Jon Jones Looks Back At The Last Five Years Of His Life
Jon Jones is one of the most dominant fighters in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. After his win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 on April 26, 2014, “Bones” extended the record for the most consecutive 205-pound title defenses in a row (7), and his UFC was score was 14-1.
But during the last five years, Jon Jones was stripped of the title three times, once due to a hit-and-run incident and two times because of illegal substance abuse. Jones shared his heartbreaking story in the interview with LA Times.
“Every champion has his own stories, and mine have been difficult,” Jones told Lance Pugmire. “I’ve definitely made things harder on myself. But whether the adversity is self-inflicted or not, I’m just here for the challenge.”
The year 2017 was the hardest period of Jon’s life. His mother died from complications of diabetes. Jon Jones defeated Daniel Cormier in a UFC Light Heavyweight title match on July 29, 2017, unfortunately later that victory overturned to no contest when it was revealed he flunked the drug test and Cormier was reinstated as champion. Moreover, Jones was facing a potential four-year suspension.
Jon Jones confessed he touched the bottom.
“It was more crying than it was praying,” he said. “It was my rock bottom, and you know … there’s nothing you can really say. You’ve just got to let go, believe in his strength and believe that the sun will shine the next day — that a day like this is still possible.”
“I just needed to stay strong and let it all happen … it took a lot of strength. Today, I stand here knowing no man can hit me as hard as life hit me.”
Jones was claiming his Turinabol ingestion was accidental on CSAC hearing, but the commission didn’t accept his excuses. In the end, Jon somehow slipped through with a 15-month ban, following “substantial assistance rule”, and he was sidelined until November 2018.
Jon Jones returned to meet Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 232, but it couldn’t go without a controversy. In the leading up to his fight Jones’ drug test results came out abnormal, so NSAC didn’t allow him to fight in Las Vegas!
The whole event was relocated from Nevada to California, where Jones defeated “Mauler” via third-round TKO to retain UFC Light Heavyweight title on December 29, 2018.
Jon Jones (23-1, 1 NC MMA; 17-1, 1 NC MMA) claims the last five years strengthened him.
“Not only did it not break me, but I progressed tremendously even through all of my struggles and my pain. That feels good. It’s rewarding to feel that you’re getting better as you get older, as you get more experience and have been through so much. It lets me know adversity is nothing — that it’s actually made me stronger.”
Jon Jones describes his own terms for the third fight against Daniel Cormier. The Heavyweight match is possible only if UFC offers a great paycheck. “Bones” also claims he has nothing to prove after “two wins” over “DC”.
“If the fans want to see it [at heavyweight] bad enough, the UFC will make it happen for me financially,” he said. “If they don’t, it will always be something that’s coulda, shoulda, woulda. Sending me against one of the best fighters ever, and making me sacrifice being smaller than him, they have to make it make sense financially. Because, at 2-0 against him, I have nothing to prove. The pressure’s on Daniel. I’m the GOAT of this generation. He knows it. And the fans know that.”
Jon Jones is set to defend a 205-pound title against Anthony Smith on Saturday night (March 2, 2019).
Do you think “Bones” really made things harder for himself?
