The iconic UFC champion had barely begun his reign with the light-heavyweight title when he faced an upcoming defense match against Lyoto Machida. Jones found himself in New York City, promoting UFC 140, and decided to appear on the Opie and Anthony show—a radio program that was then at the pinnacle of its fame.
A recurring joke on the show involved comedian Jim Norton allowing a fighter to put him in a submission hold or deliver a strike. Jones was no exception, and offered Norton a leg kick that turned out to be anything but amusing for the Netflix star.
During the broadcast, Norton eagerly volunteered to take a kick from Jon Jones, continuing a tradition of daring stunts he had performed before. Jones stepped up, pretending to deliver a kick with minimal force. However, Norton immediately announced to the studio audience that he was in excruciating pain.
After groaning and struggling to maintain his balance, Norton's first words were that he "feels like I have to—" but couldn't complete the sentence. He then declared that this stunt was "the worst one ever."
Years later, while reflecting on the incident in a podcast with Dan Soder, Norton recounted the kick: "It hurt so much that I almost vomited. I remember feeling the urge to relieve myself and to throw up simultaneously. It sent me into a state of shock. His shin collided with my thigh during fight week—it was already a stressful time. Additionally, he choked me. I recall stumbling to the bathroom, thinking 'I'm going to faint.' It really messed me up."
Norton, who now co-hosts UFC Unfiltered with Matt Serra, famously endured various moves from renowned fighters who visited the studio. He recalled one particularly harrowing submission by BJ Penn and even being trapped in Ronda Rousey's arm bar.
"I always acknowledged the pain," he told Soder. "When we interviewed BJ Penn, I wanted to experience an arm bar firsthand because I'd never felt one before. I asked, 'What do these things you watch actually feel like?' On a lighter scale, obviously. He put me in an arm bar, and I exclaimed, 'Holy—!' I was amazed at how I was being pulled in opposite directions; it was incredibly painful. Brock Lesnar heel hooked me and laughed about it, giving me two leg locks."
