Ex-UFC Champ Recounts Night Out with Jon Jones - "That's a Dangerous Person"

"Bones" is set to defend his heavyweight title this weekend at Madison Square Garden.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Former UFC champion and current top featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling recently recounted a pre-fight night out with Jon Jones from early in their respective UFC careers.

"He Was Fighting In Like Two Weeks"

A member of the UFC roster since 2014, “Funk Master” won the bantamweight belt from Petr Yan at UFC 259 and went on to defend it three times before he was knocked out by Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 last year.

Ex-Champ Reportedly Targeted as Replacement for Belal Muhammad at UFC 310

Sterling put on a dominant showing in his featherweight debut opposite Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 and is now set to meet the undefeated Movsar Evloev in a rebooked matchup at UFC 310 next month, and this week on The Ariel Helwani Show the 35-year-old shared a wild story about Jones ahead of the heavyweight champion’s fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 this Saturday.

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aljamain Sterling (blue gloves) fights Calvin Kattar (red gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“He offered me a couple shots at the bar, and I was fighting in like – I think I told him four or five weeks, and he was fighting in like two weeks (laughs),” Sterling explained. “This is in the UFC, when we were in upstate New York. I was at Team Bomb Squad, he had just left down to New Mexico, down to [Jackson Wink MMA Academy]. And I was like ‘Am I doing something wrong?’ Something’s not mathing, like the math ain’t mathing right now. But then I watch him on TV, he’s going out there and he obliterates the competion, And I’m like, ‘I think there’s something to be said about that.’”

"I Don't Think Any Of That Is Going To Stop You"

Jones has been nothing short of dominant in the majority of his outings in the UFC Octagon, but “Bones” has famously run into a myriad of legal issues outside of the cage that have threatened to derail his career at various points.

Watch 58-Year-Old Mike Tyson Crush Pads Days Away from Jake Paul Fight

Many fans wondered if Jones would ever fight again after he vacated the UFC light heavyweight title in 2020 in order to move up to heavyweight, but after a more than three-year layoff the 37-year-old returned at UFC 285 last year and submitted Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant heavyweight belt.

Jon Jones fights Ciryl Gane of France in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. / (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

“I think he’s very meticulous in his preparation with getting the looks that he needs to see,” Sterling told Helwani. “The same way that he didn’t take the short-notice fight with Chael Sonnen. He’s not that guy. He wants to make sure he’s got the utmost edge on you in terms of knowing you inside and out before he’s accepting a fight, and knowing that he knows you better than you know yourself. And I think when you have someone who’s that dedicated to what they’re trying to do – that’s a dangerous person…I don’t know if a couple of drinks are gonna stop you. Coke, whatever it is, I don’t think any of that is gonna stop you. I think as long as you’re in shape, you’re ready to go.”

Tom Aspinall likely won’t want to hear any mention of Jones’ unwillingness to fight Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151, as the interim heavyweight champion is in New York this week as the backup fighter incase Jones or Miocic aren’t able to compete in the main event on Saturday night.

Jon Jones’ BMF Title Request Sparks Answer from Fellow UFC Champ Alex Pereira

There’s a chance that UFC 309 might be the last time fans get to see “Bones” compete in the Octagon, but while he’s been dismissive of the Aspinall fight it does seem like Jones might be open to sticking around for a showdown with current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira.

Read More UFC & MMA News

• UFC Fight Night London Officially Booked for O2 Arena in Early 2025
• Three Australian Fighters & Undefeated Prospect Added to UFC 312 in Sydney
• Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is ‘Rocky Balboa’ Retold Almost 2 Decades Later
• Jon Jones Reacts to UFC Fans Calling Him a Duck for Dismissing Tom Aspinall Fight

Stick with MMA Knockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, & Boxing.

Follow MMA Knockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.