Following Jon Jones’ positive test for steroids on Tuesday, fighters and fans alike were extremely quick to throw the book at “Bones”. As a two-time steroid offender and one-time cocaine metabolites offender, many fans and UFC colleagues of Jones are frankly fed up with his antics and he no longer has the benefit of our […]
Following Jon Jones’ positive test for steroids on Tuesday, fighters and fans alike were extremely quick to throw the book at “Bones”. As a two-time steroid offender and one-time cocaine metabolites offender, many fans and UFC colleagues of Jones are frankly fed up with his antics and he no longer has the benefit of our collective doubt.
While many were quick to pass judgment on Jones, the very organization that tested and notified him of the failure emphasized due process and the right for Jones to once again try and prove his innocence.
“We can’t comment on an on-going case, but importantly all athletes under the UFC anti-doping program are innocent unless and until the established process determines otherwise,” a USADA spokesperson on Jones’ most recent test. “As part of this process, Mr. Jones is given the opportunity to be heard, confront and cross examine the evidence and have the ultimate decision of whether he violated the rules or not be decided by independent judges. It’s only fair to let due process occur before drawing any conclusions about Mr. Jones.”
The news couldn’t come at a worse time for Jones and the UFC, as Jones was riding high on a spectacular but now possibly tainted third-round knockout win over rival and incumbent champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 last weekend. Meanwhile, the UFC is just days away from putting their biggest star in a boxing ring against a 49-0 Floyd Mayweather.
Certainly seems to be uncertain and stressful times at the UFC headquarters.
Jones hasn’t been officially stripped of the title as of Wednesday night, but the possibility is on the table, alongside up to a four year suspension due to his prior USADA offenses.
Jon Jones vs. Ovince St. Preux: Mike Drahota: Jon Jones is finally back, and he’s arguably in the best shape of his legendary MMA career. Time will tell if he can get past his out-of-cage struggles to regain his previously long-held UFC light heavyweight title belt, but he’s never really had much trouble winning fights
Jon Jones is finally back, and he’s arguably in the best shape of his legendary MMA career. Time will tell if he can get past his out-of-cage struggles to regain his previously long-held UFC light heavyweight title belt, but he’s never really had much trouble winning fights in the Octagon. He’s obviously not fighting arch rival champion Daniel Cormier, but late replacement St. Preux has some unorthodox striking and lethal knockout power, and Jones has had trouble with one other similarly sized opponent in Alexander Gustafsson. However, ‘OSP’ has also been handled thoroughly by touted grapplers Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader. MMA math may not be the best deciding factor, but I still see Jones winning this by second-round submission.
Rory Kernaghan:
Jon Jones faces a dangerous fighter in Ovince Saint Preux, but in all honesty nothing new. With all due respect to OSP, I simply don’t feel he belongs in the octagon with Jones at this stage in his career. Truthfully, “Bones” is without doubt one of the greatest fighters of all time, even with all of the legal trouble going on in his personal life. The reach of Jones is a problem for any fighter, and I think he’ll be using it to fire nasty oblique kicks to keep his distance early on. I expect the former champion to utilize his nasty elbow attacks to wear down on St. Preux, eventually leading to a grizzly end. Again, no disrespect to OSP, but Jones is going to feed him some punishment. Jon Jones by TKO round three.
Mike Henken:
Jones has looked like an absolute monster in preparing for his return despite having to deal with a late opponent change just a few weeks prior to his fight. With that being said, I just don’t see many ways that St. Preux can challenge Jones. OSP is an elite level athlete with serious knockout power, but “Bones” is the best in the world, and possibly the best of all-time for a reason. I expect him to pick St. Preux apart on the feet before finishing the fight on the ground. Jones by third-round submission.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo:
Mike Drahota:
There’s little doubt that Cejudo provides a new and perhaps more challenging test as “Mighty Mouse” attempts to inch his way closer to Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record, but for all of the hype that heaped upon Cejudo for his Olympic wrestling gold medal, he hasn’t shown me all that much in the Octagon. Yes, his striking is sufficient and his takedowns will always be a threat, but he’s still seeking his first UFC stoppage and is arguably facing the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Johnson has simply transcended 125 pounds in recent years, and has a variety of amazing finishes as he’s seemingly toyed with his opponents. Cejudo is very tough and may very well put up more of a fight than most, but I just don’t think he’s ready to take on a challenge like Johnson. “Mighty Mouse” by unanimous decision.
Rory Kernaghan:
Demetrious Johnson is another extremely dominant force, but is flying under the radar once again for his fight with Henry Cejudo. The former Olympian is a tremendous athlete, but does he have the MMA pedigree to take out such a superb fighter in ‘Mighty Mouse?’ Many would argue the contrary, but I find myself a little stuck on this pick. Cejudo is one of very few fighters who could potentially keep the pace of Johnson all five rounds, but the champion’s footwork and overall well rounded game is just so advanced and technical. I feel an upset coming in this fight, and I don’t often go with my gut, but I just sense that ‘Mighty Mouse’ is going to get caught with a big shot here. I know it’s against all the odds and the physics of this match up, but someone has to go for the underdog. Cejudo knocks out ‘Mighty Mouse’ in round one.
Mike Henken:
In my opinion, “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is one of the best fighters on the planet, although possibly not receiving the credit he deserves. The reigning flyweight boss seemingly does everything perfect, being able to strike from numerous stances as well as being able to transition effortlessly between takedowns and submission attempts. Despite being criticized for the ‘lack’ of competition he’s faced, “Mighty Mouse” has no easy task in Cejudo, an undefeated mixed martial artist and an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling. “The Messenger” has also improved his striking, but I don’t see it being enough to dethrone the king. Johnson by unanimous decision.
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.
With last night’s UFC on FOX 19 from Tampa, Florida, in the books, the focus of the MMA world will immediately shift to next weekend’s awaited UFC 197 pay-per-view (PPV) event on April 23 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, legendary former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will
With last night’s UFC on FOX 19 from Tampa, Florida, in the books, the focus of the MMA world will immediately shift to next weekend’s awaited UFC 197 pay-per-view (PPV) event on April 23 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the main event, legendary former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will finally make his long-awaited return from a lengthy legal battle against impromptu challenger Ovince. St. Preux for the interim belt after his originally scheduled grudge rematch with Daniel Cormier fell apart when “DC” injured his leg in training.
To get fan excited for the return of all-time great “Bones,” the customary Countdown to UFC 197: Jones vs. St. Preux was released on FOX Sports 1 this evening. Check it out here:
In the co-main event, decorated flyweight Demetrious Johnson will fight for his unprecedented eight straight 125-pound defense when he battle touted Olympic gold medalist wrestler Henry Cejudo. Check out the full Countdown to UFC 197: Johnson vs. Cejudo right here:
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.”
Following a week-long windfall of absolute frenzy surrounding Jon Jones’ latest vehicle-related offense, it looks like the oft-troubled former UFC champion has finally gotten himself the driver everyone believes he should have years ago. After he was ticketed for five separate misdemeanor offenses including drag racing in Albuquerque, New Mexico two weeks ago, Jones was
Following a week-long windfall of absolute frenzy surrounding Jon Jones’ latest vehicle-related offense, it looks like the oft-troubled former UFC champion has finally gotten himself the driver everyone believes he should have years ago.
After he was ticketed for five separate misdemeanor offenses including drag racing in Albuquerque, New Mexico two weeks ago, Jones was arrested for a probation violation of the 18-month term he was handed for the now-infamous hit-and-run charges that dealt a 25-year-old pregnant woman a broken arm in 2015. Jones was ordered to do 60 additional hours of community service and attend anger management and driving courses, yet the collective MMA world just didn’t seem to believe he would be able to stay out of trouble behind the wheel, and for good reason.
However, news has arrived today that his team has taken a big step to at least preventing that from happening before his short-notice interim title fight against Ovince St. Preux at UFC 197. According to Jones’ longtime head coach Greg Jackson on today’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Jones finally now has a driver and has a singular focus on the fight game alone:
“He’s really focused. It was an unfortunate situation with everybody kind of being at fault a bit, but ultimately the responsibility is Jon’s. So it was a bad situation, but he came out of there really focused, really positive. That’s the thing with Jon, as long as he’s razor focused, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and he’s really focused right now. It was not a very good thing, but he’s not physically injured, he doesn’t have anything wrong, he just, he made a mistake and maybe said things he shouldn’t have, yeah it was just a bad situation all-around. He got in trouble, refocused, and came out. That’s the part I like. He’s got a driver now, so everything should be fine.”
Jackson reiterated that Jones’ driver is a full-time one when questioned by Helwani, noting that he now needs to rise above the media circus his life has become and fixate his sights on becoming the champ once again:
“Oh yeah. Yeah, I just want him to focus on fighting. That’s what he needs to worry about. The rest of the circus, he needs to not be distracted by. He’s a warrior and he needs to focus on that.”
So Jones has finally hired the driver that could have presumably saved him so much money, bad publicity, and most importantly, legal trouble as he attempts to rebuild both his public persona and his fighting career.
Will it matter, or is ‘Bones’ simply too far gone down the path of a heel to return?
