J. Jones (photo) is a former light heavyweight champion. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Seven months after the day that changed the course of his career, Jon Jones He finally broke his silence and gave details about the series of events that culminated in his loss of the UFC light heavyweight belt.
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The former champion of the under 93 division gave a long and frank interview to the North American website “MMA Fighting”, in which, among other things, he admitted his addiction to marijuana and alcohol. “I managed to hide from the world that I smoked and drank three, four times a week, but now I realize that I had a problem”, revealed the fighter, who confessed that he was never fully disciplined in training for his fights.
Jones also shared his views on the fateful traffic accident he was involved in at the end of April, when he ran a red light and hit a car driven by a pregnant woman. “Everything happened very quickly, but at the time I knew I had done something really stupid. I couldn't tell if I hit a car or a truck, if it was a man or a woman. When I discovered it was a pregnant woman, I was scared. I was miserable. I kept thinking I would be arrested and never see my children and wife again,” he declared.
Furthermore, “Bones”, who is now cleared to fight in the UFC, also spoke about the battle to kick the habit and said that Ronda Rousey e Conor McGregor they showed him immediate support. Check out the main topics of the interview:
How has your life been:
It was six months of experiences, learning and growth. I learned a lot. I had the opportunity to reevaluate life, look at myself beyond the UFC champion figure and pay attention to Jonathan Jones, the person, the father, and not just the athlete.
Context of the accident:
I was watching the [UFC 186] fights with some friends who were in town. I had a lot of fun. Afterwards, we went to a bar and had a drink. We left there and went to a party at a friend's house. I drank some more and decided to sleep there. Doing this was normal for me. I'm a guy who likes to party and I managed to win my fights anyway. I thought it didn't affect me.
The crash:
But it was a crazy situation. I woke up the morning after [the party] and got into my car, still very tired. I remember coming to a traffic light, typing on my phone, and I saw a green light coming on. I thought it was green for me, but it was for those who were going straight – I was going to turn around. I stepped on the accelerator and found myself in the middle of traffic. I think I hit one car and this car hit another one. It all happened very quickly, but at the time I knew I had done something really stupid.
First reaction:
Since I hadn't been hurt, I assumed there were no injuries. But since I still smelled like the night before, I wanted to get out of there before the police arrived. I panicked, so I ran away. They said I went back to the car to get money... That didn't happen. Why would I go back, when my money is invested in investments? What happened was that I walked five meters away from the car and remembered that I had a pipe to smoke marijuana. If the police found this in the car, everything would be even worse. I went back to the car, but I think the pipe had flown away and I couldn't find it. So I ran away again. But I couldn't see if I hit a car or a truck, if it was a man or a woman.
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Its consequences:
Afterwards, I called a friend who took me to a hotel. I spent the night there, until I could talk to lawyers and understand what had happened. I only found out it was a woman [in the hit car] after I entered the hotel. My wife and partner called me to ask what had happened. It was one of the strangest moments of my life. I literally cried all day. I thought my career was over. It was a long day and I was more depressed than ever. When I discovered it was a pregnant woman, I was scared. She didn't know if the baby would be okay or how long she was pregnant. I was miserable. I kept thinking I would be arrested and never see my children and wife again. At that time, I didn't even think about fighting, but rather about the possibility of losing my freedom. I knew that there would begin a long journey for my life to return to normal. I thought about stopping being a public person and dealing with this with my family.
The decision to return:
I thought about going back because I was very disappointed. I saw the bad consequences it had for me, and I deserved it. I saw several athletes talking badly about me, journalists who used to praise me criticizing me. That hurt. It felt like the industry had turned its back on me. It's easy to kick someone when they're on the ground, but I tried not to take it personally. So the best thing I could do was go back and be better than I was before.
Who supported the most:
Ronda Rousey contacted me, as well as Conor McGregor. Ronda was very supportive, she sent me messages several times. She invited me to stay at her beach house in California. “Whatever I can do for you, let me know. I have a house here and no one knows where it is, so it’s yours for as long as you want,” things like that. I said “wow”. This girl is on top of the world, but she still stopped to think about me and my most difficult phase. I will never forget that. Conor McGregor told me “hey, champ. Once a champion, always a champion. You will come back stronger than before.” In addition to my teammates and coaches, who always tried to keep me motivated.
Letting go of addictions:
I don't drink anymore, I don't smoke marijuana anymore. This has been three or four months now. It's not difficult, because I'm happy to be free of it. It took me a while to realize I had a problem. After all, I was able to do my job, win my struggles and take care of my family anyway. I managed to hide from the world the fact that I smoked marijuana and drank three, four times a week. But now that I'm sober, I see that I had a problem. I spent a lot of time and money on this, but now I'm free.
About cocaine:
This cocaine thing is crazy. I say looking into your eyes: I don't like cocaine. I wasn't a cocaine guy. I smoked marijuana frequently, and anyone who knew me knew that. And I loved drinking. But, with cocaine… I snorted cocaine one night and, the next day, there was the guy from the Commission… “How did this happen?”, I thought. Then everyone thinks I was addicted to cocaine, but I would never be able to achieve my achievements with cocaine. I was addicted to marijuana, but not anymore. A lot of people told me that I would be even better without marijuana and alcohol, and now I'm looking forward to seeing.
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