Despite campaigning for a fight on the upcoming UFC White House card, Jon Jones has revealed that he suffers from “severe arthritis,” bad enough that it has him qualifying for a hip replacement.
“I have severe arthritis and most people don’t know that,” Jones stated in a video recently posted on social media. “My left hip is covered in arthritis. I actually already qualify for a hip replacement. My last training camp, I went to bed in so much pain.”
Jones was responding to a fan who said he was hoping to see “Bones,” a former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, take on Daniel Cormier in Real American Freestyle, the upstart wrestling promotion that has seen several UFC stars competing under its banner.
“I have a three year old baby boy. I want to use what I have left of my hips to play with his ass,” Jones added.
In a separate statement to TMZ, Jones expanded on the arthritis claim.
”The UFC knows the extent of my arthritis,” Jones said. “They also know that if I were to put it all on the line one last time and endure that level of pain, the reward would have to be something special and something more than a fat payday. For me, that was and is still the White House.”
He’d later note that, whether his desire to fight at the White House happens or not, “my career has been one for the ages and nothing short of legendary.”
UFC CEO and President Dana White has been reluctant to book Jones for the White House event (which does not have any fights announced) due to the fighter’s history of issues including fight cancellations, drug test failures, and scandals.
