‘It’s basically irrelevant’: Matt Brown scoffs at Jon Jones’ behavior outside the cage affecting his legacy

A quick look at Jon Jones’ Wikipedia page reveals a huge list of accomplishments during his career in the UFC that have defined him as arguably the greatest fighter of all-time but his issues outside the cage also eat up a huge part of his overall biography.

From a DWI arrest just a few weeks after one of his biggest wins over Rashad Evans to a hit-and-run car accident that involved a pregnant woman as well as an arrest on domestic violence allegations, Jones has faced a litany of legal issues during his career. That doesn’t even address behavior that didn’t involve the police such as Jones testing positive for cocaine just weeks before he fought and defeated Daniel Cormier in the UFC.

But for all his bad behavior, fellow UFC legend Matt Brown scoffs at the idea that Jones’ many missteps actually affect the legacy he leaves behind now that he’s retired.

We’re going to remember him as the greatest ever still,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “All that shit, that’s what I guess the nitpickers and the hardcore people, that’s what they’re going to be talking about. Look, he fights in a cage for our entertainment and he did it at the highest level that’s ever been witnessed on this planet. I don’t respect the other shit he did, I don’t think anyone does. Like no one’s like ‘that was cool, whatever, forget about it.’ But do we really care?

“There’s a million people out there doing terrible shit all the time. He did that terrible shit and continued to be the best in the world’s asses. So I’m not justifying what he did or anything but I speak the name Jon Jones out of my mouth because of his fighting. That’s all I care to talk about with him. I’m only talking about myself, other people may have different opinions but I’m not going to change what I remember about him based on that shit. All I remember is what I’ve seen on TV. That’s all I care about. What is that other shit, it’s basically irrelevant. In my opinion, he should be remembered for what he did inside the cage and this shit outside, is a completely separate, irrelevant thing.”