Jon Jones: I Only Trained 80 % To Face Alexander Gustafsson, I Thought I Couldn’t Be Touched

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones saw his perceived aura of invincibility go up in smoke after Alexander Gustafsson nearly took his title in their UFC 165 classic last September.

After absorbing a ton of punishment and getting taken down for the first time, it was believed that “Bones” would grant “The Mauler” an immediate rematch.

However, he instead took a main event fight with Glover Teixeira at this Saturday night’s (April 26, 2014) UFC 172 from the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The decision prompted many to insinuate than Jones was indeed ducking Gustafsson, but the champ is adamant that Teixeira deserves his shot after five straight UFC wins.

Heading into his attempt at a record-setting eighth consecutive title defense, Jones is willing to admit he did some things wrong in his training camp preparing to fight Gustafsson. In an interview on The Jim Rome Show, Jones said he was beginning to think he was invincible after his short-lived destruction of Chael Sonnen at UFC 159, something that made him train at only 80 percent for Gustafsson:

“”Going into the Gustafsson fight I had just beaten Chael Sonnen, somebody that almost beat Anderson Silva twice, and I dominated Chael Sonnen in a minute and thirty seconds. I think for the first time in my career I really started to feel myself. I really started to think, ‘Maybe I’ve got this extraordinary talent and maybe I just can’t be touched.’

I went 80% [against Gustafsson]. I’m not making any excuses. Gustafsson did a great job in the fight but I know that I had a lot more in me. I did some of the cardio tests that I normally do and my numbers weren’t the same. Me knowing that, I still went into the fight thinking, ‘Well, since I’ve performed excellent, maybe I’ll still perform really really high, do really good and the fight may be a little closer if I just put half the effort in. I learned a lesson the hard way that you have to give full effort.”

Indeed he did learn the hard way by almost losing his belt. He insists he’s prepared to the fullest for Teixeira, noting that the cardio testing and other stats that could have been better for the Gustafsson fight are now where he wants them to be:

“The way this camp has been different is that not only have I given full effort, but I’ve trampled over some of the numbers I’ve had in the past. My highest numbers from my cardio test, my strength test. I’ve increased those numbers in a major way. I know that my cardio is better than ever. I know that my physical shape is the highest it’s ever been.

I’m getting older in the sport. I just feel that my coordination, body awareness and body understanding is at the highest level. I feel like the complete package right now and I’m going to show that.”

We’ll just have to see if Jones is truly in the best shape of his life come Saturday. He got rid of his longtime wrestling coach Izzy Martinez prior to this fight, something that could adversely affect his performance.

If he does beat Teixeira, then an awaited rematch with “The Mauler” will be next on the docket for Jones. The champ has acknowledged that there is a new wave of light heavyweight contenders for him to face.

But will he get past the one that has already surprised him?