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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"I'm definitely excited to show America that age is just a number, and wisdom outweighs age any day. I guess the biggest thing that I did was demand respect through legitimacy between everything I said to the guys and what I expected out of the guys to the vibe I gave off to these guys. I was definitely there to be those guys' mentor, friend and supporter. Obviously it's about those guys and not me, but I want to be a role model, too, despite the age difference. I want to lead by example and show these guys what has made me me and give them a piece of that.
I need to show America that I'm a champion. I'm a champion coach. I'm a guy who is not going to be stingy with his success. I'm going to try and motivate others with his success and share his success and ultimately bring up the whole sport of mixed martial arts, whether it's an individual athlete or an ideal or anything. My job is to pay it forward.
I look at this way, and it's very simple: Somebody put me on to this world of mixed martial arts, and I owe a great deal to that person. the only way I can truly ever say thank you in my eyes is to put someone else on it. So when I'm in the locker room, I look at all of my guys as, 'Which one of you guys is going to be the next guy? Which one of you guys can I bless by giving you my best?' That's the way I feel about the whole situation. I want to put someone else up. I want to change someone else's life. I want to give back to the sport and be a contributor to one of the next great fighters."
-UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones talks to MMAJunkie.com about his role as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter.
Penick's Analysis: Jones' confidence in himself doesn't always sit well with fans, and at times he's not the best at articulating exactly what he means, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that he's the best fighter that has come into this sport in a very long time, and no matter how badly he rubs people outside of the cage, there's no denying the things he brings inside of it. I don't know how he's going to come across as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and honestly, the way he comes across in interviews like this may not translate to a positive effect on everyone who works with and/or under him. Still, he's got a lot to offer just from what his natural skills bring into the cage, and what he can do once he's in there, so if the fighters under him are attentive, and open to what he brought to the TUF gym from a coaching standpoint, they'll all be better for it.
[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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