By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-17 12:58:35 | Updated at 2024-11-24 01:29:52
6 days ago
It's hard to look at it any other way - Jon Jones is an enigma.
Throughout UFC 309's fight week and his extraordinary career, Jones has been defined by his unpredictability inside and outside the octagon.
At 37 years old, after 23 UFC fights and a record 16 wins in championship bouts, Jones is still finding new ways to puzzle and dismantle opponents.
Jones is a perfectionist - he is known for watching hours of tape on his opponents before fights to seek out their weaknesses.
This time Jones' weapon of choice was a crunching spinning back-kick which dropped opponent Stipe Miocic in front of nearly 20,000 roaring fans at New York's Madison Square Garden.
It was a technique he started working on earlier this year, inspired by legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.
"About six months ago we started training the spinning back-kick. My taekwondo coach would come over to my house, we trained that same kick three hours a week for several months," said Jones.
"Bruce Lee says he doesn't fear the man that knows 10,000 kicks, but the man who has worked one kick 10,000 times. I worked it and it was a devastating shot."
Even before Jones landed the finishing blow, fellow American Miocic had little answer to the diversity of the attacks which were aimed his way.
Some of it was likely to do with age. At 42 and after being away from the octagon for nearly four years, Miocic was nowhere near his prime.
But a lot of it was to do with Jones' deep arsenal, as jabs, high-kicks, elbows, knees from the clinch and takedowns were all used to break Miocic down.
And it's not just when he fights - Jones has been as unpredictable outside the octagon this week as he was in it.
Earlier in the week he used an expletive to describe Britain's interim champion Tom Aspinall, who Jones has largely dismissed as a prospect to fight next.
The same day he walked out of an interview with sports broadcaster TNT Sports, citing he was expecting an "Aspinall fest".
Then he turned on Miocic, refusing to shake his hand at a news conference before changing his mind and accepting a handshake the following day at the weigh-ins.
Jones is polarising and has been so throughout his UFC career, which has been punctuated by doping bans and problems in his personal life.
UFC president Dana White knows this better than anyone.
"Me and Jon Jones never got on out of the cage. We had a horrendous relationship for 10 years," said Dana White.
"We don't have that kind of relationship anymore, but I didn't have to like him to realise who he is and what he's capable of and seeing the brilliance. He is the best to ever fight, period.
"It's unbelievable what he did tonight. As long as he's active he's the pound for pound best in the world.”
There are few fighters that look more at home in the build-up to a fight than Jones.
On Thursday, Jones beamed backstage as he was presented with an electric guitar from a staff member at Madison Square Garden in honour of his UFC achievements.
On the day of the fight, Jones could be seen sparring in the octagon in an empty Madison Square Garden - something which is uncommon for UFC fighters.
Hours before he was due to walk out to face Miocic, Jones could be seen live on Instagram, singing with his team as he made his way to the arena.
Jones had hinted at retirement before his win over Miocic but says he plans to carry on if the UFC makes him an offer he can't refuse.
If they don't, Jones feels content with the way his historic UFC career will come to an end.
"Professing my love for Jesus in front of everyone tonight, being an American champion, doing that in front of my president [former and the next US president Donald Trump]. If Stipe was my last fight, that was the way to do it," said Jones.
