Jon Jones’ Toughest Opponent: Himself
The return of Jon Jo..
🕑 Added 2023-03-08 00:33:59 +0000 UTC
Jon Jones’ Toughest Opponent: Himself
The return of Jon Jones as a fighter comes with the return of Jon Jones as a public figure. And while we’re all excited to see what he does professionally, we’re also waiting (with bated breath) to see what fresh hell he may or may not get up to on a personal level.
For many fans, watching Jones inside the Octagon has been like watching a mythic Greek hero come to life; you just get the feeling that you’re witnessing something both inexplicable and extraordinary. But it’s not long before that awestruck feeling is replaced with disappointment and disillusionment. Throughout his career, it would seem that every instance of Jones’ success was followed up with an almost equal amount of controversy. (For those who might be unaware, Jones has had a rash of run-ins with the law, including several DUIs, a hit-and-run, assault allegations and a domestic violence incident). You never know if you’re supposed to be rooting for him or not. Is he an incredible athlete struggling with some inner demons? Or just an asshole who also happens to be really good at MMA?
“There’s no doubt Jon Jones is special,” says UFC President, Dana White, “But dealing with him is like dealing with an artist.” You can look up any number of studies; it’s been proven that, more often than not, genius is linked to a certain level of madness. Jones would definitely not be the first gifted person to struggle with some darker aspects of their personality. Kurt Cobain, Winston Churchill, Vincent van Gogh, Issac Newton, George Jones, John Nash… the list goes on.
In recent years, society has gotten a lot better at recognizing and understanding mental illness. What was once written off as arrogant and outlandish behavior on the part of an overindulged, out-of-touch celebrity, is now being seen as a potential response to untreated psychiatric disorders. While we’ve begun to understand this pattern as it relates to artists, entertainers or anyone who is mentally gifted, we haven’t really looked at it too closely in athletes. When an athlete behaves badly, we’re quick to assume that it’s because of their overly inflated ego and an attitude that they can do whatever they want, without consequence. In certain situations, this may very well be the case; the athlete in question might not have any mental health issues, but rather is just a pompous asshole. In other instances (Antonio Brown comes to mind), there might be something deeper going on.
I’m not a clinical psychologist, but it’s long been my suspicion that Jones suffers from some type of personality disorder (perhaps something along the lines of Bipolar Disorder). Assuming for a moment that this is the case, it sure would explain a lot.
Because Jones is a high-level athlete (involved in a very violent sport), it would be easy to overlook a number of symptoms that would be readily noticed in the average person. In 2019, a narrative review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or other psychotic disorders may be more difficult to make in elite athletes. Exercise and overactivity could serve as an outlet for the excess energy seen in states of mania or hypomania, thus masking a key symptom and delaying detection. Furthermore, the use of AAS (anabolic androgenic steroids), and the mood disturbance and psychotic symptoms associated with them, could confuse diagnosis. Any personality disorder could also be triggered or made worse by the use of drugs and/or alcohol; it’s worth noting that most, if not all, of Jones’ arrests occurred after he’d been drinking.
Even if Jones has been diagnosed, treating his illness is not as simple as it may seem. Lethargy is one of the more common side effects associated with antipsychotic medications, in addition to low b.lood pressure, testosterone level changes and cardiac arrhythmia. Any of the above side effects could potentially have a negative impact on athletic performance. Even if it would be in the best interest of his mental health, I could understand why Jones (or any other athlete, for that matter) would hesitate to seek treatment and properly medicate themself.
I could easily be looking for answers where there aren’t any, but I’m still hopeful… While Jones has done some bad things, I don’t believe that he's a bad person; I think he’s just a troubled person. As someone who has struggled with their own mental health issues, I know that dealing with them is no easy feat. And while we don’t get to choose our demons, we do (to some degree) have a choice in how we deal with them.
At this point, it’s almost irrefutable that Jon Jones is the greatest MMA fighter of all time; but what he does outside of the Octagon will ultimately determine what kind of a man he is and what kind of legacy he leaves behind.
The biggest fight Jon Jones will face in his life is against the darker parts of himself. And it’s one I hope he’ll ultimately win.
