NBA power forward James Johnson recently made headlines with a bold claim – that he could beat the consensus greatest of all time MMA fighter, Jon “Bones" Jones, with just a year of training. Johnson shared his thoughts on former NBA player turned sports journalist Ryan Hollins" podcast, ‘NBA Rookie Life," on August 30.
In his candid conversation with Hollins, Johnson expressed confidence in his abilities but acknowledged the challenge of facing someone of Jon Jones" caliber. He emphasized the importance of improving his ground defense before taking on the MMA legend, as Jones is known for his collegiate wrestling skills.
Johnson"s belief in his potential victory stems from his extensive experience in striking sports like karate, kickboxing (with an alleged undefeated record of 20-0), and MMA (7-0). James Johnson believes his experience in striking sports, like punching and kicking, from a young age gives him an advantage over Jon Jones, who initially focused on wrestling before doing MMA.
“I think I could beat him, for real," Johnson continued. “But like I said with a year of training defense — I just need ground defense. He started learning how to use your hands and your feet – what? – after college? Like, I"ve been punching and kicking since I was five, or six years-old. …[It"s] the opposite for him because he"s been wrestling for that long. Learning all his wrestling moves… As long as I can keep him from going on the floor… I win." : Said James Johnsons
But fans should be careful when considering Johnson"s statement. Even though he"s skilled at striking, MMA includes a lot of different abilities like grappling and submissions. Jon Jones is a well-established MMA fighter, which means he"s really tough to beat.
Additionally, there"s some doubt about Johnson"s fighting history because there isn"t much information about his fights and achievements beyond what he says in interviews. This raises questions about whether his claims are accurate or not. To take on Jones, he would need to enter the world of professional MMA officially.
Johnson"s statement is part of a broader trend where non-fighter athletes and influencers sometimes underestimate the skill and expertise required in professional fighting. Influencer Bradley Martyn, for instance, made headlines by claiming he could defeat professional boxer Devin Haney and other fighters.
