5 Lessons Learned From Jon Jones' Absence

Nearly one year since Jon Jones last fought and here's what we've learned...

Jon Jones defended his UFC Light Heavyweight title last January at UFC 182 against Daniel Cormier. He won by a unanimous decision, most say convincingly, after an emotional fraught feud that included a brawl at the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas. Yet nearly a year later, Daniel Cormier parades with Jones' strap and never beat Bones. Jones beat Bones. Although, Jon Jones' abrupt tumble down the mountain is a befitting cautionary tale for a man who may be one of the greatest fighters ever. Daniel Cormier has since legitimized his belt, defending it valiantly at UFC 192 against the last man closest to dethroning Jones, Alexander Gustaffson. But it was this close contest, absent of Jon Jones, which emphasized Bones' looming shadow over the light heavyweight division. Jon Jones was never invincible, nor did he claim to be. He was promoted quickly as the GOAT like we've done countless young athletes. Quite frankly, who wouldn't have cited Jones as the P4P King: the Binghamton native not only decimated a murderer's row of opponents, but almost single handedly wiped out Pride Era favorites from relevancy, including Shogun and Rampage (save Wanderlei, you dodged a bullet my friend!). However, we now know Jones was not fighting to his potential. But Jones didn't use it as an excuse in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani for MMAFighting where he opened up about his addictive affair with alcohol to troublesome social circles. The writing had been on the wall since Jones' first DUI in 2012 for crashing a Bentley in upstate New York and testing positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition drug test following his UFC 182 win. Jones recent Albuquerque hit-and-run that injured a pregnant woman was more disappointing than surprising. It halted Jones to reflect on the cost of infamy. As Jones mounts his comeback, will he deviate from the same self-destructive path as the oft-compared Mike Tyson: a brutal prodigy whose success clouded judgment and talent stifled his work ethic? Or has Jones been humbled by visions of what he could lose: not only his belt, but his legacy. Here's 5 things we've learned from Jon Jones' absence...
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Eli Samuel is a NYC-based writer, producer, and creative consultant. His work is hosted at DiscourseFilm.com