UFC 235: Jon Jones opens up about controversies, title fight against Anthony Smith - Hindustan Times
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UFC 235: Jon Jones opens up about controversies, title fight against Anthony Smith

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Mar 02, 2019 07:05 PM IST

Jon Jones has maintained an unbeaten record since losing to Matt Hamill way back in 2009 and his conquests involve big names like Daniel and Alexander Gustafsson.

Jon Jones’ journey in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is filled with highs and lows. While the 31-year-old has never lost a match in the Octagon, his three light heavyweight title reigns have been shrouded in controversies.

A file photo of Jon Jones.(Twitter)
A file photo of Jon Jones.(Twitter)

Even in the lead-up to his last match against Alexander Gustafsson, UFC decided to move the card from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after Nevada chose against licensing him.

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Jones served a reduced 15-month USADA suspension following his UFC 214 bout against Daniel Cormier when he failed the drug test for traces of M3 metabolite.

Earlier, Jones was also served a one-year suspension after he was pulled from the main event of UFC 200 for an unrelated failed test. Besides his failed doping tests, Jones was also stripped of the light heavyweight title due to disciplinary issues.

However, Jones is not ready to bow down to the challenges and the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion made it clear that he believes that “there is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel”.

“Despite whatever I go through, in my past or in my future I will always keep my chin up high and believe that where there is a will there is a way and there is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel,” Jones told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview.

Since losing to Matt Hamill way back in 2009, Jones has maintained an unbeaten record and his conquests involve big names like Cormier and Gustafsson. A record like that can put pressure on any seasoned fighter but that is certainly not the case for Jones.

“Give me any extra pressure, because I know if I still have to go out there and earn it. No matter what people say or the odds, I still have to go out there and prove it. I don’t have any extra pressure; a fight is just another fight. And I know everyone always has a chance,” he said.

The next opponent for Jones is the veteran fighter Anthony Smith who will be vying for his title in UFC 235. On paper, Smith (31-13) is a huge underdog against a fighter who is considered by many to be one of the best of his generation.

But Jones is not taking Smith lightly ahead of their fight and when asked about his rival, the 31-year-old called him a “very worthy opponent”.

“I rate Anthony Smith as a very worthy opponent, he has a lot of experience and he has done a lot of hard work to get to this fight,” Jones concluded.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Sayan Ghosh works for the sports desk at Hindustan Times. He mostly covers football, but his interests include cricket and UFC.

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