Midnight Mania: Jones Reveals Concussion History, Warns Of Delayed Reactions

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Brain health amongst UFC fighters is a hot topic at the moment, and perhaps that’s for the best.

It’s rarely thought of during the actual highlight reel KO or slobber knocker “Fight of the Night,” but UFC athletes are waking up Sunday morning and feeling foggy with regularity. It’s part of the game, and damage incurred in the cage is often just the tip of the iceberg. Former interim champion Shane Carwin, for example, didn’t fight in the UFC that many times and only really gotten beaten up in one fight, but gym wars also took their toll and left Carwin in dire straits.

For whatever reason, some athletes are affected worse than others. Sometimes, there’s hope that a dominant fighter who really minimizes damage can walk away from the sport with their health intact like Demetrious Johnson. Even that’s no guarantee, however, which is why current Heavyweight kingpin, Jon Jones, was recently recorded advising his team mates to take the utmost caution with their brain health. In the process, he also described a decade of having consistent headaches, which is a worrying sign of repeat concussions.

“Throughout my whole twenties,” Jones began. “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.”

At 37 years of age, Jon Jones has never been knocked down in the cage, let alone finished. Hopefully, he adjusted his training habits early enough to avoid serious longterm consequence.

On November 16, Jones will make the walk at least one more time as the main event of UFC 309 opposite Stipe Miocic. He’s widely expected to retire afterwards, and conversations like this seem to confirm that notion even if the decision upsets some fans.

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PSA …

Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 2019

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.