Jon Jones reveals surprising icons behind his mental edge, and they're not from the UFC

Jon Jones may be one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, but his sources of inspiration extend far beyond the confines of the octagon.

With a career record of 27-1 and multiple titles to his name, Jon Jones has little left to prove in mixed martial arts.

At 37 years old, maintaining motivation and mental sharpness has become just as important as physical preparation. Instead of looking solely within MMA, Jones looks outward-toward legendary athletes, military strategies, and even the animal kingdom.

Speaking with celebrity barber VicBlends on an episode of DeepCut, Jones gave fans a deeper look into how he stays mentally inspired during the later stages of his career.

"I try to grab motivation from people outside of my field," said Jones. "Because in this MMA space, I've become a member of a lot of people's Mount Everest, right?"

In other words, when you're the pinnacle for others, you must seek out new peaks yourself.

"In my own space, I try to be inspired by the people who are better than me in categories," he continued. "For example, more of a humanitarian or just a better class act or gives back more. Or connects with his fans better."

Rather than chasing titles or rival fighters, Jones focuses on personal growth. He cites Tom Brady, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Michael Phelps as key role models, iring their longevity, influence, and all-around excellence.

"Guys like Conor McGregor, he's just so good on the mic. So I become inspired by my peers... How can I become closer to him in this category?" Jones added.

Patience, power, and presence

Jones also revealed two more surprising influences on his mentality-elite military groups and the male lion.

"The two things that I really enjoy outside of fighting that I feel helps my mentality. I love studying military groups and I love studying the male lion," Jones said with a smile.

He explained that he surrounds himself with imagery of lions in his home, seeing them as the perfect metaphor for a balanced fighter: dominant but measured, ferocious when provoked.

"They're territorial, they can lounge around and appear almost lazy until it's actually time to work. They're just the king and I like what they represent," he said. "They're not the biggest, but they have the mentality and they're ferocious."

His fascination with lions reflects a deeper principle-mental toughness and the ability to overcome adversity through resilience and grit.

"I've watched hours of lions just attacking things that are so much bigger than them and through their persistence and grit, eventually, they get that bull to the floor. I carry that same mentality."

As he approaches the twilight of his MMA career, Jon Jones continues to evolve, not only as a fighter but as a student of greatness, wherever it may reside.

Whether through studying all-time sports icons or channeling the raw instinct of nature's most respected predators, Jones remains as mentally sharp and driven as ever.