Usually when you see “Jon Jones” and “coach” in the same sentence, you think Greg Jackson. But Jackson is one half of the head coaching team at the world-renowned gym down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The other half of the winning formula is the less seen in the media, but just as important, Mike Winkeljohn.
For those who know the hard-nosed coach, he’s not one to pull punches. He also cares deeply about the athletes he trains. That was evident when speaking about Jones to Submission Radio (h/t MMA Torch).
…Is he fighting again or not? I’m not sure. That’s not important. What is important right now is that Jon takes care of himself and his family… Oh yeah [there’s a real possibility he may not fight again]. To us, the most important thing is Jon Jones…at the end of the day it’s for Jon Jones to become the best person he can. The fighter is secondary. We lose sight of it. There’s a possibility that he might not fight. There’s a possibility that he might fight…right now he’s staying busy helping others in the gym. That’s very important. Jon just coming into the gym, doing his job.
Jones is, of course, currently serving an indefinite suspension with the UFC.
The suspension stems from an alleged hit-and-run, where, according to an eyewitness off-duty police officer, Jones crashed into a car with a pregnant woman behind the wheel. This incident, coupled with Jones’ previous DUI conviction up in New York, was enough for the UFC brass to feel like they had no other choice but to sideline Jones and strip him of his light heavyweight belt.
Jones went before a judge in Albuquerque back in late April to face his felony charge. His defense did not challenge probable cause. It is yet to be determined when Jones will be back in front of a judge, and if the district attorney’s office will pursue a felony conviction or allow him to plead to a lesser charge. Jail time is certainly a possibility.
Last week, I wrote that I thought Jon Jones would be back, possibly better than ever. Someone at the gym told me Jones was “laser-focused.” Having covered Jones in person since UFC 100, I can confidently say his hunger for greatness was off the charts. If he can take that to the next level, sans all of the distractions, we may see something unlike the MMA world has ever seen before.
It’s hard to fathom Jones not staging a comeback, reclaim what’s his, and add to to his resume in ways that no other fighter has. He’s only 27 years old and in the prime of his professional career.
But truth is stranger than fiction. Only time will tell if he’ll have the fire in his belly.
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