Jon "Bones" Jones talks about his hand injury, "Rampage" Jackson, moving to Heavyweight and much more
UFC NEWS, Bleachers Report
Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones, who was in Washington DC as part of a charity appearance, sits down with Luke Thomas of SBNation.com to discusses an array of topics, including his hand injury, Jackson's MMA, his upcoming title defense against "Rampage" Jackson, moving up to Heavyweight, and much more. Jones says that his hand is still in the process of being rehabbed, but is "doing fine." Speaking on "Rampage," the champ acknowledges the threat the veteran represents inside the octagon, but insists he'll be ready for him on fight night.
On his hand injury: Today my hand is doing fine, it's doing great. My grip isn't as tight as it used to be, but good thing I use my left hand primarily. My punching power in both hands are still pretty much the same, so I'm excited. I think that it's the transition I'm in now. I've been doing some physical therapy work and it takes time, so hopefully my hand doesn't get worse throughout this training camp.
On Jackson's MMA: Greg Jackson's program is one of the number one programs in the world for a reason. It has the best chemistry. It has the best staff. We have the best attitudes and I'm happy to be a part of it. We lost Rashad Evans but we're still growing strong.
On "Rampage" Jackson: Rampage is a great combatant. He's a respectable name. He's knocked out some of the best people in the sport. So it's a great opportunity for me to elevate and that's what wakes me up in the morning (...) He's in a great spot. He's already achieved a level of success where he should be comfortable with living, but he's still the same guy. It only takes one punch to end a fight and this guy is known to have some of the most extreme punching power in our sport's history, so obviously I have to train and have my boxing defenses up, my mixed martial arts skills up, and I'll be ready for him.
Complete Interview:
Photo: UFC fighter Jon Jones before his fight against Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC-Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko at the San Diego Sports Arena on August 1, 2010, in San Diego, California. Francis Specker