26-year-old UFC Champ Jon Jones says he'd like to retire by 30

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has only been in the sport for five years, an amazing number considering what he's already accomplished. But while the Champ may not even yet be in his prime, he said this week he's got an end date in mind already.

In an interview with a CBS affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland, promoting the UFC's 20th anniversary, Jones was asked how long he intended to keep fighting, and his answer put the clock on what he's got left in his career.

"I'm 26 right now. I think a man can be in his fighting prime until his mid 30′s," Jones said. "Saying that, though, I would like to retire by 30, so a few more years."

Penick's Analysis: We've heard fighters put a number on when they'd like to retire before, and it typically doesn't wind up being the case. However, Jones is a unique case. He's had a much faster trajectory than just about any fighter in the sport's history, and if he picks up a couple more light heavyweight wins and makes a move to heavyweight, he may only look to fight a couple of times before walking away. That might especially be the case if he stays on top and finds other things he wants to do. It'd be a shame to see him walk away really early, but at the same time we'd also like to see guys leave before their careers take massive downturns.

[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_19212.shtml

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