Jon Jones Talks Changing His Mind On When He Might Retire, Why He Wants To Fight Longer
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and controversy are almost married at this point. After several traffic related incidents, Jones has been in and out of jail, had his championship stripped, and almost lost his way of life.
In previous years, the dominant Jones has said that he wanted to retire from MMA early. However on the UFC 197 media call yesterday, Jones seemed to say the opposite, claiming he wanted career longevity. I asked him if and why things have changed for him.
"Yeah, things have changed," Jones responded. "My main reason for wanting career longevity is because I see that it's possible, more possible than ever because of the new lifestyle I'm living. I've been eating clean about a half a year now. I'm sober, I feel better."
Part of the new lifestyle Jones has been living is his affection towards powerlifting. Jones, who has been known to occasionally show up to camps out of shape, has transformed himself physically, making him even scarier.
"I'm watching my workouts and I'm doing things I couldn't do when I was 23 the first time I won the belt. I'm stronger, more coordinated, I know my body better. I know my body better as an athlete. I'm starting to think maybe I'm aging well and becoming a better athlete with age," Jones said.
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Jones went back to his sobriety, pointing to other combat sports stars and how they've continued to succeed into their late 30s. At only 28 years old and still never really defeated, it looks like Jon Jones has big plans ahead.
"You see guys like Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather and they talk about sobriety being a big part of their longevity. I'm really starting to wrap my head around that. I could go on to rack up a lot of money and do this for a long time. A lot of championships and a lot of money," said Jones.
Jones will take on #6-ranked Ovince St. Preux next Saturday night for the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 197. Wrestling Inc will have full, live coverage of the event.