It might be a little difficult keeping up with the Jones boys this weekend.
On Saturday night, Jon (Bones) Jones will defend his light-heavyweight title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 in Toronto.
The next day in Baltimore, his two brothers, both of whom play in the National Football League, will be on opposing sides for the first time in their professional careers in a game between the Ravens and New England Patriots. Arthur, the eldest brother, plays for Baltimore, while Chandler, the youngest brother, plays for the Patriots. Both play defensive end, and it’s unlikely they will be on the field at the same time for any plays.
“I’m really stoked about that,” Jon said last week about the game in a Canadian Press article. “I’ll be leaving the next morning (after the fight) bright and early, hopping a flight straight to Baltimore for that.”
Arthur, a 26-year-old drafted in the fifth round and 157th overall in 2010 out of Syracuse, is in his third year and has four solo tackles in two games this year. Last year, he played in 14 games, missing two with a concussion, but only started in one game; he had 20 tackles — 14 of them solo. He is listed as a backup defensive end in the Ravens’ scheme, which includes three defensive linemen and four linebackers.
Chandler, drafted in the first round and 21st overall out of Syracuse in 2012, is impressing in his rookie season. The 22-year-old has recorded 10 tackles — six of them solo — one sack and two forced fumbles in two games. One of the forced fumbles happened in the season-opening game against the Tennessee Titans and led to a touchdown when recovered by a teammate who ran it into the opposition end zone.
Both teams are 1-1.
“The Jones brothers are three guys who are very competitive, but we have a bond that can never be broken,” Chandler said in a UFC media release headlined America’s Most Athletic Family leading up to Jon’s successful title defence against Rashad Evans in April.
“We’re real passionate about everything we do and we bring out the best in each other,” Arthur added.
“I was the skinny kid with no co-ordination,” Jon said. “Both my brothers were always great at football but when I wore the helmet and pads, I looked so skinny with these long legs poking out they called me ‘Bones.’ But I found my calling in the UFC.”
Jones had been originally scheduled to defend his title at UFC 151, Sept. 1 in Las Vegas, but the card was postponed for the first time in the promotion’s history when challenger Dan Henderson suffered an injury. Jones did not want to fight Chael Sonnen, who was willing to take the fight on short notice.
