Jon Jones is in a New York state of mind. At last.
For the first time in a career that stretches back to 2008 and has earned him widespread acclaim as the greatest mixed martial arts athlete ever, the 37-year-old will earn a paycheck fighting in the state where he was born and raised.
A native of Rochester and alumnus of a high school near Binghamton, Jones will take his talents to midtown Manhattan on Saturday night to make the first defense of his 20-month reign as heavyweight champion atop the UFC's annual show at Madison Square Garden.