By Duane Finley

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Jon Jones is a man of many talents, but his comedic timing comes as a surprise. It's flat-out impeccable and just as sharp as any elbow he's ever thrown.

His jokes are conversational, stemming from a laid-back ease that allows his delivery to have a mix of compassion and precision just before the hammer falls. The end result is always a laugh, first by the recipient and then by Jones, followed by a smile that connects everything in a genuine moment.

The former UFC light heavyweight king will never rule the ranks of stand-up comedy, but his presence is always felt. And that's been the goal for as long as he can remember.

As Jones sits with a collection of his teammates on the mats at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, all the labels attached to his name are stripped away. On this November afternoon, he's just an athlete preparing to put in the work, and his easy demeanor shows there is comfort found in that reality.



The past two years have been a storm of conflict and controversy, but staying loose and in the moment is how he's learned to deal with a life in flux. The most dominant champion in UFC history isn't thinking about missteps or pound-for-pound lists. The only thing on his mind is the practice directly ahead, and it will get all he has to offer.

As the grappling begins, the jokes should stop and the smile that's been hard to find should be set aside, but Jones decides to keep them rolling. He's happy to be back working toward something, and it shows.

"This past year has been incredibly difficult, but the only direction I can move is forward," Jones said shortly after practice concluded. "I've always demanded the most of myself, and somewhere along the way I stopped. It's time to get back to that, but it truly has to be one step at a time."


Apr 23, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) before his fight against Ovince Saint Preux (blue gloves) during UFC 197 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

It's been awhile since the afternoon sessions were attached to competition, but the pound-for-pound phenom has something new that requires his attention.

Jones will step into the grappling realm to face MMA legend Dan Henderson in the main event at Submission Underground 2 on Sunday, Dec. 11, in Portland, Oregon.

His signature elbows and ground and pound won't be on display, but Jones is excited for the added challenges that come with competing in a different discipline.

"Being a part of Submission Underground 2 is definitely going to keep me active, and it's going to keep my competitive spirit and drive alive in the process," Jones said. "Since this opportunity was presented to me I've had time to get in a little bit of shape, but I know when the time comes I'll be ready.

"I've accomplished and done a lot in mixed martial arts, but I have to admit this is equally exciting. I definitely have the itch to compete and this kind of fills that void. I'm grateful for the opportunity and I'm going to give it my best."

Seeing Jones versus Henderson on the event card for SUG 2 evokes memories of their ill-fated pairing at UFC 151 back in 2012. The matchup was poised to pit the rising superstar against the seasoned veteran who battled back from the brink to earn a shot at the one belt he never claimed.

The fight had all the makings of a historic tilt, but an injury to Henderson led to the entire event being canceled and a firestorm crashing down on Jones for refusing a short-notice replacement bout against Chael Sonnen. Jones would later dismantle Sonnen inside one round at UFC 159, but time would eventually run out on another bout with Henderson, as the legend officially retired from MMA in October.

The two MMA greats will finally collide at SUG 2, and Jones is looking forward to finally getting the chance to lock horns with the former Olympian.


Jun 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dan Henderson (red) celebrates after knocking out Hector Lombard (not pictured) during UFC 199 at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

"It always sucked not being able to compete against Dan, because he's one of the guys who has competed in my era and I never got to face," Jones said. "I'm really grateful I finally get to compete against this legend. It would have been nice to be able to throw punches and see how I stack up against that 'H-Bomb,' but for now we'll test each other in a different way.

"Dan and I both have some pretty great wrestling credentials. Obviously his are better with him wrestling in the Olympics and the highest I went is junior college, but we are both world champions in our own right. I'm excited to go out there and show that you can do anything you put your mind to. You can climb any mountain, and in this case it's defeating an Olympian in a grappling match.

"I've faced a lot of great wrestlers and all of them had better credentials than I have. It's always the same story. They say, 'I'm going to outwrestle Jon Jones,' and it's always me putting them on their asses. I'm excited to go out there and do it one more time."

While Jones is eyeing a return to the cage in 2017, his opponent at SUG 2 has officially closed the door on his storied career in MMA. Following a split-decision loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 204 back in October, the 46-year-old slugger announced the fight would be his last go round under the bright lights of the Octagon.

Even though Henderson's MMA career may be over, the former two-divisional Pride champion didn't hesitate to sign on the dotted line for the main-event tilt in Portland. Jones has never doubted Henderson's mindset and believes he understands the legend's motivation for taking the challenge.

"Dan Henderson just retired from MMA after losing a fight to Michael Bisping for the world title, and I'm sure it would make him feel a lot better to come out and beat someone who has never lost in martial arts," Jones said. "I know he's going to have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, and I'm going to make sure I stay undefeated."

Although Jones and Henderson are two fighters who built championship careers on aggression and a willingness to get after it, the Jackson-Winkeljohn representative doesn't believe their MMA mindsets will carry over to the SUG cage. Not even a little bit.

"I don't think I'll come close to throwing a punch at Dan Henderson. I'm not really a knockout artist, so the last thing I want is to piss the guy off and have him take a swing at me," Jones laughed.


Jan 3, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Daniel Cormier (not pictured) in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Jones won. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

While Jones' fighting acumen has proven to be one of the greatest of all time, his submission game has only been revealed in flashes throughout his career. An unforgettable standing guillotine put former champion Lyoto Machida to sleep at UFC 140 in Toronto, then an Americana was used to tap Vitor Belfort a year later in the same city at UFC 152.

Jones has tremendous respect for the traditional approach to jiu-jitsu and every martial art, but he marches to his own drummer. And that rhythm has been known to produce highlight-reel material.

"Creativity is definitely a big part of my MMA game, and I bring the same approach to grappling," Jones said. "My style is very unorthodox. It's a mixture of wrestling and jiu-jitsu and a lot of the things I do I've kind of made up on my own. People will see some interesting things from me when the match comes.

"I was able to transition my wrestling skill into a great mixed martial arts career because of dedication. Being a great student of the game has been a big part of my success, and I'm still striving to become as well-rounded as possible.

"I don't have the experience in jiu-jitsu as I do in wrestling or fighting, but my drive and refusal to lose is what will allow me to go out and whoop Dan Henderson's ass in Portland."



Grappling Henderson won't bring redemption for Jones, but that's not what he's looking for now. Jones is not quite sure how to define what he's after, but he knows it has far more to do with what is inside of him than what can be generated externally.

Maybe somewhere along the way the division between greatness and fame became blurred for the 30-year-old New York native. Greatness is an easy thing to say, a quick word for writers to use when they see something special, but to accomplish it and then truly embody it is a difficult endeavor.

The first part came near effortlessly to Jones, while the latter was the catalyst to his greatest struggle. His current situation has been described as a once legendary career being reduced to rubble, but that's only true when all is lost. And that is far from the case in Jones' mind.

The rangy kid with the unorthodox approach still has the same talents that made you know his name in the first place, and the whirlwind of adversity has served to remind Jones of what pursuit truly matters.

Whether it's a meteoric rise or a slow and steady approach, when Jones stays true to his natural pace the timing is always right. In fact, it's flat-out impeccable.

"I think competing at Submission Underground 2 will be a great thing for me and Jon Jones fans as well," Jones said. "We've had a lot of bad things happen over the last year and getting out there and letting the fans see me compete will be a positive thing and great step in the right direction and give us some momentum going into next year."