UFC president Dana White is still to this day baffled that Jon Jones was able to achieve GOAT status without a supreme dedication to the sport.
The former pound-for-pound king effortlessly blew through all comers during his rise to UFC light-heavyweight glory in 2011 and went on a historic run of title defences for the next nine years.
GETTYJon Jones became UFC light-heavyweight champion in 2011[/caption]
GettyJones took out legend after legend once he became king of the 205lbs[/caption]
GETTYJones’ imperious run was made even more impressive by his lack of full commitment to the sport[/caption]
GettyUFC president Dana White is still baffled by Jones’ greatness but believes he could’ve been so much more[/caption]
Jones took out legend after legend during his title reign, which came to an end in August 2020 when he vacated the belt to move up to heavyweight.
His commitment to the sport and living the life of an elite athlete, however, was far 100 per cent – with the 35-year-old routinely partying weeks before the fight night and getting “blacked-out drunk”.
But such was his talent and resilience to win that every man who set foot inside the cage with him, with the exception of a controversial defeat to Matt Hammill, succumbed to his will.
White recently told SunSport: “My daughter had a cheerleading competition this week in Orlando and we were sitting getting ready for the awards ceremony.
“I was surrounded by all these UFC fans and we were talking about Jon Jones.
“And I actually pulled up all the guys he beat and when he beat ’em, at what point their career [he did it].
“And when you really dive into it and look at it… Jon Jones is phenomenal.
“He’s never lost, never lost a fight. He’s undefeated.”
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The manner in which former party animal Jones – who will look to become a two-division champion this weekend – saw off the likes of Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Alexander Gustafsson and bitter rival Daniel Cormier will go down in history.
MMA mogul White continued: “When you look at what he’s doing when he won these fights.
“I mean, you hear stories of he was on binges and he wasn’t even training when he beat some of these guys.”
Jones’ party antics have, however, come back to bite him outside of the octagon, with numerous DUI arrests, failed drug tests and a domestic violence incident.
And although Jones already finds himself in the UFC Hall of Fame and is arguably the Greatest of all Time, White still can’t help but think about what could’ve been if he’d been on the straight and narrow.
He admitted: “There’s always gonna be that sad part of that story.
“What would Jon Jones have been if Jon Jones was 100 per cent focused?
“You’re always going to have the but? But what he did do?
GettyJon Jones will bid to become a two-division world champion at UFC 285[/caption]
“He’s one of the greatest of all time.”
Jones returns to the octagon this weekend after a three-year hiatus in the main event of UFC 285 in Las Vegas, where he’ll challenge Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title.
And ahead of his return, he insists he’s changed his ways and truly dedicated himself to the sport.
He said: “I’ve been inactive over the last three years when it comes to the UFC space.
“I’ve been living a total martial arts lifestyle, for the first time in my life.
“In the past, I would really train just before fights.
“Now I have my own team and they hold me accountable, I have to be there.”