White: Jones couldn’t handle being rich, famous, world champion
Dana White: “Can he handle the pressure and all the stuff that goes along with being a world champion? With being famous? With being rich? And that question got answered.”
Jon Jones is probably the best fighter in the UFC, probably ever. But once again you don’t find him anywhere on the P4P list because of a series of personal failings. He ran his rental into a vehicle operated by a pregnant woman breaking her arm, and then fled; his title was stripped. He took a bootleg erectile dysfunction drug, ordered by acquaintances along with prohibited doping drugs; his title was stripped. Now he tested positive for the steroid Turinabol, source unknown; and once again, his title was stripped.
By most accounts, Jon Jones is a decent, friendly, extremely hard working individual, supportive of teammates and grateful to fans. But his wheels are coming off. UFC president Dana White appeared recently on the Dan Le Batard Show and discussed ‘Bones’.
He’d also go down in history as probably the greatest ever and if nothing ever happened he’d probably be fighting at heavyweight right now and who knows what could have happened? said White as transcribed byRyan Harkness for MMA Mania. I’m in a business where when the fame happens and the money. You have to understand the crazy type of money that comes into the fight business instantly.
Jon Jones came in and just started making millions of dollars immediately and he was like 24 years old. And you can go back to interviews of me saying that’s great, he’s talented enough to win the belt. Can he handle the pressure and all the stuff that goes along with being a world champion? With being famous? With being rich? And that question got answered.
White’s words are blunt, but it is hard, maybe impossible to disagree with the content.