If you’re going to bet against Jon Jones, you’d better be ready for the response—and Kamaru Usman just got his. Usman and Henry Cejudo, on their Pound 4 Pound podcast, recently began discussing a potential Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling match between Jones and another former UFC heavyweight legend, Brock Lesnar.
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“This is a tough one,” Usman said. “I would have to go with Brock, even though I think Jon is probably gonna be a little bit more offensive. I just think those limbs, shooting underneath a guy as big as Brock Lesnar, trying to get him down. He could stay in the stance, and he could hand-fight, which at heavyweight definitely wears a guy down.”
“I gotta go with Jonny Bones, man,” Cejudo countered. “Brock Lesnar’s been through the f—ing grinder, man. He’s not the same guy. If he were in his prime, Jones ain’t beating Brock in wrestling. Brock was a legit NCAA champ. Real big heavyweight, but right now, Jones is a little younger.”
“Let’s not forget,” Usman replied. “Brock Lesnar just wrestled at WrestleMania.”
“That’s acting, Kamaru,” Cejudo shot back.
“Wow,” Usman responded. “The b–ls on you!”
A clip of this interaction quickly began circulating on social media, eventually making its way to Jon Jones. And immediately, the former UFC heavyweight champion knew he had to respond.
Jon Jones responds after Kamaru Usman said Brock Lesnar would beat him in a wrestling match:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 24, 2026
“[Kamaru] I’m getting my hand raised against you and Brock in the same night.” 😳
(via @pound4poundshow) pic.twitter.com/hGDh3Dvty1
“[Kamaru] I’m getting my hand raised against you and Brock in the same night,” Jones declared on his Instagram story.
While Brock Lesnar has long retired from the sport after his 2016 fight against Mark Hunt, Jones’ current status in the UFC is speculative at best. He retired last year, abruptly, despite calls for him to face Tom Aspinall in a long-awaited undisputed bout. However, he quickly made a U-turn when he learned about the White House card.
Although he pleaded with the UFC to add him to the card, the promotion didn’t grant him his wish despite preliminary negotiations. After tearing into the UFC CEO Dana White over it, ‘Bones’ appears to have finally hung up his gloves for good. Recently, he was coaching opposite longtime rival Daniel Cormier in ALF Reality 3, a Russian-based MMA reality show created by ALF Global.
Adding to this, Jones’ longtime rival has also issued a wrestling challenge of his own.
Jon Jones rejected a $50K wrestling offer from a rival
Tensions between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have resurfaced yet again. But not in the way fans might expect. Not too long ago, while coaching on ALF Reality, the longtime rivals reignited their feud, leading Cormier to propose a high-stakes wrestling match.
“Wrestling match?” Cormier said. “15-0 American wrestling, international wrestling 10-0, Greco-Roman wrestling — anything that ends in the word wrestling, let me and Jones do it, and I’ll [win].
“I told him let’s bet. We can bet 50 grand apiece. We can bet 50 grand apiece before we go wrestle.”
Despite the challenge and cash incentive, Jones shut the idea down completely.
“[Eye roll emoji] You’ve had your chance DC,” Jones responded on his Instagram story.
The pair have, of course, fought twice when they were active in the UFC. Although Jones defeated Cormier both times in their light heavyweight clashes, Jones’ second win was overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance.
From the looks of it, Jon Jones still believes he can take on the toughest names in the game. But when it comes to backing that confidence with action, he’s not exactly jumping at the opportunity. That hesitation raises a bigger question—if he won’t entertain challenges like this, how would he fare against someone like Brock Lesnar?
