Speaking with Sergio Non from the USA Today, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was candid with his current skill-set, admiration by MMA experts and his future within the sport.
Humbled and flattered that he is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Jones stated that his one weakness is his jiu-jitsu game.
“I think jiu-jitsu is my biggest flaw,” Jones said, “and it’s something I’m attacking everyday to become the pound-for-pound best.”
A recent rivalry with “Suga” Rashad Evans has spawned since Jones captured the UFC championship on March 19, 2011 with a crushing defeat of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
“I practiced against Rashad on many days and in practice I always felt like I had the upper hand technically and strength wise and all facets of the sport,” Jones said.
The Jones-Evans rivalry will continue to build as both fighters are scheduled to compete against separate competition prior to possibly facing each other inside the Octagon.
On September 24, Jones will challenge Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135.
Prior to the “Bones” – “Rampage” duel, Evans will square off against Phil Davis on August 6 at UFC 133.
If both Jones and Evans are victorious in their matchups, a future contest between these two former teammates is inevitable.
At just 23 years old, Jones is the youngest title-holder ever within the UFC.
Not only is “Bones” a dynamic fighter inside the Octagon and a tremendous fan favorite, he also receives accolades from fellow UFC competitors for his talents.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite fighter to watch of the young, up-and-coming crowd is Jon Jones,” UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos said. “I think Jon Jones surprised the whole world with his talent and his excellent fighting execution.”
Pioneering offensive moves inside the cage has become a forte of Jon Jones. Whether it be spinning back kicks, spinning back elbows, knee strikes from about every angle and any position, Jones is quickly becoming the inventor of a myriad of movies copied by others.
“Seeing guys like Anthony Pettis throwing that kick off the cage, seeing guys do spinning back fists or spinning back kicks and stuff, it’s just opening up people’s minds. They’re realizing, ‘Hey, why don’t I work on a cool, special move or a signature move?’ I think in the future it won’t even be mentioned in interviews. Everyone’s going to be having real cool tricks that they do,” Jones stated to Non.
Jon Jones’ creativity inside the Octagon is second-to-none. He has exploded onto the UFC scene and risen to the top faster than any champion in history. A humble and gracious fighter, “Bones” will continue to mitigate his holes in his game.
I look forward to watching this young superstar continuing to grow as he proudly adorns the UFC light heavyweight championship.
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