(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFCFightZone1/ZuffaLLC)
If you really can’t wait until the UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones countdown show is on tomorrow night, we’ve got you covered with part one of the program above.
For those of you who can’t watch the video at work and want the Cliffs Notes version, here’s what “Bones” and “Shogun” had to say about their light heavyweight title fight Saturday night.
As always, Jones is cocky coming into the bout and he says he already feels that he’s the champion…you know, because he beat Brandon Vera and Ryan Bader.
“I feel that this is my time and my moment. Winning the belt and keeping the belt is completely different things. My goal will be to be the best champion that ever lived starting now. With or without the belt I already feel as if I’m the champion. We can strike with him, we can roll with him and we can wrestle with him. I’m confident and I think that’s what’s going to make this such a great fight.”
Shogun understands the pressure and experience of becoming a champ at a young age, but says he’s going to pull out all the stops to screech the Jones hype train to a halt.
“I was able to win the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix belt when I was 23 years old. Jon Jones is kind of a similar story — a young guy beating everybody and rising to the top, but I’ll do everything in my power to not let him get a belt at 23 years old.”
We can strike with him, we can roll with him and we can wrestle with him. He doesn’t even have his precious belt yet and he’s already turning into Gollum.