Jon Jones issue deep statement on one-year anniversary of Daniel Cormier KO: “I’ll be back”

One year ago today, in the main event of UFC 214, Jon Jones knocked out his arch rival Daniel Cormier to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. In the subsequent days, however, it was learned that Jones had failed a pre-fight drug test. His knockout win was then ruled a no contest, and the title was returned to Cormier, who has held it ever since.

This afternoon, Jon Jones took to Instagram with a deep and reflective statement on his last bout with Cormier, and how he’s spent the year since.

See what the former champ had to say below:

“Time has a way of putting things into perspective,” Jones said. “One year ago today I knocked out Daniel Cormier to reclaim my light heavyweight title. It was the culmination of all the sacrifice and hard work put in on the road back to where I truly know I belong. That’s at the top…the only place I’ve ever dreamed of being. Turns out it wasn’t a forever moment but a fleeting one as two weeks later I find out on TMZ of all places my title has been stripped and I’m suspended once again. To go from the spotlight to darkness, and have everything taken away from me again was a hardship the public will never truly understand. It bent me but did not break me and I had to learn to fight in a different way. I’ve spent the last year living right and getting healthy, but much of that work was spent correcting and repairing my mental space. Call it weakness if you will but even the toughest individuals need assistance getting back on track. I’ll be back, and when I am it will be a more complete version than the world has ever seen. You have to turn the lemons life gives you into lemonade, and you have to take time to sit back and enjoy it. The struggles don’t define you. It’s how you handle them that determines who you are. Be good, enjoy the day and God bless.”

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/29/2018.