After latest suspension, former UFC champ Jon Jones says 'the story can't end like this'

It’s a tale the world has already heard several times before, but former UFC champion Jon Jones promises next time is finally going to be different.

Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), who has encountered a seemingly endless string of outside-the-octagon issues over the past several years, said the next chapter of his career will be the one he can be most proud of – because he wants to put all the problems that have plagued his life behind for good.

The former longtime UFC light heavyweight titleholder and No. 2 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA pound-for-pound rankings experienced his most recent setback earlier this year when he was pulled from a UFC 200 headliner with champ Daniel Cormier just days prior to the event when flunked a drug test administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Earlier this month Jones was given a one-year suspension for the failed test, which allegedly stemmed from a tainted sexual-enhancement pill. It was another embarrassing turn in a long line of forgettable moments for Jones, but during an interview this week on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, he said the latest issue made him realize he needs to get his life in order.

“I seriously have been working on my personal life tremendously, and I seriously feel as of right now, I feel amazing,” Jones said. “I feel better now today than I did when I was beating everybody’s ass and sponsored by the world. I literally feel better today because I feel I’ve conquered a lot of demons in my personal life.”

According to Jones, the primary “demons” that needed conquering were issues with alcohol and marijuana use. “Bones” has admitted to being an almost daily marijuana user, and he said he would routinely party and consume alcohol even when in training camp for his fights.

The issues got so deep, in fact, that Jones said he made a habit out of having a big night of drinking just one week prior to stepping in the octagon.

“I had this thing where I just felt invincible,” Jones said. “I did a lot of wild stuff leading up to the fight. I had this crazy thing that I would do, where I would party one week before every fight, and I did it throughout my whole career. It was so stupid, but it was this mental crutch that I had. One week before every fight I would go out, and I would get blacked out wasted.

“My logic was, ‘If this guy were to beat me somehow, I could look myself in the mirror and say, ‘I lost because I got hammered the week before the fight.’ It was a safety net. I did it my whole career. I would go out and get hammered a week before every fight.”

The turning point for Jones, he said, was when he was involved in an April 2015 hit-and-run accident in which he hit a pregnant woman with his car before fleeing the scene. The incident caused him a number of legal issues, and he also was stripped of the UFC title he held for four years and was suspended from competition.

It was a 15-month break between fights before Jones finally got past the hit-and-run and made the necessary steps to resume his career. He said he turned to a life of sobriety, which guided him to his comeback fight against Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 in April.

Jones bested Saint Preux by unanimous decision to win the interim 205-pound title. But then he failed the drug test prior to UFC 200, and while being pulled from the fight cost him a chance to win back the undisputed title and earn the massive payday that went along with it, Jones said one more bump in the road wasn’t about to derail him.

In fact, despite his claim of ignorance in taking the performance pill that led to the failed test, Jones said being pulled from UFC 200 and the suspension that followed provided further perspective on what’s been lost due to poor decision-making. He said he doesn’t want the low points to define his career.

“Everything is so put together right now in my life outside of sports; I just feel really good right now,” Jones said. “Also, it’s being in the position where I don’t need to fight again either, financially. I have to fight because the story can’t end like this.”

Jones is still awaited his disciplinary hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) in relation to UFC 200. However, if he’s handed a similar punishment to the one USADA handed down, it’s possible he could be cleared for a return to the octagon as early as July.

What type of fight Jones will get if that happens remains to be seen. UFC President Dana White stripped Jones of the interim title and has made it clear he won’t trust Jones to headline a card any time soon. In fact, he said, the organization may not schedule Jones for another title fight right off the bat.

Jones said he hasn’t engaged in any formal discussions about what could be next, but he said the driving force for the next stage of his career is not only regaining his championship glory, but also to show the world that despite his track record, he’s capable of living up to the potential seen in him several years ago when he became the youngest champion in UFC history.

“I’m excited to go back and get my baby (the belt),” Jones said. “No one has spoken to me about whether I get an immediate shot or whether they make me fight at least once or twice before. I have no clue what they are actually planning on doing. I literally haven’t spoken to Dana White since fight week of UFC 200.

“I feel like my best has yet to come, and I’m in a position to really touch a lot of people and inspire a lot of people from where I came from. Doing it for other people motivates me probably more than doing it for myself.”

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