Jon Jones has been killing two birds with one stone in his career lately as he has been rehabbing his injured arm from a tight submission hold from Vitor Belfort in his last title defense, while wrapping up coaching duties at TUF 17, opposite of Chael Sonnen.
“The arm is doing great,” said Jones in a recent interview with mmaheat.com. “The arm is doing really good. Rehab is going ok. You know it’s a little complicated with the ultimate fighter filming. But things are going good.” Jones and Sonnen are set to face off for the light heavyweight strap on April 27th, once the show has finished airing on television.
“It’s going great, some of the things I enjoy about being a coach, is really having an opportunity to focus on other people and not just focusing on my own career. So that’s really good,” said Jones to mmaheat.com. “You know giving back to others. Just the relationships. I’ve met some really solid characters. I think martial artists are a pretty interesting breed of people and any opportunity you get to meet other fighters and to develop a good rapport, a good relationship, is always valuable. So I appreciate that. The camera’s. They’re constant. There’s camera’s in the shower, over the toilet, in the locker rooms. I wear a microphone literally all day. So it’s different. You gotta be careful about what you do, because you know someone is always listening. But it’s fun.”
Even though Jones is still months away from fighting Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson recently defeated Shogun at the UFC on FOX 5 event, and according to UFC President Dana White, he earned the number one contender spot and the next shot at Jones.
To Gustafsson’s credit, he stated his intention to stay active and declared he would fight whoever the UFC put in front of him as opposed to wasting the better part of 2013 until Jone’s schedule cleared up.
“I think I’m starting to fight for the critics too,” said Jones on fighting Gus to mmaheat.com. “There’s a lot of critics who say my height and reach advantage is the only reason I’ve gotten to the point I’m at and fighting Gustafsson would really nullify those critics, so I’m up for the challenge…”
Jones was hesitant on divulging any insight on how the TUF experiences has gone for him since he is contractually obligated to not ruin any of the drama that probably went down on the show. That didn’t stop the champ from touching on the topic of his relationship with Sonnen throughout the show though.
“Yah me and Chael.. our relationship will surprise a lot of people I think,” said Jones to mmaheat.com “But that’s for people to watch and see for themselves when they check out the season. It’s different spending time with Chael. You know I’m a guy who’s big on humanizing my opponents, researching my opponents and finding out about as much knowledge as I can about them and you know being around him every day definitely helps me with the humanizing part. His record also helps me with the humanizing part too. But it’s cool. Chael isn’t actually as bad of a guy as I thought he was.”
While fighting Chael is his first priority, it’s funny how he characterized his dehumanizing of Sonnen as getting to know him as well as looking at his record. Apparently Sonnen may have met his match in the humor department. Of course making fun of a man who doesn’t speak English in Anderson Silva is not hard for anyone, much less someone with Sonnen’s gift for the art of gab.
“This show’s really not about me and Chael, it’s about these fighters, and there is a lot of finishes this season, and it’s gonna be a really exciting season,” said Jones to mmaheat.com. “I’ve heard Dana quoted like four times now that this is by far the best season he has ever been involved with and I’m just honored to be a part of it.”
Jones is a humble man, even though many of his greatest critics feel like his calm demeanor and humble attitude is really a front for a man who in reality is very arrogant and cocky. As the man who will soon tie Tito Ortiz’s record as the greatest light heavyweight champion ever to grace the Octagon upon beating Sonnen, I think a little cockiness is warranted.
“I definitely can say I’m naturally gifted, I’ve put a lot of hard work in, but there’s been some struggles coaching,” said Jones to mmaheat.com. “I’ve shown some techniques and I’ve heard comments like, ‘well we can’t do those moves, only Jone’s can do those moves,’ and I think that’s kind of bull crap. I think anyone can do it if they apply themselves to the technique and really take it seriously and harness and make it their own.”
He’s got a lot of natural talent, and what’s more is he’s willing to admit he was gifted with a great genetic disposition to drop mind-blowing strikes in to the confused faces of some of the best fighters to every walk the earth.
“I’ve also allowed myself to listen better, take in knowledge, hear out the athletes, treat them all like individuals, and allow my coaches to be coaches,” said Jones to mmaheat.com. “I have some guys who are coaching who are strictly coaches, and they take a lot of pressure off me as an athlete. But the biggest thing I do is share sports psychology tips that has helped me out over the years. I think that’s the biggest thing I bring to the table, is you know preaching mental toughness and things like that.”
The whispers of super-fights never seem to ever die or truly abate. When asked about fighting Anderson Silva, Jones seemed to change his tone a bit for once.
“Everything’s a possibility and I really can’t count too much out,” said Jones to mmaheat.com. “I do believe we were put on this earth to think big, to dream big, and not limit ourselves, and to fight Anderson would be a definite testament of my faith and my warrior spirit. Who knows what would happen in the future. Like I said I’m happy competing at my weight class and doing what I’m doing but at the same time we’re on this earth to dream big so you know, who knows what will happen. Sounds like we are breaking me and Anderson huh? Sounds like the story is twisting! I’m up for whatever man.”
Watch the preview of TUF 17 in the video below.
Video courtesy of UFC.com