To hear UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones speak at the open workouts prior to UFC 140, you would almost expect to hear him end every sentence with “aw shucks.” The ultra-talented champion seems to go out of his way to project a Clark Kent type of image during media events, before turning to Superman inside the cage.
When he became champion, Dana White famously predicted “now we’ll see what this kid is made of, all the hangers-on are going to come out of the woodwork.” Jones does not disagree but says he has been able to stay grounded.
“Those people are there, I try to treat everyone with respect until they try to pull the wool over my eyes and do something wrong to me… I still have the same girl, same family, same coaches, same best friends, everything’s exactly the same”.
Asked about his opponent, Lyoto Machida, he professes his utmost respect based on qualities he sees in himself. Namely, a love of meditation and being a “true student” of martial arts. He admires Machida also for being the anti-Rampage Jackson.
“No talking junk, being respectful to each other, focused on why we’re supposed to be here”.
The focus, he insists is on his own game plan and not that of his challenger.
“I keep getting asked ‘how crazy is it to prepare for Lyoto?’ But I truly think how crazy is it to prepare for me?”
The only time he drops his veneer of civility is when he is inevitably asked about the upcoming Rashad Evans-Phil Davis fight. He initially picks Evans, though “only because of his experience”. But he is convinced that Davis could win if he felt more comfortable in striking exchanges.
“If he hit Rashad with all that muscle he has, he’d realize Rashad’s chin’s not there…he could very easily beat Rashad, it’s just a matter of him believing in himself.”
So while there may be a dark cloud on the horizon threatening Jones’ humility (although he insists he hasn’t had his character tested since becoming champion), Saturday night will be all about two martial artists entering the octagon and one leaving with the gold championship belt and the all-important winner’s money.
Jones quoted a poet as saying,
“money only intensifies the characteristics you had before you were rich and famous,” before correcting himself “…not that I’m rich or famous.”
A reporter in the scrum asked “didn’t you just buy a Bentley?” which got a genuine laugh out of the champion and the others within earshot.
“Next question,” he said with a wry smile.
Aw, shucks.
