Kennedy Blades is one of the youngest emerging stars in female wrestling. Jon Jones recently trained with her on the mat.
Jones formerly dominated the 205-pound class and is recognized as one of the best mixed martial artists of all time. Jones is presently working for his UFC heavyweight debut while vying for a second division title.
Jones seems to be having fun while getting ready on the wrestling mats. Rising female wrestler Kennedy Blades recently shared a video of herself and Jones engaging in wrestling playfully.
Jones and Blades trade the top position throughout the scramble. However, Blades humorously lifts Jones’ hand in victory at the conclusion of the scramble.
According to the USA Wrestling Membership, Blades is one of the most exciting prospects in female wrestling. Blades is just 19 years old and is the No. 2 at 68kg. She won the gold medal in the 2021 Junior World Championships. At the age of only 17, she also placed second in the US Olympic teams trials.
Jones is presently getting ready to make a major heavyweight debut inside the UFC’s Octagon. In the main event of UFC 285, he will compete against Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title. If Jones wins, he would be one of the select few competitors who have successfully won titles in many weight classes.
Jones hasn’t competed since defeating Dominick Reyes in February 2020 to successfully defend his 205-pound title. Since then, contract discussions about Jones’ move up to heavyweight have caused tension between him and the UFC. The agreement to have Jones headlining the March 4 card suggests that those problems have now been resolved.
Jones also has a wrestling background but had to cut his wrestling journey short of the Olympics when his girlfriend got pregnant.
At Iowa Central Community College, Jones was roommates with another big name in MMA – Colby Covington.
Throughout his UFC career, Jon Jones has repeatedly shown his ability to compete against the top wrestlers. His first significant victory came in 2004, when he was named the Northeast Junior Greco-Roman Regional Champion at the age of 17. The UFC legend won numerous titles over the years, including Senior All-American, Division I State Champion, All-American, and National Champion at 197 pounds, all from the NHSCA.
But Jones had to give up his wrestling aspirations upon learning that he fathered a child. This made it all the more necessary for him to defeat Daniel Cormier (who famously made it all the way to Olympic Games).
“You know, he said, everywhere I go and all the tournaments, everyone is running for DC. He was like the whole wrestling community is against you right now. And we have something to prove, Jon. ”
“We have to show these guys that if you went D-1, that you would have been a national wrestling champion. If you went for the Olympics, you would a place at the Olympics, you know, because your dream got cut short and you had a kid and you had to give up wrestling.”