Jon Jones moved up to the heavyweight division at UFC 285 against Ciryl Gane in March this year. ‘Bones’ decided to move up after a dominant reign at light-heavyweight, which saw him cement himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists on the planet. Nevertheless, controversies outside the cage have frequently surrounded the fighter, overshadowing his accomplishments inside it.
And now, a training partner of Jones has recently revealed the behind-the-scenes troubles within the fighter’s camp. Professional boxer, Leonid Grachev, has come out and shared the reason behind Jones parting ways with him during the Miocic camp. And the statements shed light on the interesting dynamics between fighters and training partners!
Jon Jones and his ‘beef’ with training partner revealed
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Recently, Leonid Grachev, Jon Jones’s boxing training partner, revealed why Jones decided to part ways with him ahead of UFC 295. Grachev explains, “I went to Pennsylvania to train. My coach suggested going to Ohio to spar with a heavyweight preparing for a fight named Stipe Miocic.”
Grachev, informed by his coach about sparring with Stipe Miocic, notified Jones in advance to avoid any issues. Despite this, Jones’s coach, Brandon Gibson, conveyed Jones’s discontent, leading to strained communication.
Grachev stated, “3 days after that, Jon’s coach, Brandon Gibson, who I’ve also been working with, called me and said, “Listen, Jon is upset with you”. I said, “How so? I called him before I did that.” He went, “I don’t know.”
Jones remained silent and unfollowed Grachev on Instagram despite Grachev’s attempts to reach out to him. This incident underscores the complexities and potential misunderstandings in training relationships, even among friends and teammates.
Jones is now out of competition as he undergoes surgery to fix his damaged pectoral tendon. The timeline for his return was revealed to be around 8 months. But the current UFC interim heavyweight champion thinks that Jones should not be holding on to the belt during this time!
Tom Aspinall thinks ‘Bones’ should not be holding the title
Tom Aspinall is fresh off his stunning knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. And he has now claimed he should be the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. Despite winning the interim title, Aspinall expressed confusion over the decision to introduce interim belts. Instead of the UFC addressing the absence of the injured champion, Jon Jones.
In a conversation with Michael Bisping, Aspinall voiced frustration over the delay caused by waiting for Jones’s recovery. And advocated for immediate action, stating, “I think Jon Jones should be stripped from the title to be honest, because everyone else does when they get injured like that.”
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He expressed a desire to face Miocic and then Jones, dismissing the notion of a “legacy fight” and urging the UFC to stop protecting Jones.
In conclusion, Jon Jones’s absence from competition due to surgery has sparked a debate within the UFC heavyweight division. It remains to be seen if Aspinall will be given an opportunity to become the undisputed champion against Jones, or if the UFC will heed his call and strip Jones of the title due to his absence.
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Do you think Jon Jones should be stripped of the heavyweight title in light of the extended timeline for his return? Why or Why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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