Who is Jon Jones' father and why did he discourage 'Bones' from becoming a fighter?
Jon Jones was born on July 19, 1987, in Rochester, New York, to Arthur and Camille Jones.
Jon Jones' father, Arthur Jones, was a pastor at Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ in Binghamton, New York. If Arthur had his way, 'Bones' would not have been the youngest UFC champion and one of the GOATs of the sport that he is today.
Arthur Jones did not want his son to pursue mixed martial arts. He wanted him to follow in his footsteps instead and become a pastor.
A 2012 The Christian Post report says that Arthur even tried to discourage Jon Jones from becoming a fighter.
"I wanted him to preach. I tried to discourage him from being a fighter. I told him you don't want to do that. You can do other things. Be a pastor," Arthur Jones said.
"In biblical times, there was always warfare: David and Goliath, Sampson, the enemies of the Israelites. They fought in the valleys, on the hills, in the mountains. My son trains for every fight, not just physically but spiritually."
Another FOX Sports report had Arthur explaining how Jon Jones had a "commanding presence" since birth, which now reflects in the dominance he shows inside the octagon.
"He was born like that. Even when he was a baby. He didn't have to say 'pick me up.' You knew. Even when he cried, he would look you in the eye. Even then, he just had a commanding presence."
Jon Jones' father now believes that he is preaching through his fighting, so in a way, what he wanted his son to become in life has come true as well.
Jon Jones is a devout Christian
Even though Jon Jones did not follow his father into the world of pastorship, he has always been an ardent follower of the faith of Christianity. He often quotes The Bible on social media and has a Bible-related tattoo on his right chest.
Across his right shoulder and pecs, the word 'Phillippians 4:13' runs in deep black ink, which is always visible whenever he is bare-chested at training, weigh-ins, or inside the octagon.
The tattoo refers to the thirteenth line of the fourth verse of the Book of Philippians in The Bible.
The verse reads:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Jon Jones got the tattoo in the memory of his sister Carmen who passed away in 2000 due to brain cancer. The verse was reportedly Carmen's favorite from the Holy Book.
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