Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Quinton Jackson: Jon Jones is great, but ‘he’s the dirtiest fighter ever’

Quinton Jackson thinks Jon Jones’ style of fighting is dirty.

Jackson challenged Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) for the light heavyweight title at UFC 135 in 2011, but fell short when he was submitted in Round 4. “Rampage” marked Jones’ first title defense, and he went on to become the greatest 205-pounder of all time.

Although Jackson admits he felt better than ever health wise in the fight, he thought some of Jones’ tactics in the fight weren’t clean. Jackson pointed to Jones’ tendency to stick his fingers out, which has caused him to accidentally poke fighters in their eyes on numerous occasions.

“Jon Jones is a great fighter. Even if he was standing in this room I would say it. But he’s the dirtiest fighter ever,” Jackson said in an interview with Chris Van Vliet. “The guy is so smart. He does the most dirtiest things.

“If you’re doing anything good on him, he’s going to poke you in the eye. If you’re advancing or doing anything good or you get the advantage, he’s going to kick your knee backwards.”

Jackson recalls getting kicked in the kneecap by Jones, which he says hindered his movement for a while.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.