A clip of former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones discussing his health and fighting future went viral on Thursday. A lifetime of combat sports has taken its toll on Jones’ body. He revealed in the video that he has ‘severe arthritis’ in his left hip to the point of being approved for a hip replacement.
“Bro, I have severe arthritis,” Jones disclosed during a conversation with UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley. “And most people don’t know that.”
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“My left hip is covered in arthritis. I actually already qualified for a hip replacement. [During] my last training camp, I went to bed in so much pain.”
The conversation with Buckley wasn’t intended to become public, but the cat is out of the bag now. Jones released a statement confirming the medical diagnosis but indicated that he’d fight one last time if it’s at the White House.
“If you’re wondering if it’s true, it is,” Jones said in a statement to TMZ Sports. “I’m grateful for all my battle scars, and if I could do it all over again, I absolutely would without hesitation.
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“The UFC knows the extent of my arthritis. They also know that if I were to put it all on the line one last time and endure that level of pain, the reward would have to be something more than a fat payday. For me, that was and is still the White House.”
While Jones may no longer be in top physical form, the 38 year-old insisted that he’d still beat nearly anyone on the planet.
“And don’t get it twisted. I’ll still kick 99% of your asses out there. Still putting up big numbers under the squat rack, still training, still outworking most of you. Just maybe after a proper warm-up and a good stretch,” he said.
