NBA forward James Johnson is yet to sign for a team in the upcoming season, but he may be looking for something else.
In an interview with fellow NBA veteran Ryan Hollins on the NBA Rookie Life podcast, Johnson says he could beat consensus MMA GOAT Jon “Bones” Jones in a fight, provided he gets one year of training.
“I think I could beat him, for real. But like I said with a year of training defense — I just need ground defense.
He started learning how to use your hands and your feet – what? – after college? Like, I’ve been punching and kicking since I was five, six years-old. [It’s] the opposite for him because he’s been wrestling for that long. Learning all his wrestling moves… As long as I can keep him from going on the floor… I win.”
James Johnson on if he could beat Jon Jones
Johnson, nicknamed “Bloodsport,” has a second-degree black belt in karate. And as he noted, he has a lifetime of training in the discipline. However, just as pickup basketball at the local Y and an actual NBA game are miles apart in quality, the fight game has levels to it.
Johnson also claims he had an undefeated amateur record in boxing and MMA. However, his fights were undocumented, and no one can verify they happened.
Can James Johnson really beat Jon Jones?
Hollins pointed out that Johnson’s size and agility (6-foot-8, 240 pounds) are huge advantages over Jones, which isn’t wrong. Nevertheless, Johnson’s cage inexperience could cost him dearly against someone who fought and dominated the sport like Jones.
To Johnson’s credit, he clarified he had no bone to pick with “Bones.” The former Indiana Pacers forward admitted the ground game is not his forte.
Still, it’s a reach for the NBA veteran to declare himself the winner if he can keep the fight standing. After all, Jones knocked out feared MMA strikers Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Alexander Gustafsson.
If a fight ever goes down between the two, expect the “rookie” to absorb the brunt of the damage. The only stain on Jones’ record is the disqualification loss against Matt Hammill. No one has ever beaten Jones in an MMA fight, and for sure, Johnson isn’t going to change it.
