Jon Jones Not Worried About EA Sports Game Cover Curse

Yesterday we learned that Electronic Arts, the gaming company making the latest installment of the UFC video game, have opted to have Jon Jones as part of the new video game cover.

There is somewhat of a superstition surrounding being on an EA Sports game cover. For gaming fanatics, EA Sports games have often been linked to the decline in athletes as part of what many have called ‘The Madden Curse.’

But for Jones, these superstitions mean nothing, in fact shooting the cover of the new video game was a refreshing change for the champion, who is coming off a stint in GQ magazine.

“I would say this (the EA) shoot was a lot more fun, a little more down my alley. GQ had me in all types of clothes I would never wear and had me doing all types of goofy things. (Here) I had to do 1,000 flying knees, a 1,000 elbows and 1,000 punches — but I needed the workout and it was fun.”

“It’s been surreal; sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure everything’s real. Being a 26-year-old video game player, to have the opportunity to be on the cover of this game and to know millions of young guys around the world will be playing this game and having me on the cover of their game, it’s a huge honor.”

“This game is the closest thing you can get; (‘It’s in the game’) is the perfect slogan because you really feel like you’re in the fight. You see muscles restricting, you see bruises occurring, hair moving and flowing through the wind, the facial expressions … I can say this game is the most realistic game in all of gaming.”

“Before I won the (light-heavyweight) belt, it had been passed around. All the champions would lose the belt in their first title defense, and I was the first one to keep the belt in a long time. Before my last fight, Anderson Silva had lost and other champions had gone down, everyone said ‘Oh Jon, what if you’re next?’ I refuse to give in to those superstitions.”

“I feel great and I’m so glad to be past that fight. A huge mark in my career to break the (most UFC title defenses) record; such a war, and I’m grateful for the experience.”

(quotes via the Binghampton Press and Sun Bulletin)