“I am a bad guy trying to be a good guy”, this is what Jon Jones had to say when asked about how he wants to be remembered. The heavyweight king is just a few weeks away from his 24th outing in the octagon, set to take place in the heart of ‘The Big Apple’. On November 16, ‘Bones’ will most probably step up for his swansong against division GOAT Stipe Miocic. Not only is he fighting to retain his championship, but he’s also defending his ‘nigh undefeated’ record, as no one has ever been able to get one over him.

The stakes are high, and anticipation is building among MMA fans, writers, and even comedians. This legacy bout was recently discussed on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where one of Rogan’s guests expressed doubts about whether Jones will maintain his dominance in this pivotal showdown.

Joe Rogan rejects concerns about Jon Jones’s dominance

The UFC color commentator weighed in to support Jon Jones ahead of his upcoming heavyweight clash against Stipe Miocic. In episode #2220 of JRE featuring writer and stand-up comedians Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, the podcaster and his guests started with political discussions before shifting the conversation to MMA. When Foster expressed doubts about ‘Bones’s’ chances against Miocic, Rogan was quick to disagree, demonstrating his support for the UFC star.

Joe Rogan responded to Foster’s comments by explaining why Jon Jones might have appeared less impressive in some of his past performances. He stated, “He was playing with his food. Mostly, Jon was bored. He was so dominant that he wouldn’t train. You know, when he fought Alexander Gustafsson, they said he barely trained at all and still beat him in the stretch. And then in the rematch, he wanted to prove a point, so he trained really hard and beat the shit out of Gustafsson.”

The podcaster further shut down the debate over Jon Jones’s dominance, comparing him to something that shows its true greatness when put to the test. He added, “With Jon, a lot of it is that he’s so much better than everybody else. When he’s really threatened, like with Cormier, then you see how good he really is. Like when he knocked out Cormier with that head kick—that’s when you see how good he is.”

That epic showdown, a one-and-done fight, concluded in 2017 with a no contest. However, Daniel Cormier has since moved on and recently faced the reality of what the UFC would look like without Jones. Let’s find out what DC has to say about this.

What would the UFC be like without ‘Bones’?

In his more than a decade-long career in the UFC, Jon Jones has carved out a distinct identity, separating himself from other contenders. He started his journey in the light heavyweight division and became its king at just 23 years old, making him the youngest champion in the history of the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion.

However, this success has come at a heavy cost. Jones’s career has been marred by various controversies outside the octagon, including legal issues, marriage problems, and encounters with anti-doping agencies.

Despite these challenges, ‘Bones’ has maintained control over his career. Now, in the twilight of his run, fans are gearing up to see him bid farewell in what is rumored to be his last fight. This sentiment was echoed by his adversary, the former champion Daniel Cormier, whose only blemish in an otherwise perfect light heavyweight run came from Jon Jones.

During a Q&A session before UFC Fight Night last night, a fan asked Cormier, “DC, with Jon Jones fighting at MSG, it might be the last time we see him in the Octagon. In your opinion, what’s the greatest moment of his career?” Cormier responded candidly about the heavyweight champion, saying, “He’s beaten a lot of guys. The amount of champions that Jon Jones has beaten in his career is very impressive. The guy has been a champion for a long time. He’s done a great job, and it will suck whenever he’s gone because the game is better when you have fighters like that in it.”

What’s your take on Joe Rogan’s remarks? Do you think that Jon Jones’s “bored” mindset contributed to his less impressive performances, or do you believe Rogan is mistaken about this? Drop your opinion below.