“The last time I was in London it was the beginning of the worst part of my life.”
Mason Jones didn’t mince words during his post-match interview with Michael Bisping at the O2 Arena on Saturday after scoring against Axel Sola.
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The 30-year-old, a bloody Welshman, looked back on the moment in full force.
In July 2022, Jones was defeated by Ludovit Klein, which was the beginning of what Jones described as “a period of hardship.”
Jones will have to wait until May 2025 to return to the UFC Octagon, having racked up four wins with Cage Warriors during his time with Dana White’s promotion.
This time, Jones won a unanimous decision on his third comeback in the UFC, earning $100,000 (£74,968) in bonuses and redemptions for the night.
“After my last run in London, people told me I needed to give up,” Jones said.
“I think I can be an example to everyone, never give up, do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be, because I’m going to get to the top.”
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Standing in Jones’ way in London is the previously undefeated Sola, a six-foot Frenchman with a strong all-around grappling resume and 11 professional fight wins.
In Jones’ own words, Sola was “a long, dangerous, southpaw, long, not fun thing to deal with.”
But against Sora, he did it.
Jones raised his hands in anger and launched a series of knees at his French opponent.
Sola stayed firm and delivered a vicious spinning elbow to Jones’ chin.
Jones was undaunted, though, recovering from a bloody Sola before the first five minutes had expired.
As the fight went on, Jones’ confidence continued to grow, landing more successful strikes with each round and landing a staggering 61 successful strikes in the third round.
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All three judges scored in favor of the Welshman (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), extending his win streak to seven and three straight since re-signing with the UFC.
It’s not necessarily a comfortable watch for Jones’ Wales fans, as he often takes a lot of damage to his head.
For neutrals, he might be the most exciting fighter in the promotion.
With two bonuses of the night and one performance of the night in seven games, he makes a good argument for the situation.
the road not traveled
Jones was defeated by Ludovit Klein at UFC London in July 2022 [Getty Images]
After losing to Klein in July 2022, Jones and the UFC mutually agreed not to sign a new contract.
Jones offers an honest assessment as he considers alternative paths available to him.
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“I remember sitting in the coach’s office after everything happened in London because I was a mess,” he recalled.
“One of my coaches said to me, ‘Look, I think you need to go somewhere else and work with other people because I don’t think I can give you what you need’.
“I was in tears and I said to him, ‘Please hang in there with me, I will go through anything as long as you are by my side’.
“They have supported me ever since and I can’t thank these kids enough.
“As long as these boys are around me I’m going to give them as much as I can and I can’t ask anyone else to support me and help me get to the top.”
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For Jones, there really is no other option than to keep chasing his UFC dream.
“When I ran all over the mountains, I got to know this camp, and I chose this kind of life.
“I know it’s a weird thing to say, but every day I wake up I choose to live this way.”
The easiest thing, Jones admitted, was to get a job.
“I could actually think at any time, no, I’m done with that, and find a different job that pays me a weekly wage,” he added.
“After leaving London, I went two years without a salary, racked up credit card debt, and was urged to quit by family and friends.
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“I had a family business that I could have gone into and done more in school.
“But for me, fighting is in my blood and fighting is what I want to do.”
Jones top 15 calling?
Mason Jones hands Axel Sola first career loss [Getty Images]
Jones’ performance against Sola laid a solid foundation for his subsequent fights against ranked opponents and “cemented his foundation in the UFC.”
When asked in the post-fight press conference who he thought would give him the best fight among the top 15 in the lightweight division, Jones didn’t hesitate.
“I want to play against Beneil Dariush, who has been booked,” he said.
“Michael Chandler got booked, so to be fair I’ll go back and have a bit of a break because I’ve been working hard since last year in Paris, working six days a week in training camp, for six months.”
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No matter who Dragon fights next, he can enjoy a pleasant break, see the fruits of his labor and “double down” on himself.
“The only person who can make you quit smoking is yourself, there’s always a way, and if you want it enough, you can make it work,” he said.
“I proved that I deserve to be here, that I have a number next to my name, that I am the best in the world and I will continue to prove that.
“I live this life and this is what I’ve always wanted to do and I’m going to prove that I’m going to be No. 1 in the end.”
