Jon Jones wonders if his public reputation would be different if he weren’t constantly under the spotlight.
The Jones legacy is a complicated one, comprised of the highest possible highs during the peak of his UFC career, along with embarrassing and condemnable lows during that same stretch. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time, with 11 light heavyweight title defenses to his name as well as a brief reign as heavyweight champion. However, he has also lost titles due to violating
the UFC’s conduct policy and a failed drug test, and has made headlines for unlawful behavior on multiple occasions.
Speaking to reporter Shea Filling at a Dirty Boxing event in Miami this past weekend, Jones had a laugh when Filling expressed surprise at his friendly demeanor.
“Did you expect me to be a scary guy?” Jones said. “I am a little bit of a wild guy, and I’m pretty well-known so when I mess up it gets very, very public, but I do believe I’m way more good of a person than I am any negative.”
Jones, 38, has made several public statements recently regarding the possibility of fighting again, saying both that there is “no more fighter Jon Jones” and that he had a positive conversation with UFC executive Hunter Campbell at the Dirty Boxing show. He also downplayed a spat with the UFC regarding failed negotiations for a possible UFC White House fight.
Jones’ competitive excellence cannot be denied, but his rap sheet is almost as long as his list of championship accomplishments. Most famously, Jones was the perpetrator in a 2015 hit-and-run involving a pregnant woman in another vehicle, an incident that caused the UFC to strip him of the light heavyweight title and suspend him indefinitely. In 2016, he received a one-year suspension for a failed drug test, and then in 2017 he saw a championship win over rival Daniel Cormier overturned due to another failed drug test.
Other Jones legal problems include arrests for driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, and domestic violence (later dropped). He was recently filmed confronting a driver following an alleged road rage incident, though Jones has denied wrongdoing regarding that footage.
In sum, Jones would like to believe he’s not the demon he’s sometimes made out to be.
“We all have our things,” Jones said. “We all have our sides, but I think I’m a pretty good person.”
