NBA Veteran Claims He Could Beat UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones With 1 Year of Training

• James Johnson believes he has what it takes to beat Jon Jones if he trains for a year
• Jones has never been knocked out, submitted, or beaten on the judges's scorecards
• Johnson is a veteran in the NBA and was previously a forward with the Indiana Pacers

James Johnson has got to be really brave.

The former Indiana Pacers power forward believes that he could not only compete in MMA but also defeat one of the very best.

As reported by MMA Mania, the NBA veteran recently claimed that he could beat UFC Heavyweight champion Jon Jones if he had a year to train.

Jones is considered the GOAT of MMA and has 27 wins and just one defeat. His one loss came as the result of a disqualification, and is often disputed, UFC Stats reported.

Ranking the 10 best poker players of all time: find out who is on the list

Other Sports

Despite his legendary reputation, Johnson still believes that he has the skills to beat Jones.

“I would need a year. My standup game is great, but what we all know with Jones, he’s a collegiate wrestler, really good on the ground, and that’s not my forte,” he said.

“I can get on the ground. To his level? I’m not there yet I’d definitely need a year to work on counters and defences against it so that we can stay on our feet,” he added.

Johnson's combat experience

To his credit, Johnson is over six foot tall and weighs over 240 pounds. He has also practised karate his whole life.

As a result, he believes that as long as he can work on his ground game, he could defeat Jones, because he’s been ‘punching and kicking since he was five, six years old.’

No one else has been able to figure out how to stop Jones as yet. Johnson may try his hand at MMA once he leaves basketball.

When Greenwood Chose Messi or Ronaldo as Former Manchester United Star Joins Getafe

Football

The veteran is currently a free agent, Sports Illustrated reported.

How Jon Jones earned his nickname

Have you ever wondered how some of the UFC’s biggest fighters got their nicknames?

Having a catchy or intimidating nickname can really set a fighter apart from their peers, especially when Bruce Buffer announces it after a title match.

Sports Brief looks at five current champions and how they got their unusual nicknames.