The latest UFC Ultimate Insider video covers Jon Jones’ latest photo shoot for the UFC magazine. In the shoot, Jones attempted to recreate a classic LIFE magazine photo featuring Ali taking part in an underwater training routine.
Here’s the story of the original photo, taken by iconic photojournalist Flip Schulke, was explained by blog “The Year In Pictures”:
The story behind the image is as striking as the photograph itself. Schulke was introduced to Ali in 1960 and mentioned that he also did underwater photography. Hearing this Ali confided to Schulke that his secret training routine involved a strenuous underwater workout. The boxer would allow Schulke to photograph him if he could guarantee that the pictures would appear in LIFE. Schulke got the O.K., the session proceeded early the next week, and the pictures dutifully ran in the magazine. It was not until decades later that Ali confessed that it had all been an elaborate ruse on his part to get into the magazine.
Pretty classic Ali.
In the video, photographer Michael Muller says that Jones is “our 21st century Muhammad Ali” which is a ridiculous statement on a number of levels, but hey…we live in an age where nothing is it’s own original something and has to be the “new” version of something.
The video of Jones recreating the photo is after the jump…
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
The video: