Jon Jones is once again caught in a whirlwind of controversy. This time it is alleged that Jones fled the scene of car accident in which he ran a red light hitting a car with a pregnant woman inside. To make matters worse, the pregnant woman suffered a broken arm in the accident. But it doesn’t stop there; witnesses say that Jones ran from the scene but quickly doubled back to grab some cash that he had left in the vehicle. He did however leave behind his marijuana and related paraphernalia … Priorities, priorities. While Jones spent his Sunday evading arrest, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, fresh off his sixth title defense, was headed back home to Parkland, Washington to be with his family and get back to training.
On the surface, Jones and Johnson have walked very similar paths in their careers. Both were excellent athletes in high school; Jones was a state champion wrestler and Johnson a runner up. Jones and Johnson paired themselves with coaches that are widely considered “gurus” in the world of mixed martial marts and quickly became star pupils. Additionally, since winning UFC gold, each fighter climbed the sports pound-for-pound lists as fast as any fighter before them. For all these similarities, it seems that these two fighters have taken very separate paths since becoming champions and it appears that their differences might be what truly defines their legacies.
In Jones’ case, he has become a bit of a spectacle. While many fans find him unlikeable, they can’t seem to look away from the trash talk surrounding his fierce rivalries or his wildly exciting fights. He has always shown very creative striking, strong wrestling and good submissions. But it is the blatant disregard for his opponent’s skill set that seems to really wow people. Jones has time and time again allowed fights to take place where his opponent would seem to be the strongest only to best his foe at their own game. His creativity in the cage and ability to dictate where a fight takes place might be linked directly to his recklessness outside the sport. The controlled chaos that takes place in the cage for most fighters is usually technique driven; drill after drill in the gym is pounded into their brains so they can pull off the moves in live competition. But Jones seems to find a way to try new things fight after fight, not the sign of a man who worries about the drills he ran in practice. There have long been rumors about Jones and his partying outside the cage; when left unmotivated for a fight, it seems that Jones can be his own worst enemy. However, his raw athletic ability seems to have lifted him above the competition. But now that Jones sits removed of his title and suspended indefinitely by the UFC, his athletic ability is the one thing that isn’t going to help him.
Then we have the unassuming Demetrious Johnson, a fighter who has proven that talent and hard work are a winning combination. At times in his fights, Johnson seems to become a blur when he turns up his speed. This speed combined with timing that is basically second to none in all of mixed martial arts allows him to pull off level changes and takedowns that would otherwise only seem possible in a movie. As crisp and clean as his technique is, this textbook style seems to not go over as well with the fans. As Johnson’s coach shouts instructions his way mid fight, one can see him follow the command almost immediately. Johnson does everything by the book and that seems to only impress those who are diehard MMA fans. There have never been rumors about bad work ethic; never has Johnson lost a sponsorship or disappointed UFC brass with his out of competition antics. He is quite simply going about his day being as dominant as any champion the UFC has ever seen. Since winning his UFC title, Johnson hasn’t lost a single round in a fight and it doesn’t seem like he is in a hurry to let that happen.
Here we are, less than a week removed from UFC 186 and all anyone is talking about is Jon Jones. One would hope that this most recent incident is the wake up call Jones needs to get himself focused on his family and his career. But maybe that’s not what we want to see. People tune into a Jon Jones fight for more than the technique. It’s the spectacle. It’s the circus that surrounds the show. Now that Jones has been stripped of his title, will it build interest in the man who might possibly be the best fighter of all time? Or do people shift their focus to a fighter who can walk the line and win dominantly every time he steps foot into the cage? What is clear is that Jones’ legacy will be marred by this controversy and it could spell the end for the champ. Because of this, Johnson is left to quietly take over as the pound-for-pound king and keep on being the man who drills the techniques and performs as well as he behaves.
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