Chael Sonnen suggested that Jon Jones may be veiling an injury based on what he saw in the promotional material for this weekend’s UFC 285.
Former UFC standout Chael Sonnen gained attention for his impressive abilities inside the octagon and on the mic. He developed a reputation for being one of the best trash-talkers in the game during his run at the top. Although he did not find championship glory, Sonnen went up against some of the toughest contenders, including Jon Jones, Fedor Emelianenko, Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, and more. He’s regarded as an all-time great and widely credited for pioneering the entertainment side of things.
Chael Sonnen floats the theory Jon Jones could be injured
In a recent post made on Twitter, Chael Sonnen shared his suspicions about Jon Jones potentially hiding an injury going into UFC 285. Sonnen based his analysis on the UFC Embedded episodes in which Jones was spotted training in a swimming pool.
“Watched the 2 embedded’s that are out,” he wrote. “His bones and joints are weak, both episodes he is in the pool. Pool workouts are for injured and low impact. He is in recovery mode.”
Watched the 2 embedded's that are out. His bones and joints are weak, both episodes he is in the pool. Pool workouts are for injured and low impact. He is in recovery mode.
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) February 28, 2023
You can watch the first episode here and the second one here.
Sonnen and Jones have a history of competing that spans beyond the octagon. The duo served as coaches on the reality mixed martial arts contest series The Ultimate Fighter 17. Following the show, they clashed inside the cage at UFC 159 in Apr. 2013. Jones handily dispatched Sonnen by TKO in the first round with vicious ground and pound.
Jones will return at UFC 285
Jon Jones is set to make his comeback against Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title in the headlining bout of UFC 285 on Mar. 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will mark his divisional debut. He was last seen in action over three years ago in a light heavyweight contest opposite Dominick Reyes in Feb. 2020 at UFC 247. Reyes put in a tough performance but eventually got edged out by Jones on the judges’ scorecards.
If everything goes according to plan for Jones this Saturday, he will shift his focus on getting a fight booked with former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
