It has been said that a good counterfeit money detector never needs to look at a single fake bill to know what the counterfeiters are doing to trick people. They just need to know the real money so intimately that they can spot any discrepancy.
Confidence in what’s genuine. It’s a similar approach that UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones brings to the table when he steps inside the Octagon.
Not that he brazenly boasts that he’s the genuine article, while everyone else doesn’t stack up. But Jones, who faces Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida in the main event of UFC 140 Saturday in Toronto, believes that if he has an intimate understanding of what makes him successful in training and in the Octagon, he needn’t worry anywhere near as much about his opponent.
“I just study, study, study (and) I realize that really what I have to do is focus on me,” Jones said at the fighter workouts for the media on Wednesday. “People ask, ‘how crazy is it to prepare for Lyoto?” But I truly think, ‘how crazy is it to prepare for me?’
“I’m a big studier of myself and I realize I do a lot of things that many people don’t do. Flying knees, spinning attacks, southpaw switching to orthodox … so that’s the mindset that I have.”
A little cocky sounding? Maybe on its own. But it’s not like he doesn’t take the opportunity to boast about his opponents’ skills. Some of his thoughts on Wednesday…
On Mauricio (Shogun) Rua, whom he TKO’d in March to capture the belt: “Shogun kicks like a mule. He kicked me one time and my leg hurt for like three days. He has powerful hands and a powerful overhand right.”
On Quinton (Rampage) Jackson, whom he choked out in his last fight in September to defend his belt for the first time: “Rampage can punch with his left or his right and knock you out with either one. That’s scary, that’s an awesome gift to have.”
On Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, who meet in January in a fight that will likely determine the next No. 1 contender: “They are completely different athletes. They’re both strong wrestlers, but they’re so different. That’s why when everyone asks, ‘Will Machida be the toughest test of your career?’ I say no not necessarily, just a different one. They’re all good at something.”
Jones has beaten former champions in back-to-back fights — scratch that, finished former champions in back-to-back fights — coming into his headlining duel at the Air Canada Centre. If he stops Machida, that will be three in a row.
So could it be possible that he’s running out of challenges — at just 24 years old?
Jones shook his head emphatically.
“No way. Everybody’s so good at different things … Lyoto lost to two people I’ve beaten. That doesn’t mean that he’s going to be the easiest, he’s just going to be a different one. That’s what I want to emphasize.”
Of course, with study also comes application. And Jones says that he puts a lot of time in the gym and not just on all the fancy moves that we’ve seen him do in the cage.
“I practise (even basic things) on heavy bags, to the point where I look silly, doing a very basic technique over and over and over and over,” Jones said. “And it gets to the point where my mind sees it and my body just goes with it. Which leads to something along the lines of, ‘Here’s a man with a 1,000 kicks, and here’s a man who does the same kick 1,000 times.'”
Similar to the counterfeit analogy, the description of his basic training made me think of professional golfer Phil Mickelson, who is well known for a putting routine where he lays golf balls in a circle each about three feet from the hole and tries to sink 100 in a row. If he misses even one, he starts over.
Yes, I realize I’m comparing the incredible athlete that Jones is to a golfer who isn’t exactly known for his fit body. But it illustrates the importance in repetition, in any sport. Once you get the routine down, your body will naturally perform in the clutch (Mickelson has won four majors.)
As mentioned earlier, Jones is also known for doing some non-basic things. For example, when he started off his fight against Jackson crawling toward him on all fours. It wasn’t just for show; he generally has a plan.
“Rampage has tons of punching power. I’ve seen guys now that come out and start swinging. At the beginning of the fight, that’s what everybody practises. I figured, how many times have you practised hitting at a target that’s down at your kneecaps? Probably not too many times.”
Jones says Greg Jackson and his coaches at his gym give him some leeway to work on the less-than-orthodox moves, because “they trust how seriously” he doesn’t want to get hurt and how seriously he wants to win. “They know I’m not one of those naïve type of athletes who only work on what they’re already good at it.”
They also know that Jones, who protests a strong Christian faith and takes time for meditation before his fights, realizes the mental aspect is as important as the physical training. And he is always mindful of that when he works in any new elements to his game.
“That’s just having an open mind. Realizing that your body is doing anything you put your mind to. That’s something I pray for all the time. I pray for fluidity.”
Knowing himself, reflecting on it and always trying to improve. That’s a huge part of what makes Jon (Bones) Jones a champion.