“How old are you” - Yair Rodriguez recalls impressing Jon Jones with his skills at 21 years of age
Yair Rodriguez has revisited a notable interaction between himself and Jon Jones. Rodriguez had joined the world-renowned Jackson-Wink MMA camp about a decade ago.
The New York-born Jones was a mainstay in the Jackson-Wink camp at the time. 'Bones' was a well-known MMA star and UFC light heavyweight champion, while Mexico's Rodriguez was in the early stages of his MMA career.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, current interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez shed light upon the time Jon Jones was impressed by his skills. 'El Pantera' suggested that they were at the Jackson-Wink MMA gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when Jones watched him train and later lauded him.
Yair Rodriguez highlighted that he was around 20 or 21 years of age at the time. Recreating his conversation with Jon Jones, the 30-year-old Rodriguez stated:
"I remember one time when I was training in Albuquerque, and then he [Jon Jones] approached me. He said, 'Hey, can you come here, please?' And I was like, 'Yeah, for sure.' He's like, 'What's your name?' Like, I told him my name. And he was like, 'Your skills are impressive. How old are you?' And I was 20, 21 years old in that moment. And he said, 'When I was 21 years old, I didn't have those skills. You're gonna get far in this sport. Just keep going.'"
He added:
"And, you know, that coming from Jon Jones, in that moment when he wasn't my friend, and he was just giving me inspirational words -- It was like something really special for me. And he made me believe in myself even more."
Watch Rodriguez discuss the topic in the video below:
#UFC290Yair Rodriguez recalled a time when Jon Jones was impressed with his skills 👏 #UFC290 https://t.co/R31fjNEsuU
Yair Rodriguez parted ways with the Jackson-Wink MMA camp a few years ago. He has subsequently trained at other reputable MMA gyms as well, including King's MMA in California, USA. Besides, he's also known to undergo rigorous high-altitude training in his native Mexico.
As for Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion split from Mike Winkeljohn of the Jackson-Wink camp in 2021. The 35-year-old 'Bones' still works under the guidance of Greg Jackson and a few other coaches from the Jackson-Wink camp, besides also training at Henry Cejudo's Fight Ready gym.
What's next for Yair Rodriguez and Jon Jones?
Interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez will face UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski next. Their highly-anticipated UFC featherweight championship unification matchup is set to headline the UFC 290 event, which will take place on July 8th, 2023.
Meanwhile, Jon Jones ended his three-year MMA hiatus earlier this year. Jones' comeback matchup witnessed him make his heavyweight debut and defeat Ciryl Gane via first-round submission to win the vacant UFC heavyweight title in March 2023.
It's believed that Jones could defend his UFC heavyweight title against heavyweight MMA legend Stipe Miocic next, potentially at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York in November. The exact date for the potential Jones-Miocic matchup hasn't been officially announced yet.
Dana White has confirmed theUFC’s plan to put together a massive Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic Heavyweight title fight for UFC 295, at Madison Square Garden in November. #UFC https://t.co/pAsRgtxYmD