UFC superstar Jon Jones revealed the content of his recent conversation with UFC president Dana White, and it’s one likely to change everything about their relationship going forward as well as something that could lead to massive superfights for Jones next year.
“I must have caught him in a great mood,” Jones joked when asked about the conversation White hailed to BT Sport last week as “the best conversation” he and Jones had ever had.
The 33-year-old admitted to Heavy on UFC it might have been the spirit of Christmas that led him to pick up the phone that day to call White in the first place, but that the fruit of their talk will ultimately mean huge fights next year featuring Jones in the heavyweight ranks.
White told BT Sports, “I’m trying to think about how long Jon Jones has been in the UFC now. It’s ten plus years…He’s ready to come back. His head’s in the right place, and he and I are in a really good place.”
Jones revealed to Heavy how that talk happened, what he and the UFC president discussed, and what it means going forward.
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A Christmas Miracle?
Was it a Christmas miracle?
“I pretty much called him up a few days before Christmas,” Jones said. “I was looking around at my house, and it had all these Christmas lights up. It smelled like home cooking. The lights were dim, and it was looking so beautiful…”.
For Jones, it was a moment to have an epiphany.
“And I was thinking to myself, ‘You know, man, I really wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for the UFC and for Dana White over the years’,” Jones said.
So Jones started looking more at the positive aspects of his relationship with White over any of the negative ones, and he called the UFC president to express his gratitude around those specific things.
“I know Dana and I have had our differences, but something just compelled me to call him and thank him sincerely for everything that I have and all the patience that he’s had with me over the years,” Jones said.
As courageous as Jones has to be as an elite UFC fighter each time he enters the cage on fight night, it also takes a considerable amount of courage to vulnerably express oneself.
That’s especially true when things have gone off the rails in a relationship the way his and White’s seemed to careen off a cliff over the summer.
“I did have to be vulnerable because he could have very easily told me to go screw myself or whatever. But he was very receptive,” Jones said.
So it seems that something like the Christmas spirit was working on both Jones and White at the same exact time that day.
A Surprising Talk With UFC Boss
Jones was surprised with how receptive White was to his call.
“I called him, and we spoke for a while,” Jones said. “I was surprised to hear him thank me as well for being part of his career, the effect I’ve had on his career, and the UFC.”
Both men ended up expressing gratitude toward each other.
“It just went really well. We were thanking each other, and it was a real moment between us two,” Jones said.
Now, Jones is more excited than ever about his future, and UFC fans are probably feeling the same way about seeing the UFC’s longtime pound-for-pound king move up in weight for the first time in his career.
Jones is so hyped about his big move that he’s feeling “nervous” about it.
Jones Ready for ‘Major Work’
Most importantly, though, the longtime light heavyweight champ, who recently vacated his divisional crown to seek superfights at heavyweight, is grateful to finally be on the same page with White about his massive 2021 plans.
“I haven’t been his favorite character over the years, but we have been working together for so many years, over a decade, and there is a relationship there,” Jones said.
So don’t expect Jones and White to go back and forth through the media again next year as they did during 2020.
“I genuinely feel like all animosity, or like all the negative energy, is just set aside between us, and I’m excited to do some major work in the company,” Jones said.
More About Jones
Another company for which Jones is doing major work is boohooMan.
“If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll notice that I wear boohooMan in almost every one of my posts,” Jones said. “This is actually the first time I’ve fallen in love with a company. It’s just a great product.”
You can see Jones featured in the boohooMan Instagram ad below.
Jones was doing media rounds to help promote boohooMan’s Activewear collection.
“They have been an outstanding company to work with,” Jones said.
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Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
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Jon Jones: ‘I Haven’t Been His Favorite’