UFC light heavyweight contender Jon Jones
will throw out first pitch for Padres

Jul 28, 2010 | by MattE | No Comments

On Friday, just two days before he fights in the main event of UFC on Versus 2, Jon Jones will try to deliver a strike of a different kind.

Jones, who fights Vladimir Matyushenko on Sunday, will throw out the first pitch for the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Petco Park. UFC on Versus 2 takes place at the San Diego Sports Arena.

“I love San Diego and I’m excited to do the first pitch for the Padres,” Jones said in a release. “I’m going to try to throw a strike for the fans on Friday and then give them a knockout Sunday.”

Jones, who just turned 23 last week, is perhaps the fastest-rising star in the UFC. At 10-1, his only loss came in December against Matt Hamill due to disqualification for illegal “12-6″ downward elbow strikes. Jones initially had a point taken away. But because Hamill couldn’t continue – because of a separated shoulder – Jones was disqualified by the referee, who used instant replay for the first time in Nevada history to confirm the elbow strikes were illegal.

But beyond that blemish, which comes with an asterisk, Jones has impressive wins over Andre Gusmao, Munster native Stephan Bonnar, Indianapolis-based Jake O’Brien and, most recently, a TKO of Brandon Vera. A win over Matyushenko on Sunday could inch Jones closer to a shot down the road at the light heavyweight title currently held by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Chicago resident Rashad Evans is first in line for a shot at the belt he once held, but that won’t come until Rua is healed from a recent surgery. It’s likely Jones will get at least one more fight before the timing would be right for him to get a title shot.

UFC on Versus 2 takes place Sunday and airs live on the Versus cable network at 8 p.m. Central.

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