A fast take a look at Jon Jones’ Wikipedia page reveals an enormous record of accomplishments throughout his profession within the UFC which have outlined him as arguably the best fighter of all-time however his points outdoors the cage additionally eat up an enormous a part of his general biography.
From a DWI arrest only a few weeks after one in all his largest wins over Rashad Evans to a hit-and-run automotive accident that concerned a pregnant girl in addition to an arrest on home violence allegations, Jones has confronted a litany of authorized points throughout his profession. That doesn’t even handle conduct that didn’t contain the police resembling Jones testing constructive for cocaine simply weeks earlier than he fought and defeated Daniel Cormier within the UFC.
However for all his dangerous conduct, fellow UFC legend Matt Brown scoffs at the concept Jones’ many missteps really 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 assume the nitpickers and the hardcore individuals, 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 stage 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 individuals on the market doing horrible shit on a regular basis. He did that horrible shit and continued to be one of the best on this planet’s asses. So I’m not justifying what he did or something however I communicate 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 individuals could have completely different opinions however I’m not going to alter what I bear in mind about him primarily based on that shit. All I bear 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 must be remembered for what he did contained in the cage and this shit outdoors, is a very separate, irrelevant factor.”
Fully negating opinions concerning Jones’ many authorized points over time, he additionally missed numerous 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 largest 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 repeatedly — 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 presupposed to struggle throughout his profession outdoors of the potential showdown towards Tom Aspinall previous to his retirement.
“I don’t see the place it received in his means that a lot,” Brown mentioned. “He beat everyone’s ass that was a possible challenger. There was by no means a time the place this man must struggle Jon Jones and it didn’t occur. Now we’re speaking in regards to 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 means 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. Perhaps he’s not concerned about that powerful of a struggle. I’ll provide you with that if that’s what you need to say. Ducking? Get the f*ck out of right here.”
Whereas he’s actually not belittling the seriousness of Jones’ dangerous conduct, Brown is aware of from private expertise that troubles outdoors the cage can completely observe fighters into work.
Brown admittedly marvels at the truth that Jones someway examined constructive for cocaine from a pattern taken simply weeks earlier than the struggle 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 struggle profession,” Brown mentioned. “I’ve carried out numerous 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 an expert struggle, nonetheless towards 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 could be a particular, particular motherf*cker.”
After all, everyone is entitled to their very own opinion relating to Jones however Brown says he’s solely involved about his accomplishments within the UFC and people are plain.
Is it potential Jones may have put himself in an virtually untouchable class all his personal if he didn’t have all these points? Maybe however Brown says Jones nonetheless had a reasonably outstanding profession regardless.
“Had he not carried out all these issues, yeah, he in all probability may have fought extra typically and I believe he may very well be 60-0 proper now if he wished,” Brown mentioned. “Within the mild heavyweight and heavyweight division, there wouldn’t be a single man within the division who didn’t lose to Jon Jones. He simply beat everyone.
“He received out of his personal means sufficient to have 14 title defenses and go undefeated. It’s like how rather more greatness do we would like out of the man?”
