Donald Cerrone empathizes with Jon Jones, says it could have been him
LAS VEGAS - Jon Jones and Donald Cerrone have been training partners at Jackson-Winklejohn MMA in Albuquerque New Mexico for almost five years. Both have had their share of individual triumphs and failures inside and outside of the Octagon over the years, but they are currently on opposite ends of the MMA spectrum.
Cerrone is on a seven-fight win streak heading into his fight this Saturday at UFC 187 against John Makdessi. If Cerrone is successful, a lightweight title shot is all but assured. "Cowboy" is riding an unprecedented run of in-ring activity and fans have understandably come along for the ride.
Conversely, Jon Jones is currently suspended by the UFC after his alleged involvement in a felony hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque in April that left a 25-year-old pregnant woman with a broken arm. After hearing the news and citing multiple infractions to their UFC fighter code of conduct, the promotion stripped Jones of its light heavyweight title – a championship he previously held since 2011 after becoming the company's youngest champion, at just 23.
Speaking with media on Monday at ZUFFA headquarters, Cerrone was sympathetic when asked about his friend.
It makes sense – after all, anyone who follows Cerrone is well aware of his affinity for all things dangerous.
"OK, so this is my talk on Jon Jones," Cerrone said. "Had the cameras and the spotlight been on me when I was doing all my screwing up, it would've been. … I would have been in a lot of trouble. People would have been like, 'Oh, God, he's a degenerate. He's an idiot.'
"Jon is just young. He's got a lot of money and making the mistakes. Sure, he should he have hired a driver, absolutely. But he didn't and now he's in the public eye and it's tough."
Cerrone recalls a recent trip to Whole Foods as a testament to his improved patience and maturity.
As Cerrone tells it, he was walking through a crosswalk with his fianceé, Lindsay. Admittedly, he was texting on the phone and not paying much attention, and apparently he upset a driver, who then laid on his horn.
"Do you know that guy?" Lindsay asked.
"Nah, I don't know that guy at all," replied Cerrone, as they resumed their walk.
When they arrived at their car, the man was waiting, visibly fired up. He began yelling expletives at Cerrone and proceeds to punch him in the mouth, knocking the sunglasses off his head.
"I was [expletive] livid – seeing fire in my eyes," he recalls. "I look at Lindsay…but now, where I'm at, I just bit the bullet."
Cerrone references a prior misdemeanor assault charge in a 'boat rage' incident in 2013 – he was found not guilty – and other prior run-ins, as being the catalyst for his change. With age comes wisdom, and apparently that credo might finally be taking hold with the UFC superstar.
"I told the dude, 'You know, this is your lucky day.' He says, 'Oh yeah! I bet it's my [expletive] lucky day!' I was like, 'Dude, if you touch me again, I can't control it. I'm gonna bite this bullet and I'm gonna drive away.'
"We got in the car and left."
Cerrone admits that if the incident happened even just a few years ago, the outcome would have been vastly different. And that's where Cerrone connects with Jon Jones – temptation, in any form, is a daily struggle. It's inescapable.
However, Cerrone believes in his teammate. He believes in Jon Jones. And if Jones can learn anything from Cerrone's rough and tumble rise to MMA superstardom, it's how to learn from the mistakes you've made.
"I've definitely made bad decisions," Cerrone said. "He's gonna bounce back."
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