Jon Jones has relied on the help of his fans to offer up sparring partners for his upcoming UFC title fight.
UFC legend Jones, 35, fights Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title on March 4 in Las Vegas following Francis Ngannou's decision to vacate the belt and leave the promotion. A fight between Jones and Ngannou was being discussed for several years, but Ngannou was unable to reach an agreement with the UFC after a lengthy contract battle.
Jones has been preparing for a move to heavyweight for almost three years, last fighting in the UFC when he defended his light-heavyweight belt for the final time in February 2020. 'Bones' has been coached by former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo in Arizona for his upcoming fight and he asked his fans on Twitter to suggest sparring partners that replicate Gane's style.
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"Right now I’m on the hunt for southpaw heavyweights and light heavyweights that are interested in training here in Albuquerque for the month of February. More than willing to compensate you for your time. Email me if you’re interested," he wrote. A lot of fans clearly reached out as Jones posted in a follow-up tweet: "Man you guys are amazing, I asked and you men delivered. The team and I have hundreds of emails to read through tonight, I appreciate your commitment."
For the entirety of his MMA career, Jones trained at JacksonWink MMA in New Mexico but was booted out of the gym after a domestic violence incident with his ex-fiancee in September 2021. The 35-year-old has found a new coach in Cejudo and the former Olympic gold medalist has backed Jones to remind fans why he is considered the greatest fighter of all time in his comeback fight.
"Jones is a student of the game I think people need to recognise that. You teach him one thing, he comes back the next day and almost does it flawlessly. It's crazy to see the potential of how great Jones can still become, he's a man who has the god-given ability and when you teach a guy like that to have technique and discipline, that's what equals GOAT status," Cejudo said.
"That's what puts Jones into a league of his own, he finds the right engineers. He comes into training and is humble, all ears. It's what every coach will want, somebody that really retains the information they are given. As good as he is, Jones is still getting better and that's just scary."
