Jon Jones recalls how his father helped in sparking his interest for MMA

Source: HT News Desk Mar-03-2023 3 min read

Ahead of the bout, Jones interacted on episode four of the UFC 285 Embedded: Vlog Series. The American MMA fighter delved into his youth when he developed an interest in wrestling and how his father played a role in lighting the spark in him.

Jon Jones is eyeing history in the main event of UFC 285 as he aims to become only the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes. Jones who has already been light heavyweight champion, will mark his debut in the heavyweight divison against current No.1 fighter Ciryl Gane. The high-voltage contest will also end Jones' three-year long hiatus since February 2020.

"We were wrestling for hours. My dad ended up getting us - he found a big old piece of sponge somewhere. It wasn't actually a wrestling mat, it was just a big piece of sponge that he put down in our basement, and everyday after school we would go down there and we would wrestle each other for hours," recalled Jones.

"Eventually, that sponge had so much bacteria on it. It was so disgusting. It had blood stained into it. We became real tough little homies down there, and then we'd get out and we'd compete against other kids and there was just something different about us three. We had a lot of a** kicking time put in on that d**n wrestling mat down there," he added.

Jones has trained under the guidance of heavyweight star Walt Harris for the upcoming contest. The high-octane contest is an opportunity for him to reinforce himself as one of the greatest UFC fighters ever. It remains to be seen how much his speed will be affected in the octagon as he has gained weight for the bout.