Amidst the controversy surrounding his most recent drug test, Jon Jones will step back inside of the Octagon tomorrow night (Sat., Dec. 29, 2018) at UFC 232 live on pay-per-view from inside The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and try to reclaim what he never actually lost in competition.
Jones, who will make his return to fighting after testing positive for a banned substance back at UFC 214, is set to headline tomorrow’s PPV event in a highly-anticipated title fight rematch opposite rival Alexander Gustafsson. The two will be competing for the UFC light heavyweight title that was just relinquished by former champion and current heavyweight king Daniel Cormier.
Ahead of UFC 232’s massive title fight, UFC president Dana White recently broke down the career of Jones and what a win this weekend will do for his legacy. Remember, Jones was well on his way to becoming the greatest fighter of all time before his numerous mistakes outside of the cage.
“Probably the greatest to ever do it,” said White about Jones in a recent interview with FOX Sports 1’s “Undisputed” (shown above). “Had he stayed on track and done all the right things in his life and in his career God knows what this guy could have accomplished. He could be the LeBron of the sport. Could be the heavyweight champion of the world and the light heavyweight champion of the world.”
“Jon Jones right now is the story of what could he have been,” continued White. “If this guy can win on Saturday night, try to pull his life together, and try to put together a nice little run here with the time that he has left — as a professional athlete you never know how long that is — he could go down as the greatest ever.”
As UFC’s frontman, White has had to deal with all of Jones’ issue firsthand. It hasn’t been easy and White will be the first person to tell you that. But at the end of the day, White’s disappointment in “Bones” only exists because the former UFC champion is so darn talented.
“The most,“ said White when asked if Jones is the most frustrating fighter he has ever had to deal with. “The most of anybody I’ve ever dealt with. He’s so talented.”
If Jones is able to defeat Gustafsson in their rematch tomorrow night at UFC 232 and do so in spectacular fashion maybe he can gain back a little notoriety among his peers, and more importantly fight fans. Because despite his actions outside of the cage, Jones remains one of the most gifted athletes to ever step foot inside of the Octagon.