Maurice Greene admits he was on the cusp of retiring from MMA competition until UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones pulled him out of a rut.
Greene (11-8), who meets Renan Ferreira (10-3) in Friday’s 2023 PFL Playoffs 2 headliner at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, was struggling to find his way before Jones extended an invite to join his training camp as he prepared for a long-awaited return to the UFC.
That changed everything for Greene, he said, and now he finds himself a win over Ferreira in their heavyweight season semifinal from the chance to fight for the $1 million season prize later this year.
“Jon Jones really was the catalyst behind getting it all together,” Greene told MMA Junkie Radio. “Putting himself a camp together, inadvertently he gave (an opportunity) to a small group of men who came in and wanted to work hard and are good people. Take advantage of some training that you really can’t buy anywhere. You can’t go in a gym and really get it. It’s different. It’s tailored.
“I’m thankful to Jon for being a re-ignitor of my career. I was close to thinking about retirement because I didn’t have a gym and didn’t have any support. It reignited my flame a little bit and it taught me how to train hard and smart.”
Jones has shown a dedication to assisting Greene. Although “The Crotchet Boss” is 1-2 in his past three fights under the PFL banner, he’s managed to navigate his way into a playoff spot. Jones has been in the corner of Greene during his fights, lending his support and guidance.
Now Greene is at the doorstep of the most important fight of his life against Brazil’s Ferreira, and he intends to take advantage of the opportunity in the ESPN-televised main event.
“There’s no points involved now (in the standings),” Greene said of his semifinal bout. “I don’t have an incentive to finish him in the first round besides my own incentives. If the opportunity arises, you bet your sweet ass I’m going to finish him so I can get back out and have an even better training camp.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Playoffs 2.
Maurice Greene: Jon Jones ‘reignited’ my career with one step until $1 million PFL final
