Jones recently made a permanent move to the renovated Johnson Wink Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Before then, Jones had been taking bicoastal pilgrimages back to upstate New York. And when Jones did stay in Albuquerque for longer periods, Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn could foster his fight career, but couldn't control his lifestyle choices. Now that Jones is stationed and reinvigorated, he'll certainly improve technically just by more gym hours. Holly Holm's title win has also elevated the gym's morale. But it's the team community that offers the real advantages to Jones. At 28 and rebounding from public scrutiny, Jones' relocation gifts solidarity and a safe place to mentally mature. Physically, Jones would blow up between camps, even if his chicken legs said otherwise. Bones admits to not adhering to a regimented diet or training protocol until a few months before his next scheduled fight. He'd balloon up, partying along the way, while maintaining the necessary tools to thrash upcoming challengers. His athleticism and fight IQ were stellar, so even autopilot worked fine, but he'd sabotage his growth during layoffs. With a full commitment to training year round, his potential is limitless. Now we can see what kind of Jon Jones will return without wasting his hours traveling and investing those hours in the gym.
