UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones has been reflecting on his historic title win just last month over ultra-talented Brazilian, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, admitting the whole scenario just hasn’t sunk in for him yet almost three weeks removed from the day it happened. Speaking via UFC.com, Jones said:
“It hasn’t really sunk in. In a lot of ways I felt as if I was a champion just because of the way I carry myself as a person and the way I look at life. And even before I got the belt I felt like I was an elite fighter in the world. Anyone ranked in the top ten in the world is automatically considered a champion in my opinion and now I feel as if I’m a champion of champions, and life is pretty much the same.”
“My outlook is to never do anything that will disappoint kids across the country, never getting caught in a Tiger Woods scandal or anything crazy like that, and just staying where I’m at as an athlete, continuing to win fights decisively. I want to continue to do the things that got me to where I am – I want to continue being a champion in the way I treat people and continue to be a champion with decisive wins, and that’s important to me. (teammate and UFC welterweight champion) Georges (St-Pierre) always says he’s not fighting as a champion; he’s fighting for his legacy. And I’m very young and I guess I don’t have the right to mention a legacy at this point, but in a way I am fighting for my legacy already, and me being aware of that keeps me on the prowl.”
On what he’s been doing since the title win, Jones said:“I’m just being 23 again. I’m going out, talking to friends, playing video games, eating unhealthy, it feels really good. (Laughs) I’m relaxing and just being normal. (In fighting) You always have to have your nutrition tight and you’re focusing on performance and all that, and I think muscles need time to relax before they grow again, and that’s what I’m doing. In order to develop to a different level as a fighter, and develop to a different level when it comes to strength and to get ready to kick it up a notch again, I need to really enjoy being in the gym. I need that passion and hunger to be there. With football it’s different. Football has an off-season. In MMA, it’s a fighter’s obligation to give himself a nice off-season, and I’m in my off-season right now. When I come back, it’s gonna be a nice little time since I’ve been in the gym and I’m gonna be so hungry to get my abs back and so hungry to get my timing back, it’s gonna be pure passion, and passion is everything, so I’m giving myself a nice long break now.”
Jones is set to go head-to-head with former “close friend” and training partner, Rashad Evans later on this year in a fight that could escalate when it comes to the trash-talking between these two. Is Evans the only man on the UFC roster who knows enough about the man dubbed “Bones” to defeat him?
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