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Jon Jones - One Man Wrecking Machine

To see MMA fighter Jon Jones compete even once is a delight. He simply does stuff that other fighters don't do. Spinning back elbows, unorthodox kicks, explosive takedowns, they're all fair game.

Author:Emily Sanchez
Reviewer:James Pierce
Jul 08, 2022198 Shares2.6K Views
To see MMA fighter Jon Jonescompete even once is a delight.
He simply does stuff that other fighters don't do.
Spinning back elbows, unorthodox kicks, explosive takedowns, they're all fair game.
Just ask his opponents and training partners.
He's not your ordinary fighter.
And here's his story.

Who Is Jon Jones?

Smiling Jon Jones
Smiling Jon Jones
Jonathan Dwight Jones is a well-known American mixed martial artist who has held the title of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion on two separate occasions.
Although he is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists of all time, he has also developed a reputation for being something of a sad figure, and his life story has become something of a cautionary tale.
Since he was a boy, Jones' life has been profoundly shaped by his religious beliefs, which he developed as part of a middle-class family in New York.
During his time at Union-Endicott High School, located in the state of New York's upstate region, he was a standout on the wrestling mat and went on to win the New York state championship.
In addition, he was active in football, playing the defensive line position.
Jones was planning to earn a degree in criminal justice when his mixed martial arts (MMA) career took off, so he decided to forego his education and pursue a career as a professional fighter instead.
In April of 2008, he competed in his first professional fight, which was against Brad Bernard and which he won via technical knockout.
Jones has had a successful career spanning almost a decade, and the reason he lost his one and only match were due to a questionable call made by the referee.
Jones won most of his contests.
It has happened to him twice that he has won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but both times he has been stripped of his belt.
In 2015, he was stripped for the very first time as a result of a hit-and-run incident.
In addition, he was disqualified from the interim title for doping violations.
After a positive drug test in 2017, he was just disqualified from the competition.
The investigation is presently underway, and if Jones is found guilty, he stands to get a ban that lasts for a period of four years if it is upheld.
NameJonathan Dwight Jones
BirthdayJuly 9, 1987
ProfessionProfessional Mixed Martial Artist
Stats26-1-0 (1 NC)

Jon Jones Professional Career

Jon Jones Top 5 Finishes

Jones entered the UFC with a perfect record of 7-0, and he agreed to fight Andre Gusmao on short notice on August 9, 2008.
Despite the fact that he was a replacement fighter, he made the most of the occasion to demonstrate his skills.
On January 31, 2009, he competed in his next UFC bout, and his opponent was the very experienced veteran Stephen Bonnar.
In spite of Jones' status as a heavy underdog coming into the bout, it was not even really competitive between the two competitors.
But with his incredible spinning back elbow and suplex, 'Bones' demonstrated that night that he was equally capable of taking on an experienced fighter.
As a direct consequence of this, Jon was awarded victory by way of a unanimous judgment.
Following his victory against the three-time world champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in 2012, he went on to defend his title against Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko in the same year, both of whom he defeated.
According to Jon Jones, the fight that he had against the Swedish fighter Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on September 23, 2013, was the most difficult one that he has ever competed in.
Jones came out on top despite both of their injuries, which included cuts and swelling to their faces.
Jones was victorious in a crucial game on July 29, 2017, and it was one of his best days. At UFC 214, held in Anaheim, California, he was victorious over Daniel Cormier.
Jones couldn't contain his happiness after such a decisive victory against his formidable adversary.
Jones successfully defended his title against Alexander Gustafsson in 2018, a year after his ban for the bout against Gustafsson in 2017 was overturned.
In the year 2020, Jones voluntarily relinquished the title, citing the intention to move up to the heavyweight division, in the midst of a wage dispute with UFC president White.

Jon Jones Fighting Style

Jon Jones - Top 5 Most Incredible Skills

When Jones competes, his wrestling expertise shines through in the form of superb takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control skills.
Jones has a strong foundation in wrestling.
However, this aspect of his fighting style is not what distinguishes him.
On the contrary, the term that most accurately describes it is "managed explosiveness."
His takedowns are frequently nasty and typically involve drama.
His striking is incredibly athletic, with spinning elbows and unconventional kicks being the standard in his repertoire of moves.
In addition to that, he has a powerful punch.
Jones is, in essence, a very well-rounded fighter for a man who hasn't been fighting for very long, and his athleticism is extremely clear to see.
He has only been fighting for a relatively short amount of time.

Jon Jones Is The Youngest UFC Champion

Jon Jones in a white turtle neck long sleeves
Jon Jones in a white turtle neck long sleeves
At the age of 23, Jon Jones was able to win the UFC championship.
Jones, on the other hand, delivered an outstanding performance while he was competing for the light heavyweight championship against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on March 19, 2011, at UFC 128.
He knocked out Shogun in the third round for the technical knockout and won the 205-pound division.
With this, Jones cemented his place in UFC annals as the youngest champion in the organization's history, a record that has not yet been surpassed.

Jon Jones Greatest MMA's Victories

Jones Defeats Daniel Cormier By Unanimous Decision At UFC 182

When Trash Talk Goes Wrong in MMA: Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier 2

Cormier was aggressive and came to this battle with the intention of winning.
The trash-talking that took place prior to the fight became legendary, and he possessed the best grappling skills that Jones had ever seen in the MMA competition.
But in the end, Jones was able to outstrike and ultimately defeat his opponent through wrestling.
It was a tremendous performance, deserving of a winner in any competition.

Jones Defeats Alexander Gustafsson By Unanimous Decision At UFC 165

Free Fight: Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson 1 | UFC 165, 2013

This was the first time that Jones had been injured prior to this match.
It didn't look good for him up against an opponent who was his size and on the same level as him in terms of competence.
But then, as all great fighters do, he came back, this time with a spinning elbow that would go on to become legendary.
And from that point on, it was all about him as he staged an incredible comeback from the depths of despair to win the fight that was the closest of his career to that point.

Jones Defeats Rashad Evans By Unanimous Decision At UFC 145

JON JONES vs RASHAD EVANS HL

Jones and Evans trained together at Jackson's MMA prior to Jones accepting a bout against his former training partner.
This resulted in tension within the group, and Evans eventually left.
In spite of the fact that the former TUF champion fought valiantly and gave Jones what was possibly the best run of his career, Jones emerged victorious at the end of both the feud and the fight.

Jones Defeats Mauricio "Shogun" Rua By Third-round TKO At UFC 128

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This video is unavailable: Original link to video
Shogun, a former PRIDE star who is now the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, was no match for Jones, who totally destroyed him.
By soundly defeating a legend in the game, he once again cemented his status as one of the all-time greats in the competition.
Besides, you can't help but include winning a UFC belt on the list of your most significant accomplishments, can you?

Jones Defeats Stephan Bonnar By Unanimous Decision At UFC 94

Video unavailable
This video is unavailable: Original link to video
Jones' victory over a fighter who was popular with the fans was a testament to his athleticism.
Jones' strong performance here included a variety of spinning back techniques, including spinning back kicks, spinning back elbows, and more.
The victory opened the eyes of the supporters to the true depth of the talent that was in front of them.

Jon Jones Controversies

The Complete History Of Jon Jones’ Controversies

  • The United States Anti-Doping Agency has leveled allegations of a possible doping violation against the mixed martial arts superstar (USADA). Both the test for the "B" sample, which came back positive, and the test for Turinabol found that he was positive for the substance. As a direct consequence of this, Jones was disqualified from multiple matches. He was even forced to relinquish his title as light heavyweight champion, and he faced the possibility of a four-year suspension.
  • After a night of drinking and partying, Jon was engaged in a small car accident on May 19, 2012, when he smashed his vehicle into a pole in Binghamton, New York. The damage was quite minor. Jones was hauled into arrest after he refused to take a test to determine his level of intoxication. Two months later, he was given notice that he must pay a fine of $1,000, and his driver's license was revoked for a period of six months.
  • In a similar vein, Jon was embroiled in yet another significant scandal in the year 2014. As a result of his altercation with Daniel Cormier during a press conference for UFC 178, he was fined $50,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NCAC). In addition to that, he was sentenced to perform forty hours of community service.
  • Following allegations made by New Mexico law enforcement early in 2015, Jones was positioned as the prime suspect in a hit-and-run incident. As a consequence, he was unable to compete against Anthony Johnson that year. Because of the incident, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and the UFC also took away his belt as a result of the incident.
  • Jones was also accused of sending homophobic remarks to a fan from Sweden over Instagram in the year 2014, in addition to the previous allegations.
  • In March of 2020, Jon was arrested once more for driving under the influence of alcohol and for reckless use of a handgun.

People Also Ask

What Trauma Does Jon Jones Have?

He admitted in a Twitter tweet that he had removed nearly as soon as it was published that some of the challenges he had faced in his life included major traumatic experiences.
“My life wasn't always great man, being molested as a child, losing a parent and sibling to disease at a young age."

Is Jon Jones The Best MMA Fighter?

Jon Jones, who has won the light heavyweight title twice, is considered by Dana White, president of the UFC, to be the best fighter in the history of the mixed martial arts promotion.

Why Is Jon Jones The Goat?

He holds the record for the most victories in title fights (14), the most victories overall in the light heavyweight division (20), the record for the joint-most successful title defenses in UFC history (11), the record for the joint-most submission victories in the light heavyweight division (5), and the record for the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (18).

Conclusion

Jon Jones, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, is a divisive figure in the mixed martial arts community.
There are others who hold the opinion that "Bones" has been permanently tarnished by his numerous involvements in controversial situations over the course of his career and believe that his legacy has been irreparably damaged.
In the end, though, Jones is one of the best fighters to ever compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon.
Based on his abilities and exploits, he ranks among the greatest in the history of the sport.
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Emily Sanchez

Emily Sanchez

Author
James Pierce

James Pierce

Reviewer
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