A fast take a look at Jon Jones’ Wikipedia web page reveals an enormous listing 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 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 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 unhealthy conduct, fellow UFC legend Matt Brown scoffs at the concept 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 stated 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, neglect about it.’ However do we actually care?
“There’s 1,000,000 individuals on the market doing horrible shit on a regular basis. He did that horrible shit and continued to be the very best on this planet’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 individuals might have totally different opinions however I’m not going to vary what I bear in mind about him based mostly 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 ought to be remembered for what he did contained in the cage and this shit outdoors, is a totally separate, irrelevant factor.”
Utterly negating opinions concerning Jones’ many authorized points through the years, he additionally missed plenty 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 ultimately price 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 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 acquired in his method that a lot,” Brown stated. “He beat all people’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 concerning the tail finish of his profession. We knew he was on the way in which 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. Perhaps he’s not occupied with that robust of a struggle. 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 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 stated. “I’ve performed plenty of cocaine in my life. It’s been a very long time, many, a few years —I can not think about for the lifetime of me going out to an expert struggle, nonetheless towards a f*cking Olympian [Daniel Cormier], one of many biggest fighters ever and having a f*cking probability.
“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.”
In fact, all people is entitled to their very own opinion with regards to Jones however Brown says he’s solely involved about his accomplishments within the UFC and people are simple.
Is it potential Jones might 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 exceptional profession regardless.
“Had he not performed all these issues, yeah, he most likely might have fought extra typically and I believe he might be 60-0 proper now if he needed,” Brown stated. “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 all people.
“He acquired out of his personal method sufficient to have 14 title defenses and go undefeated. It’s like how rather more greatness do we wish out of the man?”
