Sean O’Malley Says Jon Jones “Blacked Out” Before Each Fight, Relied On It As An Excuse
Jon Jones had a “built-in excuse” before stepping into the octagon. That’s according to Sean O’ Malley, who shared his thoughts on the former UFC light heavyweight champion on his podcast– the TimboSugarShow.
O’Malley (15-1) sat with co-host Tim Welch and YouTuber Jeff Wittek, discussing how Jones “blacked out” before each fight in order to have an excuse to fall back on in case he lost.
“Jon Jones said he used to get blacked out a week before every fight… just to say ‘that wasn’t me at a hundred percent,'” O’ Malley said. “Built-in excuse”.
Jon Jones Is No Stranger To Controversy
The 34-year-old has a history with suspensions, fines and legal troubles throughout his UFC career. In May 2012, Jones was arrested and later pled guilty to DUI. In July 2016, he was removed from the UFC 200 card after testing positive for a banned substance. USADA and the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) suspended Jones for one year and he was stripped of his interim title.
His latest run-in with law enforcement came in September 2021. He was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, just hours after his 2013 fight with Alexander Gustafsson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
During a 2016 interview with Joe Rogan, Jones confessed to partying a week before every fight and used it as a “safety net” throughout his UFC career.
“One week before every fight, I would go out and I would get blacked out wasted,” Jones revealed on the Joe Rogan Experience . “My logic was ‘if this guy were to beat me somehow, I could look myself in the mirror and say that I lost because I got hammered the week before the fight.'”
Jones (26-1-1) last fought in February 2020. He earned a split-decision win against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. During his recent hiatus, Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title to focus on a move to the heavyweight division.
”Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said on The Jim Rome Show. “We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”
Rumors of a Jon Jones return and heavyweight debut have been swirling around for two years. He is widely regarded as the greatest light heavyweight in UFC history.
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley is scheduled to face Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 early next month. The co-host of the TimboSugarShow has won his last three fights by knockout.
