Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones started deadlifting 6 months ago. Back in beginning of October, his deadlift personal best was 525 lbs (238kgs), weighing 222 lbs (100 kgs). Now, end of November, his personal best is 600 lbs (272kgs).
So how is this going to translate to MMA when Jon Jones makes his UFC comeback? Some athletes such as Brendan Schaub believe that Jones will come back as a much improved, while The UFC light heavyweight champion told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that he thinks the heavy is a bad idea for his arch rival.
Cornier stated:
“Maybe he feels that by getting stronger, it’s going to make him a better fighter. The reality is, when I saw him getting so bulky, as a competitor, I thought, ‘Wow, this isn’t bad for me.’ This isn’t bad for me as a competitor, because the Jon Jones that was kind of skinny and maybe wasn’t the bulkiest guy, it all worked, Helwani. It all worked. His body, the way his body was, it worked. It allowed him for range; it allowed him for optimal speed. It allowed him for quickness and agility.
“Looking at all the extra bulk, to me I was like, ‘Well, maybe this will slow him down. Maybe he won’t be the fastest guy. Maybe this guy is messing with what was given to him.’ In reality, what has been given to him is perfect.”
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