Jon Jones has mocked his original fighting nickname "Sexual Chocolate' ahead of his highly-anticipated UFC return.
The UFC superstar will return this weekend for the first time since beating Dominick Reyes in 2020 when he takes on Cyril Gane for the heavyweight title in Las Vegas at UFC 285. It will be the 35-year-old's first outing in a new division since making the switch from light-heavyweight where he previously reigned as champion prior to piling on the pounds.
Jones' nickname 'Bones' is one of the most high-profile on the roster, with his fighting ability making him arguably the greatest fighter ever to grace the octagon. However the title challenger has revealed his fanbase would not have appreciated hearing his original nickname before a fight.
He tweeted: "My original fight nickname used to be sexual chocolate, what in the hell was I thinking?" Jones then adopted the nickname 'Bones' which has been ever-present throughout his hugely successful stint in the UFC.
He later explained where his new nickname came from in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, adding: "I was a football player that couldn't catch, couldn't throw but I was really tall and skinny. They put me on the defensive line with these huge shoulder pads and really big helmet. When you look at my upper body, I looked like a really big guy, but I had these little chicken legs coming out of the uniform. So everyone started calling me 'Bones' and my brother 'Beefy', so I kept the name.”
Jones is one of the highest-paid names on the UFC roster and has generated stardom from his career in a similar way to former two-weight champion Conor McGregor. It remains to be seen how he will fare at heavyweight given his huge weight increase, but it is a move that he has had plenty of time to prepare for.
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He first looked set to make a comeback against ex-champion Francis Ngannou but the Cameroon star vacated his belt and departed the promotion, opening the door for Jones to agree a clash with Gane. Despite fears over his weight gain, Jones is confident he will be the more prepared man given his extensive training camp.
“I feel amazing,” he said. “I've gained the weight very slowly and I feel like I do everything I used to do, just more confidently and with more power. Back in the day, I've had some really great fights where I've showed really solid boxing, but I never really believed in my punching power. Now I believe my combinations are sharper than ever.
"I also feel like my punching power and my confidence to be in the pocket is higher than it used to be. My explosiveness and my quickness, my ability to wrestle and everything I used to do, I just do with more power now, more confidence. I feel like I got that grown man strength finally."
