Jon Jones: ‘It’s a freeing feeling to be looked at as a piece of sh*t by so many people’

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, by his own admission, is a complete fuck up and total laughingstock within the mixed martial arts (MMA) community.

He’s fine with that.

“Bones” recently set himself free by accepting himself for who he was, as opposed to who he thought he should be. That means he’s no longer going to be judged by his past transgressions, which include failed drug tests and legal hiccups.

From his recent media conference call.

“It’s all out there in the public, and that’s a freeing feeling to be looked at as a piece of shit by so many people. And to be able to just be real for yourself and to take responsibility for the things you’ve done wrong. I feel so free, man. It’s a great feeling to be who I am. Jon Jones, the fuck up. Jon Jones, the great. However, you look at me, it’s just great to be me. Alive. Whether you like me or hate me. It’s just a great feeling to be relevant. I think my story is gonna really inspire somebody else who has fucked up. It's gonna really inspire somebody else. To realize that it is not over. ‘Man, if Jon Jones can come back from the shit that he's been through and ultimately win and be the champion he’s always been capable of being, [I can do it].’ I'm glad that I'm used, as a laughingstock or whatever it might be to ultimately inspire, if it's just one person. If there’s just one person that continues to fight because of my life. I'm glad to be in this position.”

Daniel Cormier is not convinced.

That’s because Jones still has to make it to the UFC 214 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Saturday night (July 29, 2017) inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California, his first fight back since serving his one-year suspension.

A win earns him redemption while a loss ... well, that’s to be determined.