FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST 12/2: Jon Jones claims he is a new man who sees error of his ways and is ready to rebuild his career and reputation (w/Cervantes Analysis)

By Jonathan Cervantes, MMATorch contributor

Jon Jones (photo credit Joshua Dahl © USA Today Sports)

JONES IS READY TO PROVE HE HAS CORRECT HIS COURSE

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones commented this week on his life outside the octagon and his hopes for the future.

The embattled fighter spoke with Joe Rogan on his podcast about how his most recent suspension has been a serious wake up call and that he is hopeful for the future. “I seriously have been working on my personal life tremendously, and I seriously feel as of right now, I feel amazing,” Jones said. “I feel better now today than I did when I was beating everybody’s ass and sponsored by the world. I literally feel better today because I feel I’ve conquered a lot of demons in my personal life.”

He spoke candidly about his hubris and the mistakes he made early on in his career, and in hindsight he sees the error of his ways. “I had this thing where I just felt invincible,” Jones said. “I did a lot of wild stuff leading up to the fight. I had this crazy thing that I would do, where I would party one week before every fight, and I did it throughout my whole career. It was so stupid, but it was this mental crutch that I had. One week before every fight I would go out, and I would get blacked out wasted. My logic was if this guy were to beat me somehow, I could look myself in the mirror and say, ‘I lost because I got hammered the week before the fight.’ It was a safety net. I did it my whole career. I would go out and get hammered a week before every fight.”

Jones also said he is excited to get back to fighting and reclaiming his title upon completing his suspension and serving as inspiration for others who may be dealing with personal struggles. “I’m excited to go back and get my baby (the belt),” Jones said. “No one has spoken to me about whether I get an immediate shot or whether they make me fight at least once or twice before. I have no clue what they are actually planning on doing. I literally haven’t spoken to Dana White since fight week of UFC 200. I feel like my best has yet to come, and I’m in a position to really touch a lot of people and inspire a lot of people from where I came from. Doing it for other people motivates me probably more than doing it for myself.”

Jones will not be eligible to compete again until July of 2017.

Cervantes Analysis: Everything Jones says about returning a better person is open to criticism because of his lack of ability to follow through on these promises. When he returns, I hope the UFC does not reward him with an immediate title shot, nor an expedited path to it. He needs to prove that he can stay out of trouble and that he can be relied on before being granted an opportunity to rise to the top of the division. I hope he comes back a better person, but his track record does not inspire confidence.

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS

-Roy Nelson issued a public apology to referee John McCarthy for kicking him in Brazil after his victory over Antonio Silva.

-According to MMAFighting, Cris Cyborg says she will leave the UFC unless a Featherweight Division is created.

-Patrick Cummins is out of UFC fight night 102 due to a staph infection.

NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST 12/1: George St. Pierre hedges a little on free agent status, Dana responds to MMAFA announcement (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)

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