Embracing the hate, UFC 135’s Jon Jones happy to shed "golden boy" tag

DENVER – It’s been a funny year for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon
Jones. In March, “Bones” was a hero, destroying Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to
become the UFC’s youngest-ever champion. And of course, that came just
hours after he tracked down a thief a…

DENVER – It’s been a funny year for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon
Jones. In March, “Bones” was a hero, destroying Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to
become the UFC’s youngest-ever champion. And of course, that came just
hours after he tracked down a thief and subdued the perpetrator until
authorities could arrive.

But now in September, just six short months later, Jones is dealing with
a throng of critics who have accused him of ducking a fight with Rashad
Evans and coming into a UFC 135 contest with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
with a “cocky” and “fake” demeanor.

Bring it, says Jones. He never asked to be anybody’s golden boy, anyway.