Jon Jones is every bit as mild mannered as Clark Kent. He is the son of a preacher and has the biblical psalm "Philippians 4:13" tattooed across the left side of his chest. He has a daughter, a "soon to be fiance" and says that a committed relationship is the reason why he's so able to focus on his training.
He is able to come across in interviews as being somebody that's grounded, that's down to earth. Somebody that despite throwing harsh criticisms around in interviews when discussing opponents, doesn't really look like he believes what's coming out of his mouth half the time.
Yet when he walks in that Cage every fight night, and that cage door closes, Another person takes over. Call it a "dual identity". This person dispatches limbs and screams like a wolf for kicks. He'll throw you in a figure 4 leglock if he catches you stealing anything. He'll hit you with his long reach with spinning elbows and leave you in a bloody heap. His name is Bones Jones.
Its very difficult to cipher as to when Jon Jones ends, and Bones Jones begins. The way he is inside of the cage and out of it makes you wonder as if you're living in a comic book, and Jon Jones is some sort of hero. Whether you were cheering for him or not Saturday night or any other night for that matter, you can't help but admit when you see Jones in action, you are witnessing something very special. From his sheer athleticism to his long reach, to his unquestionable strength to his overwhelming wrestling, It is no surprise that he has been able to hit the end of his learning curve and ascended to the top of the MMA landscape, in 3 relatively short years.
Looking at message boards after last Saturday night's title victory, from people proclaiming he's the real fight for Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, to calls for him to cure cancer at some point of his life, its clear people think he has that kind of profound impact on this sport. I've read articles saying he's a "breakthrough star", to somebody declaring he can have the "LeBron effect" on MMA and finally allow the sport sanctioning in New York. This is all before his first title defense (which we all know will come against Rashad Evans).
My only hope is that all of this does not overwhelm the young man. That he keeps his life on the straight and narrow, does what he's always done and keep focused. That his body doesn't fail him and he's not derailed by nagging injuries. That he's not consumed by fortune and turns to addiction. We've seen what happens to people when popularity and fame consume them (remember what happened with Tiger Woods) . Let's hope for better fortunes for Jon Jones.
Until next time, Fight fans.
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