Jon Jones has spent years learning everything he can about MMA, becoming super smart about how to fight and win. He’s not just a strong fighter, but also really good at understanding all the moves and tricks. Now, Jon loves helping younger fighters learn what he knows.
Jon Jones Sheds Light on Dangerous ‘Concussion’ Culture in MMA Gyms
Recently, Jon shared a video where he talked about some tough times during his training. Even though he always trained carefully and planned ahead, the rough training with partners caused some problems. He explained how, in the early days, the way they trained in MMA gyms wasn’t always safe, and it made things harder for him.
“Throughout my whole twenties,” Jones said. “Going home with a headache all the time, concussions. Now when that happens, I get really upset and I feel like I did something wrong. Really really try to protect that brain man. After you get punched in the head enough times, your ability to see things coming goes away. I’ve been team mates with guys who you couldn’t hit, and then towards the end of their career they couldn’t stop a jab. They just couldn’t stop it. The ability for your brain to process and react quickly goes away.”
UFC fighters go through a lot, and it’s super important to keep their brains safe.
When we watch big fights with lots of punches, we don’t always think about what happens next. Fighters can wake up feeling dizzy or have a bad headache, and that can happen a lot. It’s not just the fights, it can even happen during practice at the gym, like with Shane Carwin. He didn’t fight that much, but hard training still hurt him.
Some fighters, like Demetrious Johnson, don’t get hurt as much, but there’s no promise anyone will stay safe. Jon Jones, the big champ right now, told his friends how important it is to take care of their brains. He also said he’s had headaches for a long time, which could mean he’s had a lot of bumps on the head.
Jon Jones shared stories about some super talented fighters who started off really strong but lost their quick moves because they got hit in the head too many times. A good example is Tony Ferguson, who could handle lots of punches, but now he’s been losing a lot of fights—eight in a row.
Jones never liked to get into wild, risky fights. He always used smart skills to keep himself safe. For example, in his last fight, instead of just punching Ciryl Gane, Jones took him to the ground and won easily by making him tap out. Even tough fighters like Justin Gaethje have learned that it’s better to fight smart and protect their heads from too much damage.
Jon Jones almost accidentally caught a body while training with Gable Steveson 💀 pic.twitter.com/SJxAQ0Z56u
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 8, 2024
Jon Jones is getting ready for his big fight against Stipe Miocic, which might be his last before he retires. The fight will be at Madison Square Garden during UFC 309, and Jones is working really hard to be in top shape.
Recently, Jones was training with Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist. A video went viral where Jones almost knocked out Steveson with a knee, but luckily, it didn’t hurt him. Jones quickly said sorry, and everything was fine.
