Jon Jones is considered to be the best fighter in the world of MMA. The current UFC heavyweight champion has dominated the sport for over 15 years now. With a record of 27-1-1, he has cemented his legacy as a great fighter. However, his actions outside the ring have always put a stain on his UFC career.
Jones was set to compete in a legacy match against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. However, the match was scrapped because ‘Bones’ sustained a pectoral injury. Furthermore, he can be out for almost a year with this injury.
Apart from his fight IQ, Jon is known for his iconic chest tattoo. On the right side of his chest, he has a huge tattoo with the words, “Philippians 4:13.” This tattoo is a reference to a verse from the bible, specifically the 13th line of the 4th verse from the Book of Philippians. The verse says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
There is a very deep meaning behind this tattoo for Jones. He got this tattoo as a tribute to his sister, Carmen Jones who passed away due to brain cancer. This was Carmen’s favorite verse from the Bible. Furthermore, the tattoo was inked by tattoo artist, Talina.
Jon Jones claims that he’s a Muslim
While Jones has a tattoo of a bible verse on his chest, many fans believe that ‘Bones’ is a Muslim now. The biggest reason for this is his 2012 interview with Ariel Helwani. When Ariel asked him about his long beard Jones had a surprising response. “Well I converted, I’m now Muslim,” said Jones. This particular moment made many MMA fans believe that he has converted to Islam.
Furthermore, after his second victory over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 he can be heard saying, “Alhamdulillah, God is so good,” to Joe Rogan. This incident added fuel to the fire of the rumors of Jones being a Muslim. In addition to that he can be seen speaking Arabic in a fluent manner during one of his interviews. However, there is no concrete proof of him converting from Christianity to Islam.
In the past, ‘Bones’ has claimed that there were times in his life when he questioned Christianity and its teachings but he got through those phases of uncertainty without abandoning his faith. “I have never given up on god,” said Jones in an episode of UFC In the Moment.
What do you think about the future of Jon Jones? Will he be able to bounce back from this injury? Let us know in the comments below.