Jon Jones is widely regarded as the greatest fighter of all time. But there is someone whom he considers as the ‘greatest’. Before making it big in the UFC, ‘Bones’ was a massive fan of the UFC veteran, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Interestingly, back in 2011, a young Jones had the opportunity to face his idol in the cage. And quite expectedly, he was frightened to the core.
In a recent interview, his younger brother revealed that the heavyweight champion was having a hard time before his fight. This is not something we hear about Jones quite often. Reflecting on the same, Jones’ brother said,
“He could not sleep and I don’t give a f*ck who I’m looking in your eyes. I am not blinking. I don’t give a f*ck. Who did he fight/ who would bigger name to this day? He could not sleep. We all have been a fan of you before him.”
Jones’ brother further highlighted the fact that before the bout, Jon was having difficulty sleeping. While the daunting stature of Jackson was certainly a factor, Jones secretly got tensed to get inside the octagon with his idol. Just like a true fanboy.
This revelation is intriguing to know, as he is presumed to be a fan of himself and nobody else. However, one might also wonder if Rampage Jackson shares the same respect back for Jones. Well, he does not, and here is why.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is critical of Jon Jones
Jon Jones has been caught for using banned substances in the past and used several illegal moves in his fights. This has significantly affected his image in public and also in front of his icon, Jackson. In an interview, Jackson called Jones a dirty fighter and teased that he wins fights by illegal means. Reflecting on the same, he said,
“If you doing good, he’ll poke you in your eye, then he’ll kick your knee backwards. Even though the oblique kick is legal, I think it should be illegal. But you know, that wasn’t even the big problem. The big problem was him, like, poking me in the eye and keeping his fingers in my eye, keeping me at bay.”
Thus, even though Quinton Jackson does not seem very fond of Jones, the UFC heavyweight has established his legacy. Jones is currently looking for a bout against Stipe Miočić to further strengthen his stronghold in the UFC.
