UFC
UFC Champ Jon Jones unapologetic for fighting arrogance, but won't accept role as a villain
Sep 12, 2012 - 12:15:44 PM UFC Champ Jon Jones unapologetic for fighting arrogance, but won't accept role as a villain

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones learned some hard lessons over the past several weeks. UFC 151's cancellation and its aftermath saw the 25-year-old hit with a bevy of criticism, some of it deserved, much of it unjustified, but ultimately he felt he did what was right for him, his career, and his family. That feeling came with the realization that it's what all are going to do in the UFC, and that "survival of the fittest" mentality is something he says will drive him forward.

"I've said it before as far as the lesson that I learned," Jones said during a UFC 152 media call on Tuesday (transcribed by MMAWeekly.com). "It's just kind of a sad message, but it's a legit message. At the end of the day, people are going to do what's right for themselves. I did what was right for my family."

"[Dana White] did what was right by himself, by blaming a lot of other people around him. I did what was right by myself by not [taking the fight]. That was the lesson ultimately learned by me. At the end of the day, people are going to do what's right for themselves. It's natural human emotion to survive and that's what we both did."

Jones has opened up in the last couple of weeks, addressing some criticisms directly and not holding back on some of his feelings regarding things that have been said about him. One of those criticisms has been regarding a bit of cockiness that has come along with his rise to the top, and that's one thing Jones says he won't apologize for.

"I train so hard to not even get hit, let alone to talk about losing a fight," Jones said. "I love this sport so much; I owe it to myself to think of myself in the highest regard. So I'm not going to apologize if I'm a little full of myself when it comes to MMA. You gotta be full of yourself, because that's how you master yourself, that's where you master your abilities. Be the biggest critic of yourself and be able to praise yourself and speak highly of yourself."

"So I'm not apologetic about that, that slight arrogance I may hold when it comes to being a martial artist."

However, while his recent comments have some believing he's ready to embrace the negatives levied against him, Jones says he will not play the role of the villain, because he simply doesn't see himself in that light.

"I'm not going to embrace the role of being the villain, because I'm not a villain," Jones said. "At the same time, I'm gonna make comments and say things that I think are true. I want to express who I am as a person and this is who I am."

Penick's Analysis: Jones really should understand one thing here: he doesn't have to be anything to anyone. He doesn't need to sugarcoat what he thinks or what he feels. He's perhaps the baddest of asses in the UFC, and if he wants to be arrogant outside of the cage about that fact, that's his right. All that matters is what he does inside of the cage. If his arrogance outside of it draws fire and anger amongst the fanbase, he'll only serve to line his pockets further. Fans will tune in to see someone they dislike in hopes of seeing them get defeated. And if that person then continues to win, they'll tune in for the next fight, and they'll continue doing so until such time as that fighter falls. In Jones' case, that could be a long time, and having a string of haters wanting to see him get beat isn't a bad thing.

[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]