Jon Jones, MMA Champion, Passes The Test Spider-Man Failed
We all know the story of Spider-Man’s original sin– how, at the height of fame and glory and as a matter of pique, he let a burglar go free rather than make any effort to catch him, with tragic consequences.
Now consider the story of Jon Jones, who was preparing for the MMA Light Heavyweight Championship fight in Newark, NJ, last night, when he found himself in the same situation.
Jones and his coaches were getting dropped off at a park in nearby Paterson, NJ when his co-manager Glenn Robinson warned them that the area was known for its crime. The trio shrugged it off and was no sooner out of the car when they heard screaming. Before Jones quite realized what was happening, his coaches Jackson and Winkeljohn took off after a man who had allegedly smashed a windshield and stolen a GPS unit. Jones ran after them.
“I got these gazelle legs, and I’m running, and next thing you know, I catch up to my coaches,” he said. “I said, ‘What do we do? We going to catch this guy?'”
Jones said it was then he “put the jets on” and sprinted past his coaches.
“The guy looks back, he sees me,” Jones said. “You know I’m 6-foot-4, and I said, ‘You know I’m going to catch you, right?'”
The thief tripped over his own feet and as he tried to regain his footing, Jones kicked his ankle out, figure-foured his legs and helped hold him until the police came for the easy collar.
Jones said it was then that one of the cops realized who he was.
“The policeman said, ‘What? What are you doing here? Aren’t you fighting tonight?'” Jones said.
Jones then returned back to the woman who had screamed for help, and she thanked him and told him God would be with him as he fought.
Jones went on to win UFC 128 Light Heavyweight Championship that night over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. No word if Jones has an uncle.
MMAFighting.com also has video of him recounting the story at a press conference after his victory, where he said he and his team felt like superheroes.
No, sir– you did the superheroes one better.