After a rough patch in 2015 that saw him get stripped of his Light Heavyweight title, suspended by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and land in court, Jon Jones is happy, clean and sober.
However, 2015 wasn’t all bad for "Bones." as his one-and-only fight that year was a much-desired victory over his arch-rival, Daniel Cormier. And as Jones stated during the recent UFC 200 press conference, he defeated "DC" at the prime of his partying career at UFC 182.
It's a sober reality that doesn't bode well for Cormier now that he's cleaned up his lifestyle.
"'DC' says that because I used to be a party animal that I burned my candle at both ends and that I am 28, but really I'm 40, or whatever. I think misery loves company. It's apparent right now, if you look at me and you look at him, you can tell he's having a hard weight cut. Look at his face, he's all drawn out looking. He just got over a knee injury, I feel fine and I doubt he's 100 percent. I'll test him Saturday. I feel great. I mean, how can you convince someone that getting sober and living more healthy will make you older? I beat him in the prime of my partying. So, we will see who the 40-year old is on Saturday."
That said, Jones says in the unlikely event that he loses to "DC," it will not signal the end of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. On the contrary, it will simply be a minor setback in and otherwise illustrious career that won't expire for another decade. Meanwhile, a loss for Cormier is more or less a wrap for his MMA legacy.
That’s because Jones, 28, envisions himself fighting well into the future, while the combat sports career for Cormier, 37, is nearing its end.
Jones breaks it down:
"I don't envision losing this fight. But, I'm also aware that this fight isn't going to make or break my career-type situation. I'm 28 years old, I have just under maybe 10 years of fighting in me. A lot of the great champions in sports have taken "L's" before. Losing is not in my psychology, but I'm just aware that if it were to ever happen, my career isn't based off on fight when I have so much more to go where his situation at his age and the fact that he lost to me already; another loss to me would really devastate his legacy."
Indeed, a second loss to Jones won’t sit too well for "DC," leaving him at a crossroads in his fighting career. On the flip side, a win will not only ensure he keeps fighting a while longer, but likely guarantee him a rubber match against "Bones."