A fast have a look at Jon Jones’ Wikipedia web page reveals an enormous checklist of accomplishments throughout his profession within the UFC which have outlined him as arguably the best fighter of all-time however his points exterior the cage additionally eat up an enormous a part of his total biography.
From a DWI arrest only a few weeks after certainly one of his greatest wins over Rashad Evans to a hit-and-run automotive accident that concerned a pregnant lady in addition to an arrest on home violence allegations, Jones has confronted a litany of authorized points throughout his profession. That doesn’t even deal with habits that didn’t contain the police similar to Jones testing constructive for cocaine simply weeks earlier than he fought and defeated Daniel Cormier within the UFC.
However for all his unhealthy habits, fellow UFC legend Matt Brown scoffs at the concept that Jones’ many missteps truly have an effect on the legacy he leaves behind now that he’s retired.
“We’re going to recollect him as the best ever nonetheless,” Brown mentioned on The Fighter vs. The Author. “All that shit, that’s what I suppose the nitpickers and the hardcore folks, that’s what they’re going to be speaking about. Look, he fights in a cage for our leisure and he did it on the highest degree that’s ever been witnessed on this planet. I don’t respect the opposite shit he did, I don’t suppose anybody does. Like nobody’s like ‘that was cool, no matter, overlook about it.’ However do we actually care?
“There’s one million folks on the market doing horrible shit on a regular basis. He did that horrible shit and continued to be the perfect on the earth’s asses. So I’m not justifying what he did or something however I converse the title Jon Jones out of my mouth due to his preventing. That’s all I care to speak about with him. I’m solely speaking about myself, different folks could have completely different opinions however I’m not going to vary what I keep in mind about him based mostly on that shit. All I keep in mind is what I’ve seen on TV. That’s all I care about. What’s that different shit, it’s principally irrelevant. For my part, he needs to be remembered for what he did contained in the cage and this shit exterior, is a very separate, irrelevant factor.”
Utterly negating opinions relating to Jones’ many authorized points through the years, he additionally missed loads of time within the UFC as a result of he was coping with the fallout from these conditions. Jones additionally handled drug testing failures that prevented him from preventing at UFC 200 and finally value him one of many greatest wins of his profession when his knockout win over Cormier of their rematch was overturned to a no-contest.
Brown acknowledges Jones’ historical past with efficiency enhancing medicine — allegations he’s vehemently denied again and again — are actually the one asterisk hooked up to the profession he put collectively within the UFC.
So far as Jones’ authorized entanglements go, Brown argues that he nonetheless finally confronted everybody he was ever imagined to battle throughout his profession exterior of the potential showdown in opposition to Tom Aspinall previous to his retirement.
“I don’t see the place it obtained in his method that a lot,” Brown mentioned. “He beat all people’s ass that was a possible challenger. There was by no means a time the place this man must battle Jon Jones and it didn’t occur. Now we’re speaking concerning the tail finish of his profession. We knew he was on the best way out anyway. We’ve been speaking about him retiring for a very long time now. He’s talked about it for a very long time. We knew he was on his method out.
“Some persons are going to make the argument that he ducked Tom Aspinall and I’ll shoot that down proper now. He’s not ducking Tom Aspinall. Possibly he’s not thinking about that powerful of a battle. I’ll provide you with that if that’s what you wish to say. Ducking? Get the f*ck out of right here.”
Whereas he’s actually not belittling the seriousness of Jones’ unhealthy habits, Brown is aware of from private expertise that troubles exterior the cage can completely comply with fighters into work.
Brown admittedly marvels at the truth that Jones in some way examined constructive for cocaine from a pattern taken simply weeks earlier than the battle and he nonetheless managed to ship a definitive win over Cormier again in 2015.
“I’ve seen much less f*ck ups actually f*ck up somebody’s battle profession,” Brown mentioned. “I’ve completed loads of cocaine in my life. It’s been a very long time, many, a few years —I can’t think about for the lifetime of me going out to knowledgeable battle, nonetheless in opposition to a f*cking Olympian [Daniel Cormier], one of many best fighters ever and having a f*cking likelihood.
“I can’t even think about strolling out. I can’t think about weighing in or strolling out. That may be a particular, particular motherf*cker.”
After all, all people is entitled to their very own opinion in terms of Jones however Brown says he’s solely involved about his accomplishments within the UFC and people are simple.
Is it doable Jones might have put himself in an nearly untouchable class all his personal if he didn’t have all these points? Maybe however Brown says Jones nonetheless had a fairly exceptional profession regardless.
“Had he not completed all these issues, yeah, he in all probability might have fought extra typically and I believe he may very well be 60-0 proper now if he needed,” Brown mentioned. “Within the gentle heavyweight and heavyweight division, there wouldn’t be a single man within the division who didn’t lose to Jon Jones. He simply beat all people.
“He obtained out of his personal method sufficient to have 14 title defenses and go undefeated. It’s like how far more greatness do we wish out of the man?”
