UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is just over a month away from defending his title for the third time, and though he's fought and defeated three former champions in a row already, this time things are a lot more personal.
His former teammate Rashad Evans has stated multiple times already in the last year that he feels he has Jones' number, and that their time training together gives him an edge other challengers haven't had. However, Jones doesn't believe that to be the case, and says he's changed more in this past year than Evans can imagine.
"My opponent believes he 'has my number' because of the time we spent training. While he is obviously familiar with how I fight, I am familiar with him too, and we didn't spend that much time training together," Jones wrote in a blog for
FoxSports.com. "If you added up all the days we worked out together or sparred, we probably only trained together for a month. That's a ton of time to observe someone, but it's not like we spent years training with each other.
"And I've learned more in this past year after my opponent left the gym than in any other year in my career," he continued. "A year ago I was preparing to meet another young contender - Ryan Bader - then I was offered the title shot on six weeks' notice against Shogun Rua. Since then, I have defended the belt against Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida, two legends in the UFC."
"To do all that, I had to grow so much as a fighter and my opponent isn't thinking it through if he believes I am the same fighter I was even 12 months ago."
Though Jones has only been in the sport for a few short years, he doesn't believe he's as inexperienced as Evans has tried to paint him, and his results in the last year attest to that. Additionally, he makes it clear that his success comes from continuing to push himself, and never letting himself get complacent with his position. Ultimately, Jones isn't concerning himself with what Evans will say about him, as he says he knows what he'll be bringing to the table in their fight.
"I'll let my opponent continue to say he has my number," Jones said. "On April 21 he'll realize he doesn't even have my area code."
