Jon Jones (22-1 1 N/C) is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title holder and one of the greatest mixed martial arts competitors of all time. Following yet another suspension, Jones will return to battle for the promotion’s vacant 205-pound belt opposite Alexander Gustafsson in the main event at UFC 232 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on Dec. 29. The clash is a rematch of their September 2013 UFC 165 “instant classic,” from which Jones emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
As we approach the eagerly-awaited title fight, here are five things that you might not know about controversial ex-champ:
His brothers are also athletes.
“Bones” is not the only talented sportsman in the Jones family. His older brother Arthur is a former National Football League defensive lineman. The 320 lb behemoth’s eight-year NFL tenure saw him turn out for the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins. Younger brother Chandler has also forged a successful NFL career. The respected defensive end currently plies his trade with the league’s Arizona Cardinals. He previously played for the New England Patriots (2012-2015).He was the youngest UFC divisional champion ever.
The then 23-year-old Jones was 6-1 in the UFC when he fought Mauricio Rua, the promotion’s light heavyweight champ at UFC 128 in March 2011. The challenger ran roughshod over the Brazilian belt holder, dominating him from the get go. Halfway through the third round, “Bones” ended proceedings with a body shot and knee to the head. With the TKO triumph, Jones became the UFC light-heavyweight champion, and the youngest UFC divisional champion of all time. He would go on to defend the belt a record eight times before being stripped following a well-publicised hit-and-run incident. His title reign of 1,501 days remains the longest in UFC light heavyweight history.He has an exceedingly long wingspan.
Being 6-foot-4, one would expect the Jackson-Wink MMA representative to have a reach in the 75-78 inch range. However, the rangy pugilist boasts a remarkable 84.5 in reach. The only UFC fighter with a reach as long as ‘Bones’, is 7 ft heavyweight, Stefan ‘Skyscraper’ Struve. The cerebral Jones has used his enormous wingspan to devastating effect in many of his bouts.He was an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler.
Rochester, New York, native Jones is an accomplished wrestler. During his high school days at Union-Endicott High School, the talented athlete garnered a reputation as a Greco-Roman phenom. His high school wrestling accolades include a 2005 Greco-Roman state championship and becoming a NHSCA Senior All-American that same year. After graduating, Jones attended Iowa Central Community College, where he continued to have success on the wrestling mat. In 2006, he won the NJCAA Junior Collegiate Championship and became a NJCAA All-American.His only loss was via disqualification.
Across 24 professional appearances, Jones has only lost once. That sole defeat came against Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter” 10 Finale in December 2009. Jones, who was 3-0 in the UFC at the time, was in dominant form, brutalizing his opponent on the feet and mat. However, “Bones” was disqualified for utilising multiple, illegal 12-6 downward elbows on his grounded and mounted opponent. Since that first-round disqualification loss, Jones has competed a further 14 times for the Las Vegas based promotion, winning 13 with one no contest.We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.