UFC champ Jon Jones reveals which title fight taught him about toughness & 'grit'

"Bones" opened up about a career-defining fight that he still thinks about over a decade later.

(Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Jon Jones has been doing a lot of reflecting lately.

Whether that’s being unsure when he would fight again to exploring new ventures, he has been doing a little bit of everything.

When it comes to his two fight series with Alexander Gustafsson, it’s the first fight that made the current UFC Heavyweight Champion realize that he may not be as invincible as he thought.

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) celebrates defeating Stipe Miocoic (blue gloves) in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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Jon Jones May Never Fight Again

In an interview with Vic Blends, Jones gave a raw, uncut perspective about how the fight made him look inside himself when it looked as if he might lose as the championship rounds progressed.

Jon Jones fights Alexander Gustafsson (left) during their light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 165 at the Air Canada Centre. | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

"In that fight, things did not go the way I expected," Jones said. 

Although the September 2013 five-round war is etched in UFC history forever, it wasn’t sunshine and rainbows for Jones.

"Bones" Reflects On UFC 165 Classic

"I couldn't stop his jab. I hadn't prepared for a low jab; he was jabbing me to the stomach, and I had never prepared for that," Jones said. "He was a lot more confident than I expected him to be. He was in my face, and he was a person who was expecting to win. I had to pull from something that I didn't realize I had. I had a tenacity, and resilience, and a grit that I didn't realize I had."

Sep 21, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Jon Jones is interviewed by Joe Rogan after defeating Alexander Gustafsson (not pictured) during their light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 165 at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

Jones dug deep to earn the decision win, but looking back, it taught him much more: toughness.

“I couldn't talk," Jones said. " I couldn't eat. I couldn't use the bathroom on my own. That was one of the fights where I had really realized how seriously I had to take each and every opponent, that I could never get too big for my britches, because there's always somebody that's nipping at our toes. That fight taught me a lot about the seriousness of preparation."

Jones never endured a situation to that extreme again, learning a valuable lesson about preparation.

Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Stipe Miocic (blue gloves) in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Most importantly, it serves as a strict reminder that fighting isn’t for the faint of heart.

READ MORE: Jean Silva teases next UFC fight against big-name opponent

Twelve years later, Jones is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. 

He may have one more left. He might not, but nevertheless, his greatness can’t be overstated.

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