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Tonight’s tweet is sweet

Newly crowned UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones is headed to Hollywood and Jay Leno’s couch.
MMA UFC 128 Jones Takedown 20110320
Newly crowned light-heavyweight title-holder Jon (Bones) Jones sits behind his championship belt at the UFC 128 post-fight news conference.

TORONTO — Newly crowned UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones is headed to Hollywood and Jay Leno’s couch.

The invite to Thursday’s show adds some credence to UFC president Dana White’s view that the 23-year-old from Endicott, N.Y., can be a “breakthrough guy” for mixed martial arts.

On Monday, a happy White tweeted Jones is the “1st UFC fighter to do the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The hits keep on coming!!!!”

Tweeted Jones: “Just gotta crazy call from dana just now!”

Other guests that night include actress Kirstie Alley and musicians Peter, Bjorn and John.

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton (Rampage) Jackson actually appeared on The Tonight Show last June but did so while promoting The A-Team.

White himself has been on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon while Jackson, former light-heavyweight title-holder Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell and Kimbo Slice have appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Jones became the UFC’s youngest ever champion when he destroyed Mauricio (Shogun) Rua on Saturday night in Newark.

“Jon It’s time to shine my friend!!!,” welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre tweeted.

On Monday, Jones jumped in the car for a four-hour drive home to Endicott.

“Just made it to Ithaca!! Can’t wait to just sit on my own bed,” he reported via Twitter.

He also found time to interact with his Twitter followers, a number that has swelled since winning the 205-pound title — to more than 71,000 from 52,000 prior to Saturday’s showdown at the Prudential Center.

Asked if he was excited, he replied:

“I am but its not really hitting me that I’ve won the belt, I really don’t feel very different.”

Asked about the biggest change as champion, he said “Besides everyone calling me champ, I can’t really tell yet.”

And how does the championship belt feel?

“Heavy! I was shadow boxing with it on last night.”

Jones also suggested he was uncomfortable facing former training partner Rashad Evans in the cage after the Rua win.

Asked “how come you looked so upset standing with the belt around your waist just before you spoke to Rashad.” Jones tweeted:

“Just didn’t expect him to do that on my big night.”

Evans will be Jones’ first title defence.

Jones got the title shot after Evans, a former light-heavyweight champion himself, had to drop out through injury.

There have been reports that Evans, who has since left the Greg Jackson camp in Albuquerque, was upset that a teammate had taken advantage of his misfortune.

Jones, meanwhile, has been given an indefinite medical suspension pending clearance of his right hand.

The ban imposed by the New Jersey state athletic control board just means Jones can’t fight until a doctor gives the green light on his hand.

“My hand’s totally fine, it was just a little swollen when I took my glove off,” Jones tweeted.

Jones did not refer to the hand Saturday night. But he did say he was looking forward to some time off after two fights in six weeks.

Rua, who lost by TKO, was suspended indefinitely pending a CT head scan. He faces a minimum two months out because of the knockout.

“I think I fought a ’ready’ Shogun. He said he was,” Jones tweeted when asked if he had expected a tougher Rua.

And quizzed on Evans’ major threat, he suggested his wrestling — “Him trying to hold me down round after round.”