UFC Legend Jon Jones Explains Why He Crawls in the Octagon

By: Ujan Chakraborty Image Credit: UFC

[{"selector":"#anim-550a05de-60ad-4ea7-9f29-7abd7a1f8107 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(48.82676612301387%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-914c8a63-6232-402d-a6a1-379406347d2c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a35a9910-3c8e-451d-be22-81b91810011d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.02797%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4c346743-5efa-4aac-ba85-e0f93bd61e13","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3776ad29-cc18-4521-99af-bb0459bfb379","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-158.0786%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Jones was one of the first fighters to start the fight by "crawling" towards his opponents. Later, Conor also adopted the same strategy in many of his fights.

[{"selector":"#anim-2ec129d3-6aaf-447b-84b9-47ed092c2368 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.38263971774149%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2ed3efa6-4962-4594-be8c-5eaccd4bf58e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cbacfc84-ea69-431a-8e4d-f6d8249a2f08","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -478.42186%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Jones was set to make his first title defense against 'Rampage' Jackson, another MMA great, only months after he defeated Shogun Rua to become the UFC's youngest champion ever.

[{"selector":"#anim-845984c9-0aeb-40bc-a417-7b0adbf87d01","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(112.42423%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3964d6e0-2ffb-461d-88cf-95101f1fd96d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de2adda3-791a-403b-b5a8-ec44b1b02206","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-790eb44e-04e2-482e-9ae7-27e0bda949a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-794ff2bc-0fc5-459b-9081-b62866ecf122","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.67832%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53de44dc-cf3c-494e-afe3-ba081ebccfd1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-30e4782f-3ce7-4970-9cb8-7e2eddbed8d2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-163.75546%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-74e87170-d453-429c-aade-e34e1bb5808e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-9.830077787140587%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Jones crawled towards Jackson as the fight began because he kept having nightmares that he would be knocked out inside the first 30 seconds of the battle.

[{"selector":"#anim-0a1444dc-a5cf-4b6e-b6fb-05ff65a48f55","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-e20c8379-1eb7-4c97-8dee-b0039bd9b95f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d53710b-c881-48eb-b48c-a600cd73e76c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.70492%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c852f424-350b-4666-a859-697df687306c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.58984343909143%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] "He ran at me and threw an overhand, a right uppercut, and a left hook in my dreams. I was going to have a knockout eventually, and I couldn't prevent it," said Jones when he was asked about the reason for his crawls.

[{"selector":"#anim-5e40d49e-2790-42f4-b0f8-f65e4ea9ad6b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-42ff33b3-e48a-42ba-b557-833c55a85620","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb571c71-7e2c-4380-b3d4-afb92bfebfa2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.70492%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cfd3dca1-57d0-49c1-a272-9e45d3973eb0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.07031213518975%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] "Something in my dream said ‘Get on your knees and crawl up to him’, then the dream voids itself of him knocking me out. So I got to fight in this kind of alter-ego state, and it's powerful" said Jones.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c02e7e1-c327-4ee8-9ab7-3a2607284914","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d900f4d0-2737-48aa-9425-c9a451a13fae","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f723a983-0a4e-4b84-8d45-6fa0584a348a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.33547%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d99ac959-931e-49f6-9819-0bc80e4fbc33","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-92f2133e-cab3-4453-9a60-ff14a9992ad5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(19.33818668598741%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Because of the MMA's unified rules, Jones' opponents cannot kick him in the head as he crawls towards them. That's how "Bones" has kept up his tradition of crawling towards his opponents at the start of a fight ever since.

[{"selector":"#anim-e871b289-9944-403b-bb58-0d54f3e56772 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.05671522303384%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b8665d0-22bc-47fb-90a5-e531d06e42e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84eff632-c490-4258-b782-4ebc8f37e28c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 66.31861%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb43102c-4b2b-4c1c-a4c2-6b63209eae40","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] “I was able to hang on to this feeling and illusion of myself all the way through my walk to the cage. " Jones was able to overcome his nightmares and finish Jackson in the fourth round of their title match.

[{"selector":"#anim-e4e806da-26b9-487e-a23f-64e70ac009c2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-8.296874647167908%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1385822e-6b36-4991-8892-cdbb0ab481ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00f27991-b787-430c-b9c6-defe574a015a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 83.07916%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9fbbb603-6d06-49db-8a54-d606f49ead04","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] After being away from the ring for three years, Jon Jones will fight again this Saturday against Ciryl Gane in Las Vegas for the vacant UFC heavyweight title.

UFC Legend Jon Jones Explains Why He Crawls in the Octagon

More Stories.

THANKS FOR READING