LOS ANGELES – Once he steps into the cage with Thiago “Marreta” Santos and the opening bell sounds for the UFC 239 main event, Jon Jones will have officially competed three times in eight months.
Having only fought twice between 2015-18, the UFC light heavyweight champion thinks he owes it to UFC fans to make up for the lost time.
Monday afternoon, Jones (24-1 1NC MMA, 18-1 1NC UFC) expressed his desire to continue fighting frequently at a UFC 239 pre-fight news event.
“I have a lot of supporters who stuck with me, even through my inactivity,” Jones said. “This is my way to say thank you to my fans for being there and for their (unwavering) support. I’m just more grateful than ever to be the UFC light heavyweight champion. It’s a special job to have and I just want to do right by it.
“I just feel like there’s not many things you can do in life to make this kind of income. If my body is going to hold up, why not just ride it until the wheels fall off. I’m here to just continue dominating and collecting for my family’s future.”
UFC 239 takes place July 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will stream live via pay-per-view. Prelims will air live on ESPN with early preliminary bouts streaming on ESPN+.
While he’s upped his fighting schedule, Jones said he hasn’t found three straight training camps to be that much of a challenge.
“It’s not difficult at all,” Jones said. “Physically, I feel great. My weight is already down. Mentally, I feel really great as well. It feels very familiar to be here. When you fight so often, you just get this comfort where you’re feeling in your zone. I feel the way I did when I was like super young just fighting back-to-back-to-back. The only difference is I’m a little more mature and a little more sure in my team and myself. I’m in a good place and I’m really excited to be here.”
Although Jones hopes to continue his rapid-fire UFC fights, he doesn’t see the light heavyweight division’s landscape thinning anytime soon.
“To remain undefeated is a goal of mine,” Jones said. “Continue to dominate the toughest guys in the world. Doing that against the Thiago Santos’s, and the Luke Rockhold’s, and the Chris Weidman’s, and Johnny Walker’s of the world. That’s a huge task within itself. If I’m able to do that, it’d be extraordinary. I believe that I will and I’m working really hard. I believe more than ever that I’m meant to be here and there. There’s no coincidence that I’m in this position. I’m just earning it. Day in and day out.”
With time, Jones thinks he’ll obtain UFC “champ-champ” status. It’s not a matter of “if” for him, but instead a matter of “when.” He wants the move to heavyweight, however, to come at a natural time when his bosses at the UFC are comfortable with it.
“I think it’s awesome to become a champ-champ, but I also know I have time to do it,” Jones said. “I have a lot of time to do it. I’m 31 years old. I’m one of the youngest guys in the division and I feel no need to rush that. Continuing dominance at light heavyweight is working out great for me. Providing for my family and breaking records.
“When the time is right I’ll try it at heavyweight as well. I think the quickest way for that to happen is for the UFC to reach out to me and say, ‘Hey, Jon, we want to take care of you to take on some bigger guys.’ And I’ll oblige.”
For more on UFC 239, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
