Jon Jones was snubbed from UFC Freedom 250, and in the days after, says he’s “humbled” and feels “more important” now that the event is over.
When the wild idea of the event began to truly form into something real, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) began campaigning for a spot on the historic card, even though he wasn’t on the best of terms with the promotion. Instead of competing in a heavyweight title unification bout against Tom Aspinall, Jones opted to vacate his title and opt for retirement. For that, the UFC decided not to reward Jones with a fight on the White House lawn and went with Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title.
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Despite being passed over, Jones had nothing but good things to say about the event in a recent interview, highlighting the sport of MMA’s growth.
“I absolutely loved it,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. “It really showed me – it humbled me, and it showed me that our sport is at a prestigious level right now. When I first started MMA, we weren’t allowed to compete in New York state. People looked at it as taboo, a very weird thing to do. Now, it’s like a very honorable sport to be a part of – probably one of the most honorable sports to be a part of right now in history.”
Jones believed his chances of fighting at the event were strong. However, UFC CEO Dana White said Jones was “never remotely” in consideration to be added to the lineup.
Reflecting upon his career and his impact on the sport as one of the GOATs, Jones believes now that a UFC event has taken place in front of one of the most important buildings in the country, he feels his own legacy is now bigger than it was before the June 14 event in Washington DC.
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“I’m grateful to be considered one of the best in this sport’s history,” Jones said. “It makes me feel a lot more important since the White House card.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jon Jones ‘humbled’ by UFC White House event
