UFC: After not seeing you fight for more than a year, this feels like a pretty fast turnaround. Are you looking to make up for some lost time?
JJ: It has been a very short turnaround and the goal is to compete once a quarter to give the fans who enjoy my work what they want to see. At the end of the day, I know it’s probably hard to be a Jon Jones fan with all the stuff that is surrounding my image right now. This is my way of saying thank you to everybody who has stuck with me loyally throughout all of my absence; by coming back and giving my fans the best year ever. I want them to be able to walk around any bar with their Jon Bones tee shirt and say “I told you. I told you.” I want to give them the feeling like it was well worth the wait.
UFC: What do you make of Anthony Smith as an opponent?
JJ: I respect him. He seems like a very respectable person. He carries himself with a lot of class. Speaks well. He’s great for the sport. He’s finishing fights. He’s entertaining to watch, and I’m excited to fight against him. I am. He’s younger than me and has a lot of experience.
You know, my spirit animal is the lion. I consider myself a lion. His fight name is ‘Lionheart’ and it’s all exciting. Let’s see who the real lion of the division is.
Steve Latrell is a writer and producer for UFC.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheUFSteve
