't want to go to the UFC, you say, 'no, no, I'm perfectly happy where I am,' well you're going to regret it 30 years from now," Rutten said.
"Because everybody is going to ask you, 'oh so you're a world champion...so how many titles you won in the UFC?' You will always have that because the difference is just way too big with the next company, you know? And so it is the pro league, so to say. I'm saying this as football. You know, football...you want to go to the NFL."
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