UFC 135: Jon Jones Calls Rampage Jackson "A Heavy-Handed Mr. T Wannabe"

UFC 135 will go down Saturday night, and the main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones and former champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is heating up.

MMAfanhouse's Ariel Helwani interviewed Jones, who defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128 to win the title, and the youngest champion sported a new look. When asked about shaving his beard come fight night, Jones said:

"

It's a secret whether I'll shave or not. Yes, the beard gives me that "grown man's feel," and I'm liking it. I've been training really hard and I feel really great, and I'm just a little lazy to shave so I said, "You know what, I'm just going to trim this thing up instead of shaving this thing off," so right now I look a little beastly. But yeah, I feel good, man.

"

Jackson has been vocal about Jones' confident attitude going into the fight. Without having defended his title, Jackson feels Jones shouldn't be the 5-to-1 favorite that he is going into the fight.

When asked about doing interviews with Jackson beside him, Jones said:

"

I'm actually liking it. I'm liking it a lot. You know, Rampage's personality is a very unique personality, and if you're not familiar with it, it can almost come across as, uh, it can take people back. Rampage has that in your face, "Oh, I'm going to knock you out, kid" and all this Mr. T talk, and the more I'm around it, the more I have humanized him.

The more I've realized that he's just some heavy-handed Mr. T wannabe that I'm getting ready to fight instead of this intimidating "I'm Rampage Jackson and I'll knock your head off" thing, so I'm like alright, enough fun and games, lets see who is the better fighter. It has actually helped me humanize him a lot being around it.

The key to beat Rampage is just to be myself. To believe in my abilities and go out there and do what I'm capable of.

"

Full interview from MMA Fanhouse available here.