Jon Jones is remarkably thin-skinned. The UFC’s ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion, of course, is perhaps the greatest ever the sport has ever seen. But on the other hand, he is also one of the most controversial. With a storied history of being on the wrong side of the law, substance abuse issues, and PED use accusations – the champ has a turbulent past.

But what fans find particularly odious about the arguable MMA GOAT is his perceived arrogance and fakeness. Fans will remember Jones acting all sincere and humble on camera after his public brawl with arch-rival Daniel Cormier only to spit venom at ‘DC’ when he thought the cameras were off.

Another clear example of this came just a few days ago after Jones commented on an Instagram post. The post shows a clip from a 2015 interview between Jones and journalist Ariel Helwani, where ‘Bones’ seems to regretfully admit to using p*t and alcohol, and claimed he had sworn them off. Of course, it would turn out later Jones had not actually done so, but this perceived insincerity and fakeness is precisely what fans disliked so much.

He really can’t handle criticism, he supposed to be a professional athlete
byu/Kadir0 inufc

This clip also reveals Jones’ lack of humility as he was apparently so infuriated at fans trashing him for his false promises with substance abuse that he himself commented on the clip, gloating about his achievements and belittling fans.

“Reading all these negative comments is pure comedy to me. This video is ancient history—I’ve probably made about $30 million since then. But here’s the kicker: y’all should be asking yourselves, how did an ‘alcoholic stoner crackhead’ like Jon Jones outwork you?

I’m out here living the American dream while half of you are struggling to make rent. But sure, let’s jump on the internet and tear someone else down to feel better about our own lives, right? Hate to break it to you, but the real joke is on you. A ‘druggie’ outworked you, and that’s the saddest part of all.” Jones’ post continued. These lines from the ‘greatest fighter of all time’ visibly infuriated fans on Reddit, a platform known for some of the most vicious takedowns on the internet.

Fans react to Jon Jones’ controversial comment

Of course, the most obvious thing one can see from Jones’ reaction to the clip is his insecurity, which did not escape the keen fans’ attention. This is why one fan’s comment wondering how despite all his achievements, Jones could be so thin-skinned received a lot of support from the other fans: “How can you be a multi-millionaire with the ability to beat 99.99999999% of all human beings alive in a fight and this insecure at the same time?” Of course, Jones ridiculing fans for struggling financially is not the type of comment a person secure in themselves left on others’ posts, as another fan pointed out: “Confident and unbothered people don’t write paragraphs to internet trolls about how successful they are, just saying”.

Jones’ fakeness and ability to apparently lie without missing a beat was also clear from the clip, which led one fan to express their veritable disgust at the GOAT contender’s chameleon-like ability to change his personality: “He is constantly acting. I skimmed through that MMA netflix show just to see his acting – it’s the same damn thing you see in his interviews.”

‘Bones’, of course, is Christian and wears his faith on his sleeve. He has a tattoo of a Bible verse on his chest and thanked Jesus for his victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 earlier this month. But one fan felt that Jones flaunting his wealth and mocking those less fortunate than him went against the message of Jesus: “Christians shouldn’t be bragging about having more material wealth than others”. 

This need for Jones to brag about all his money and fame came across as childish to many fans. One fan pointed out that this was something of a pattern with Jones, which was also apparent in the run-up to his Miocic fight: “Jones was always weird to me. He always acts like a kid trying to be an adult.If you saw that stipe fight he was doing the same. It’s kinda disturbing, sometimes it’s like he is pretending constantly.”

Jones, of course, has claimed previously that he wanted to be a role model for kids. While his turbulent and controversial history may have ensured that will not be the case, one fan felt Jones’ comment made it clear what he actually valued: “Anyone notice how he ALWAYS brings materialistic gain whenever he defends himself? It’s like suddenly this is what “matters” to him or his priority and this is genuinely sad.” One fan pointed out the absurdity of Jones’ comments, pointing out how his being rich and successful doesn’t automatically disqualify others from criticizing his numerous mishaps over the years: “I’m rich, therefore you may not criticize me.”

What do you think about the fans’ takes on Jones’ comment?