Jon Jones reflects on UFC 285 championship victory: ‘This is my destiny. It’s my identity’
Off the back of his vacant heavyweight championship victory at UFC 285 last weekend, former light heavyweight kingpin, Jon Jones claims it was his “destiny” and “identity” to return to the sport triumphantly and strike gold following a three-year layoff.
Jones, who headlined UFC 285 last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, managed to win the vacant heavyweight championship at the T-Mobile Arena – stopping former interim division champion, Ciryl Gane in a dominant, first round guillotine choke triumph.
The outing came as Endicott native, Jones’ first since February 2020, where he headlined UFC 247 in Houston, Texas – taking home his light heavyweight championship in a close, unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes.
Commenting on his championship-winning performance against Gane last weekend, Jones claimed it was his “destiny” to win his second division crown in the organization.
“This isn’t a job to me,” Jon Jones told Sports Illustrated in a recent interview post-UFC 285. “It is my life. It’s my identity. This is who I was intended to be in my mother’s womb. It’s my purpose and. This is my destiny.”
Jon Jones claims God will guide him to victory against Stipe Miocic
Expected to return to headline UFC 290 in July during International Fight Week in a title outing against former championship holder, Stipe Miocic, Jones claimed that God will lift him to victory against the Ohio veteran.
“I don’t think it will matter who I fight next,” Jon Jones explained. “As long as I continue to give glory to God, he’ll keep lifting me up and giving me the victory.”
During his second reign as undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jones managed to rack up a trio of title defenses over Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and the above-mentioned, Reyes – having lifted a vacant crown in a rematch win over Alexander Gustafsson.
