Jones to make Invicta debut Friday: ‘I’m not a pretty fighter’
Julia ‘Jewels’ Jones, was born in a Russian orphanage and adopted when she was 11. Now 29 and undefeated in MMA,…
Julia ‘Jewels’ Jones, was born in a Russian orphanage and adopted when she was 11. Now 29 and undefeated in MMA, she makes her Invicta FC debut on Friday vs. Stephanie Skinner at atomweight (105). Invicta FC 19 will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.
I do feel a little bit of pressure of having my story overshadowing [the Invicta debut],” said Jones to Mick Hammond for MMAWeekly. “But I’m comfortable with my background and it’s made me who I am.”
Jones, who fights out of Team Mean MMA in Snohomish, Washington, is coming off a decision win over Paulina Granados in the main event of Rocks Xtreme MMA on September 5, 2015.
I’m not a pretty fighter,” said Jones. “I just go in there and fight, said Jones. I think I surprised a lot of people when I won that fight, especially a decision like that. I’m not taking it away from her, she was a solid opponent, but I just had a better night that night.
An injury has kept her out of the cage since then, but she is now where she wants to be.
I’ve wanted to fight for Invicta since my first fight,” said Jones. “I’ve been gunning for tough fights – none of my fights have been a walk in the park at all – so I’ve been working and busting my butt for it all.”
I feel like there’s a point in every career, as a person, you do have those big falls that reawaken you, and shows you where you are supposed to be. It was really tough, but I had really good people who helped me, and I’m back at it now.
Jones’ opponent on Friday, Stephanie ‘The Scrapper’ Skinner has been fighting professionally since 2010.
We are very much alike when it comes to style,” said Jones. “She’s been in the cage a lot more, she’s got more experience in that area, but that doesn’t matter much to me. I’m not there to make the fight pretty, I’m there to fight, so it comes down to who wants it more towards the end of the fight.
I’m just going to have to be one above in everything: the striking, the cardio, the submissions, the ground game. We’re definitely going to have a war, that’s for sure.
I’m an orphan who came from nothing, and now I’m a pro athlete coming out of the ‘land of dreams’,” said Jones to Hammond last year. “So I’d like to show people that it is possible that you can come from the bottom and still be successful.”