UFC 239's Jon Jones: 'I think I am a bad guy that's trying to be good'

LAS VEGAS – For all of his success and dominance inside the MMA cage, Jon Jones admittedly hasn’t been a perfect person outside of it.

The UFC light heavyweight champion Jones (24-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) will take on Thiago Santos (21-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC) at UFC 239 on Saturday, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

“I think I’m known for a lot of good things I’ve done and a lot of bad things I’ve done,” Jones told the media at a UFC 239 media day held Thursday.

While he hasn’t always conducted himself under ordinance of the law or of UFC policy, Jones has always stated he’s a spiritual person. The son of a New York pastor, Jones has often stated such during various highs and lows throughout his career.

Jones’s history with the law is well-documented. In 2012, Jones grabbed headlines when he drove his Bentley into a roadside pole. Less than three years later, Jones tested positive for cocaine leading up to UFC 182 in January 2015. In April 2015, Jones was fled the scene of an accident which left a pregnant woman injured. In March 2016, Jones was booked for violating his probation for allegedly drag racing.

His career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster.  Despite it all, “Bones” has always voiced an ongoing self-exploration when speaking to the media.

So when Jones was asked at the UFC 239 media day Thursday if he was a “good guy trying to be bad” or a “bad guy trying to be good, Jones gave a vintage metaphysical answer. The UFC champ chose the latter and explained his choice to the media in attendance.

“I think I am a bad guy that’s trying to be good,” Jones said. “Religiously, we’re all sinners. We’re all sinners. We’re born into sin. It’s out nature to sin. It’s a decision to do the right thing when no one is looking.”

“I think all of us, as humans, none of us are shit. It’s our choice to try to be more than. So, I would have to say I’m lean closer to being an imperfect human that’s trying to do the right things and be good.”

Jones, 31, has won back-to-back fights following a no contest against Daniel Cormier in 2017. Following a victory against Alexander Gustafsson in December, Jones his last defeated Anthony Smith via unanimous decision at UFC 235. The Jackson-Winkeljohn product has not lost since 2009, in a controversial contest he was disqualified from.

For more on UFC 239, check out the UFC schedule.