Jon Jones is rumored to fight Tom Aspinall for the UFC Heavyweight Title at UFC 317 during International Fight Week in Las Vegas in June 2025. However, there is uncertainty surrounding the fight. Reports suggest Jones is requesting six months to prepare, which could delay the matchup beyond UFC 317.
Given that many in the MMA community have criticized him for making excuses and avoiding fights, some question his commitment. However, the mindset he recently shared does not make him seem like someone who runs from challenges or looks for excuses.
Jon Jones Opens up on How He Tames His ‘Inner B**ch’
Jon Jones has dominated the UFC for over a decade. He’s a two-division champion who’s never lost a fight clean since turning pro in 2008. That kind of record shows how focused and serious he is. It also proves how far he’s willing to go to stay at the top of the MMA world.
But no matter how strong he seems, Jon is still human. Like everyone, he has tough days. He feels pressure. He gets tired. He faces doubt. During fights, it’s common to get hurt—choked, knocked out, or broken down in some way—and Jones understands this well. There have been many times he’s heard that voice in his head, which he calls his “inner b—h.”
The good thing is that the 37-year-old knows how to shut it down. In a recent interview with Geoffrey, filmed casually while driving, Jon Jones shared how he pushes through those low moments. He shared that he reminds himself how many athletes, especially veterans, can’t do what he does because of injuries and struggles.
He said, “When I feel depressed, like, oh, I just get tired. It’s like, no, no, no, I get to do this. I’ll like talk shit to myself and get me up. Right? Like there’s like the David Goggins, like you’re a piece of shit—the inner bitch.”
Jones added, “I definitely tell myself something ‘Hey, don’t be a bitch. Don’t be weak like fucking man the fuck up. I’m right there with it.’ Yeah, I call it the inner bitch and One of the ways I get through it is just by acknowledging it.”
The heavyweight champion believes this mindset—of facing fear head-on—is part of being strong, not just physically, but mentally. He says it’s a trait many athletes share, especially those who’ve been through a lot. But the interesting part is that he also reminds himself of those patriotic soldiers when he is having a tough time.
Jon Jones Shares Full Respect for Soldiers
Jon Jones also revealed that he often pushes himself through his internal struggles by thinking about the strength and discipline of soldiers. He reminds himself that soldiers face much worse situations than most people ever will.
He said, “Some of our military brothers and sisters, they get seriously injured, you know, not hurt like a lot of us civilians, but really injured, you know, and their job is to get up and get out there and get after it.” He also talked about how some soldiers fight all day, get rest for less than 24 hours, and then return to the battlefield the very next day.
The 37-year-old added, “Some of these guys just lost a brother, you know, they have a fallen brother or sister… and then they have to re-regulate their emotional state and get back out there and do their job as if the rest of the family depends on them. So these are things that I remind myself.”
For Jones, this perspective fuels his no-excuses mentality. But we don’t know why people are accusing him of making excuses when he simply asked for some time to prepare before facing Tom Aspinall.
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