Jon Jones says transgressions are in the past: ‘I take more accountability for my actions’

Jon Jones is widely regarded as the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Unfortunately, Jones is also known for his lengthy list of issues outside the cage, which have resulted in legal trouble and brushes with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

The good news for Jones fans, though, is that he says these issues are in the rear-view mirror. As he gears up for a Saturday night title fight with Dominick Reyes, Jones spoke to ESPN to discuss his troubled past, and his new focus on taking more accountability for his actions.

“I do feel like the storm is behind me. It has been an interesting journey and I’ve learned so much and I’m just grateful,” Jones said (via MMA News). “I’m grateful to have had all the lessons that I’ve been able to learn. I’m grateful that God has kept me through all of it and just allowed me to grow so much through it all. I think my best days are definitely still ahead of me. I feel like I’m just now really getting into a nice groove of what it means to be a father and a professional athlete and a person with great responsibility. I’m excited about this and I feel like I’m stepping into this well.”

“I just feel like I was maybe at a place where I felt like I was throwing a lot of greatness away,” Jones continued. “And I believe that talent and when you have opportunity it’s a terrible thing to waste. I just feel like these days I take more accountability for my actions and for my emotions and my circle and behaviors and things like that. I think that’s been the major difference, just more accountability.”

What do you think of these comments from Jon Jones? How do you think he’ll perform against Dominick Reyes this weekend?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/3/2020.