Quote: Nobody Beats ‘Focused’ Jon Jones But Himself
Jon Jones’ coach expects the former champ to look better than he ever has in his upcoming rematch with current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
Mike Winklejohn, who is “Bones'” striking coach, discussed his star pupil’s growth as a striker since being stripped of his belt and forced out of action since April 2016.
“Everything is good,” Winkeljohn said. “[Jones]’s coming in with a smile on his face. I’m going to tell you what, Jon’s coming in and he’s finding new ways to hit people with elbows. He keeps bringing them real close to people’s faces and then just stopping with a smile, and continuing on with the process. So he’s got some new things that are even meaner for Daniel this fight.”
Winklejohn said he was thrilled when the UFC offered Jones a fight against the champ, a man he already defeated back at UFC 182.
While many fans and pundits wondered whether Jones would opt for a tune-up fight after his layoff, Winklejohn insists “Bones” is ready for the belt and doesn’t need a tune-up fight beforehand.
“I love [Jones] fighting for the belt,” he told Ariel Helwani. “I don’t think he had any need for a tune-up fight to fight Daniel Cormier. I think as much as I do respect Daniel, I think this is a good fight for Jon, because the first time Daniel couldn’t take him down. Jon was able to take him down. Jon was able to beat him everywhere, and I think that plays into our favor with this fight.
“We can expand on that and change some things that Daniel will try, so that he fails once again.”
While Jones’ coach didn’t undermine Cormier, he remains steadfastly confident that the former champion will regain his title while showing some new tricks he’s picked up in his absence from the sport.
“I think everybody’s a threat,” he said. “But Jon, he studies so much in the fact that we had a lot of things, he had a lot of things figured out. Jon had a lot of things figured out in that first fight, because he watches fight tape, he studies so much that I think that’s kind of one of those things he’s got it mostly figured out already, and it should play out the same way. That’s why I was okay with it.”
“I know I’ve had that talk with him, and I’m sure all these coaches had that talk with him — or at least I hope they would’ve,” he said. “But, he’s on the straight and narrow. I would say Jon Jones, nobody beats Jon Jones but himself. And he’s been focused in training camp and through last week on the right things. So with that being said, should be a great fight for Jon.”
Jones and Cormier are set to throw down for a second time at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California.
“Bones” took home a unanimous decision victory over D.C. during their first fight back in 2015. Cormier won the belt after Jones was stripped and has defended it against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson.
