"I probably wouldn’t get away" - Michael Jai White talks about his chances against Jon Jones in a potential grappling session
Hollywood star Michael Jai White praised Jon Jones' ability to learn quickly and adapt to different martial arts techniques.
White, who has been a lifelong martial artist, admitted that he would have competed actively in the UFC if the sport of MMA had been popular during the prime of his physical abilities.
While a career in active competition was not on the cards during his prime, the 56-year-old often visits different MMA gyms to train with elite UFC fighters.
White trained with none other than Jon Jones in Albuquerque a while ago. The UFC champion praised the Hollywood star's skills in a social media post. However, White thinks that he would find it difficult to enjoy consistent success against Jones if they trained together more frequently. During a recent appearance on Jaxxon Podcast, White said:
"Not to sound arrogant but there's going to be things that I do, that's unusual to him, right? I have been [training martial arts] for a long time. But things I could get away with the first time, I probably wouldn't get away with the second time. If we were grappling more, [Jon Jones] would have slammed me around the room."
Catch White's comments below (10:41):
What did Jon Jones say about Michael Jai White?
Jon Jones is regarded as one of the greatest combat sports athletes in history. However, being a martial artist is a constant learning process and Jones admitted that he learned a lot of things from Michael Jai White when they trained together in Albuquerque.
In a post on White's Instagram account, Jones even claimed that the Hollywood star "humbled" him during the training session:
"This guy is a tremendous athlete, amazing kicks, filled with knowledge, not only in martial arts but in life and I am truly just inspired to have him here. I'm gonna post some videos [of the training session] on social media. I got my butt whopped! I got humbled today!"
Catch Jon Jones' comments below:
Jones dominated the UFC light heavyweight division for the better part of a decade, defeating some of the most elite fighters of his era. He made the move up to heavyweight in 2023 and won the UFC heavyweight title by defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
The 36-year-old was expected to attempt the first defense of his title against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic in November 2023. However, a pectoral injury forced him to pull out of the fight. Jones is currently recovering from the injury and the timeline of his return is currently unclear.