Jon Jones offered some insight into why he decided to accept a gig coaching against Nate Diaz on a Russian reality TV show.
In May, news broke that ‘Bones’ was headed to Thailand to film ALF Reality, a series similar to The Ultimate Fighter, which was set to see Jones and Diaz coach opposite one another. However, Diaz’s involvement in the show came to a crashing halt after a scuffle on set evolved into an all-out brawl, prompting his team to leave the show. Jones ultimately stayed and continued to film the show.
It’s certainly not the first time Diaz and his team have been involved in an impromptu melee.
Despite no longer taking part in the show, the ‘Stockton Samurai’ opted to stay in Thailand and spent some time sightseeing with the consensus GOAT. In a video on Diaz’s YouTube channel, Jones spoke about his decision to accept the unique opportunity.
“I don’t look at it as a rivalry. I’m honored to be here with Nate Diaz. I’ve always been a fan of Nate Diaz—he’s an absolute legend in the sport. Him and his brother are legends. The way I look at it is, I’m coming out here to try to motivate the boys, to inspire the boys, try to teach them something new, and just share with the guys.
“Ultimately, whether one of my guys wins or Nate’s guys win, I feel like we all win, ’cause we get to know each other, we get to be together, and share something that we all enjoy.”
As Jon Jones explores thailand, Tom Aspinall is left waiting
While Jon Jones’ misadventures in Thailand have been well documented on his social media channels, UFC fans are left wondering when he’ll actually defend his heavyweight title against the promotion’s reigning interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.
Dana White has expressed confidence that Jones vs. Aspinall will happen in 2025, though his words offer little solace for MMA enthusiasts.
Recently, one especially frustrated fan launched a Change.org petition, demanding that the UFC CEO strip Jones of his strap. As of this writing, over 153,000 people have signed.
