It seems as if the betting world is willing to gamble on Jon Jones’ 2018, as BetDSI Sportsbook (via Sherdog.com) released the odds of both when his CSAC suspension will be up as well as whether or not he’ll get arrested again this year. The disgraced former light heavyweight champion has quite a sordid past […]
It seems as if the betting world is willing to gamble on Jon Jones’ 2018, as BetDSI Sportsbook (via Sherdog.com) released the odds of both when his CSAC suspension will be up as well as whether or not he’ll get arrested again this year.
The disgraced former light heavyweight champion has quite a sordid past of various arrests and failed drug tests, and has been sidelined once again following a failed test after his knockout victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214.
The betting line for Jones facing a four-year suspension is at +1000, but only +275 for eight months to a year, meaning you’ll be making a safer bet on Jones coming back within a year than you would be for anything longer. That’s fairly surprising considering this is the second doping test he’s tested positive for. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) could conceivably drop the hammer due to this being a subsequent offense.
However, the line for Jones returning this calendar year is -115, with the craziest bet being for -7000 for Jones to not get arrested this year at +3500 for him to once again find himself in trouble with the law.
As for who would be the safest bet for Jones’ return opponent, that would be Daniel Cormier, which is at +175, with Alexander Gustafsson next at +300 and heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at +350.
Due to his lengthy legal history, and his attitude that may sometimes be perceived as ‘arrogant’, former UFC light heavyweight champion and reigning pound-for-pound king Jon “Bones” Jones hasn’t always received the best treatment from fans. In fact, he was stripped of his long-held title after being arrested on felony hit-and-run charges last year in
Due to his lengthy legal history, and his attitude that may sometimes be perceived as ‘arrogant’, former UFC light heavyweight champion and reigning pound-for-pound king Jon “Bones” Jones hasn’t always received the best treatment from fans.
In fact, he was stripped of his long-held title after being arrested on felony hit-and-run charges last year in his home of New Mexico.
After sorting his issues out, however, he recently returned at last month’s UFC 197, scoring a somewhat lackluster, but ultimately one-sided decision victory over Ovince St. Preux to become the interim 205-pound titleholder.
Former Jones foe and fighter turned analyst Chael Sonnen recently touched on “Bones’” UFC 197 performance, simply calling it ‘terrible’ although using it to note just how talented the former divisional kingpin is:
“Even with that terrible performance Jon Jones just had, I don’t know anybody that can beat him. As bad as he just looked, I don’t know anybody that could beat him. He’s that much better than the rest. We can sit around and go, ‘What a bad performance,’ and it was. It was terrible. I still don’t know anyone that could beat the guy. That’s how good he’s gotten.” Sonnen told Bloody Elbow.
Usually a fighter as skilled as Jones is highly revered among fans, and of course he does have his legion of loyal fans, but Sonnen, blasting Jones in the process, claims that spectators just can’t get behind a ‘drunken coke addict’:
“Then he wonders why nobody can get behind him. He shows up to the press conference acting like a fool. He comes in trying to take over the press conference like everybody was supposed to be happy for him that he won. He didn’t realize that they were looking at the drunken coke addict champ, with all the talent in the world, that just can’t get it straight. When you have that level of arrogance, it’s tough to get behind him. Then sure enough, you’ve got the press, ‘Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra,’ they’re really going for it. Man, this wouldn’t have happened back in my day. We’d have grabbed a guy like this in the back and straightened him out. We just would have.”
Well, Sonnen definitely took a serious dig at Jones, who will meet Daniel Cormier in a title unifier at July 9’s UFC 200.
What are your thoughts on the former and possibly soon to be champion?
This weekend (Sat., April 23, 2016), all-time great former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will finally make his awaited return to the Octagon when he faces Ovince St. Preux in the main event of UFC 197 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones has been out of action since he beat
This weekend (Sat., April 23, 2016), all-time great former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will finally make his awaited return to the Octagon when he faces Ovince St. Preux in the main event of UFC 197 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jones has been out of action since he beat arch rival Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision at January 2015’s UFC 183 in a bout that feels like it took place ages ago. Unlike many other MMA stars of the current era, however, Jones’ absence was not due to injury.
No, “Bones” was infamously stripped of his belt in the aftermath of an incredibly tumultuous early part of 2015 that saw him fail an out-of-competition drug test for cocaine, spend one day in rehab for it, and ultimately succumb to much more serious charges when he broke the arm of a 25-year-old pregnant woman in a highly publicized early morning hit-and-run accident in his adopted home of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jones paid the price for those acts in the form of 18 months probation and 72 public appearances to warn children of the consequences of mistakes like his, yet even those circumstances apparently couldn’t keep him out of trouble, as he was jailed for violating probation after receiving a slew of tickets during a traffic stop for alleged drag racing.
While those offenses are currently under examination when allegations of racial profiling and other misuse of the law was alleged against the officer in question by Jones’ legal team, there’s is more than obviously a much bigger issue in play, and that’s Jones’ seeming inability to stay out of trouble despite having the mixed martial arts (MMA) world as his proverbial fingertips when it comes to pure fighting talent and skill.
At this point in his triumphant yet troubling tale, it’s lead to a pair of stark contrasts for Jones; ones that have him compared in many ways to decorated, legendary boxers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
On one hand, Jones’ performances in the cage can easily tie him to the body of work of the the aptly-named “Greatest” Ali, who not only transcended the sport of boxing with his amazing 56-5 record, not only with his historic rivalries with Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, and Sonny Liston, but also for his outspoken and trail-blazing accomplishments in the field of civil rights when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War and gave up a portion of his prime years to stand up for his religious and political beliefs.
No, Jones has not done anything remotely close to what Ali did in terms of truly influencing and vitalizing an entire race to stand up for themselves in the face of oppression, and it’s doubtful that he ever will. However, he does have the chance to turn his career around and be remembered as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, a title he may already be deserving of based on his in-cage accomplishments alone.
And a lot of that starts with the appearances he’s been forced to make due to his court-levied punishments. If Jones truly practices what he preaches and serves as an example of how troubled children can turn their lives around, then he’ll be remembered as one of the greats and most likely even the greatest as Ali was. Despite his popularity and unique progress in a torn world, Ali was far from perfect, and Jones need not be either.
He simply has to tow the line and stay out of trouble.
But there’s a far more dark and disappointing contrast to the boxing world that is a definite possibility for the one they call “Bones,” and that’s ending up being compared to the ultra-talented but perhaps even more troubled former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Like Jones, Tyson won the title at an extremely young age, and also like Jones, the results of stardom that early obviously had their adverse effects on what could have been an all-time great career. Like Jones, Tyson was stripped of a significant part of his prime based on his own mistakes when he was also incarcerated, although for far more nefarious reasons.
After shockingly losing his belt to James “Buster” Douglas in arguably the biggest upset of all-time in early 1990, Tyson was subsequently arrested for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island winner Desiree Washington in July 1991 while awaiting his highly looked forward-to fight with new champion Evander Holyfield, who had won the belt from Douglas in his next fight.
“Iron Mike” was convicted as a jury found him brutish and arrogant, and an appeal from his legal counsel Alan Dershowitz fell upon deaf ears. Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison and four years probation, and even he was released after three and went on to contend for the heavyweight crown following his release, he was clearly never the same after his sad legal troubles.
Tyson is still regarded as one of the most fearsome boxers of his era and even all-time, but it’s clear that he could have been so, so much more.
That brings to the more cautionary comparison of Jones to Tyson, because while it’s clear that “Bones’s” legal troubles, while most certainly egregious and disappointing in their own right, are not quite as serious as Tyson’s more violent offense, and could probably be corrected if the UFC legend would only so choose to avoid foolish carrying on late at night.
The dynamic means that Jones is without a doubt at a career crossroads, one that will almost assuredly define the rest of his days as a fighter and will also most likely be based on his behavior outside of the cage more so than his performances inside of it.
He may not transcend nor define an era like Ali did, but he can certainly takes steps in that direction. Tyson, on the other hand, was more fraught with drug addiction, bankruptcy troubles, and a string of disappointing losses after a sub-prime version of himself emerged from the Indiana Youth Center in 1995. Jones could most certainly go down that dark road himself, as he was warned by a New Mexico judge that he ‘wouldn’t like it’ if he were to appear in front of him again.
Jones has gotten off comparatively easy for his offenses by most accounts, but there’s little doubt that repeat offenses will yield far more damaging results, and that’s simply something his otherwise stellar MMA career can’t handle at this point.
It’s up to him to prove to the entire MMA community, his friends, his family, his peers, and his employers that he is motivated to stay sober and continue building the legacy of the best MMA fighter that ever lived. He has the golden opportunity to have more than a second or even third chance, and he can use it to be considered a legend like a Ali.
Or, he can let his own demons dominate his behavior and end a cautionary footnote in combat sports history like Tyson is. The burden is on his shoulders, and just where this rollercoaster ride is headed next is wholly unknown.
Will it be a fun ride? Only “Bones” can decide that for himself, and in doing so, he will define a legacy that even he may not know the lasting ramifications of.
Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ long-awaited rematch with current champion Daniel Cormier may have been unceremoniously scrapped from next weekend’s (Sat., April 23, 2016) UFC 197 from Las Vegas exactly two weeks ago, yet even though ‘Bones’ will now take on Ovince St. Preux, it would seem as if at least some of his
Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ long-awaited rematch with current champion Daniel Cormier may have been unceremoniously scrapped from next weekend’s (Sat., April 23, 2016) UFC 197 from Las Vegas exactly two weeks ago, yet even though ‘Bones’ will now take on Ovince St. Preux, it would seem as if at least some of his focus is still fixated on ‘DC’.
With MMA finally being signed into legalization in Jones’ home state of New York this week, the illustrious but troublesome legend not surprisingly aimed for the UFC’s anticipated New York debut at Madison Square Garden as the location of his inevitable grudge with Cormier, who is dealing with a foot injury for the next two months.
Blasting the champ during today’s (Fri., April, 15, 2016) UFC 197 media conference call (via MMA Fighting), Jones threw a barb at ‘DC’ by saying while he probably wouldn’t fight him in New York, he’d be wiling to take him on anywhere:
“Yeah, I would be honored to main event against Daniel Cormier at Madison Square Garden. The question is, you know will Daniel Cormier accept that fight. Daniel Cormier has had a lot of mental struggles when it comes to me and uh…” (laughs) “…that’s just one more thing that he doesn’t need. I’m sure he doesn’t want to fight me in my backyard, because he needs all the mental breaks he can get.
“So, who knows. I doubt he’d fight me at Madison Square Garden. But like I said, I’ll fight him wherever. The Oklahoma State wrestling room, his living room, whatever.”
Jones then turned his attention to the expected hot topic of his legal troubles outside the cage, where he was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges in Albuquerque last year before landing in jail for violating the probation he received for the first offense by supposedly drag racing after practice recently.
The decorated champ, who lost his belt only due to his personal trouble, showed a bit of confidence — or arrogance, depending on your point of view — by stating that he’s already a hall of famer who can only stop himself be getting into hot water outside of the Octagon, a view that is hard to argue with:
“Only thing I need to do is just right things outside the Octagon,” he said. “I could never fight again and be put in the hall of fame. I’m not saying that to sound arrogant, but we all know it’s true. I have to do the right things outside the Octagon. That’s it. Nobody hearing my name in the news ever again, that’s a huge victory for me, and I’m going to try my hardest to make sure that happens.
“Outside of that, when it comes to actually fighting, I don’t really feel like I have much to prove to anybody. I’ve done some pretty amazing things in this sport, and fighting is a journey. You have your ups and downs, you have your wins and losses, and fortunately I’ve never lost. But wins and losses at this point in my life doesn’t really define who I am. I think I’m a champion the rest of my life. What goes into defining who I am is how I get my life under control outside of fighting.”
Former long-time UFC light heavyweight champion and reigning pound-for-pound king Jon “Bones” Jones has never been too friendly with law enforcement, having had his fair share of legal issues over the last few years. With that being said, Jones had yet another run in with the law earlier this month ahead of his highly anticipated
Former long-time UFC light heavyweight champion and reigning pound-for-pound king Jon “Bones” Jones has never been too friendly with law enforcement, having had his fair share of legal issues over the last few years.
With that being said, Jones had yet another run in with the law earlier this month ahead of his highly anticipated return against Ovince St. Preux at April 23’s UFC 197.
“Bones” was pulled over in his home of New Mexico, and cited for ‘drag racing’, an offense he claims he didn’t do. Ultimately, the former champion was handed five tickets, and his now infamous verbal encounter with the officer, which was recorded by the officer’s body camera, has went viral.
Not only that, but Jones was also jailed for multiple days due to a probation violation, although he’s since been freed with no serious consequences.
Now just 12 days out from his return, “Bones” took to his official Facebook page to once again speak on the matter, accusing the officer of ‘racial profiling’:
Officer Brown all over the news in Albuquerque after reporters dig up how many times he has been in trouble for racial profiling in the past. Being a father of biracial children, I’m definitely not one to pull the race card. At the same time, I’m not necessarily surprised about this discovery after the run in I had with him. Having him stand there, look me in the eyes and start accusing me of several things him and I both know I didn’t do made me feel let down by the community, made me feel powerless, he made me feel like what was actually true had no power over him. Now it’s easier for me to understand why so many people hold resentment towards law enforcement. Officer brown almost single-handedly ruined my trust in law-enforcement. The sad thing about it is, I actually went to school for criminal justice, I wanted to be an officer myself. Fortunately I know better than to let one person ruin my views of a whole group. Just glad people are finally bringing light to who I was dealing with that night.
These are some pretty controversial remarks from the man many consider to be amongst the best fighters of all-time, but do you kind of feel for Jones here?
Troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones had his scheduled UFC 197 (April 23, 2016) interim title tilt with No. 6-ranked Ovince St. Preux put into jeopardy when he was jailed last week due to violating his probation standards after receiving multiple traffic violations. “Bones” was reportedly pulled over by a New Mexico
Troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones had his scheduled UFC 197 (April 23, 2016) interim title tilt with No. 6-ranked Ovince St. Preux put into jeopardy when he was jailed last week due to violating his probation standards after receiving multiple traffic violations.
“Bones” was reportedly pulled over by a New Mexico State police officer who claimed that he was ‘drag racing’, a claim that the fighter has repeatedly dubbed as false.
Jones then proceeded to engage in a verbal war with the officer, and eventually ended up with five traffic tickets he felt as if he didn’t deserve.
Luckily for the reigning pound-for-pound king, however, he was released from custody without any serious repercussions, although he will have to appear in traffic court next month (May 11, 2016).
According to FOX Sports, the former divisional kingpin has plead not guilty to the charges.
Jones’ team feels very confident that the fighter will be let off the hook rather easily, and his lawyers actually voiced their disagreement with the tickets last week in court:
“We believe that they are bogus,” she said.
“We believe that he was profiled.”
Despite having his originally scheduled rematch with bitter rival and defending champion Daniel Cormier put on hold after “DC” suffered an injury, “Bones” still has a somewhat risky task on his hands.
While many aren’t considering OSP a serious threat, Jones will be making his return to action after well over a year on the sidelines opposite a powerful and athletic southpaw.
How do you see the bout, as well Jones’ future playing out?
