UFC Legends: Jon Jones Fighter Profile

Jon Jones Fighter Profile

• Age: 37
• Weight Classes: Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight
• Years Active (UFC): 2008-Present
• Country of Birth: USA
• Pro MMA Record: 27-1-0
• Knockout Wins: 10
• Submission Wins: 7
• Nickname: Bones
• Championships Won: Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight
• Team: Jackson Wink MMA
• Career Earnings Estimate: USD 14,300,000

Of all the UFC greats we’ve highlighted throughout our legend’s series, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones makes the biggest case for being the one true, undisputed G.O.A.T.  and a favorite among the best UFC betting sites.

The 37-year-old from Rochester, New York, holds a 27-1-0 professional mixed martial arts record. His lone loss came by disqualification for a rule (12 to 6 elbows), which has now been removed. He’s a two-division champion, and at 205 pounds, he held the gold for a record-defying eight straight years.

For the majority of his time competing for the UFC, Jones has been labeled and ranked as the best fighter in the world by several high-profile organizations and publications. With a unique striking skill set, excellent wrestling and grappling, and a level of rarely tested endurance, his name and legacy are etched into the annals of combat sports as one of the greatest ever to do it.

‘Bones’ Jones: Doing What G.O.A.T.S Do  

Tom Brady, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Babe Ruth, and Muhammad Ali can each be accredited for being G.O.A.T.S in their respective sports, but when discussing MMA, the violent nature of the enclosed cage doesn’t allow for many perfect records and record-breaking championship reigns.

Jon Jones is the exception.

‘Bones’ has record-breaking statistics and championship success coming out of his ears. From the longest light heavyweight title reign in history (1,501 days) to being the youngest UFC champion in history, to the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (19) and the most success in UFC title fights ever (15), denying this man of his GOAT status becomes a challenging argument to debate.

In fact, MMA enthusiasts who don’t support Jones’ claim to being the greatest are usually attacking his actions outside of the octagon, which isn’t relative to the sport whatsoever.

If you aren’t already aware (you probably are), Jones and controversy have long held a toxic relationship. He’s been suspended on multiple occasions for various incidents, one of which involves his use of testing positive for PEDs. But if you’ve been around the fight game long enough, you’ll know that performance-enhancing drugs are common in fight gyms, and it’s only because of Jones’ profile and success that he receives significantly more slack than others.

“I’ve made mistakes, but I believe I’m a good person,” Jones said during one of his most recent interviews. “I’m constantly working on becoming a better version of myself, both inside and outside the cage.”

While some of Jones’ extracurricular activities do leave much to be desired, he’s still sat atop the pedestal as one of the most respected and popular fighters in MMA history and today! His prime years are certainly behind him, but at 37, the man who first lifted gold at the tender age of 23 continues to defend his position as a sport champion, albeit in a more dangerous and physically imposing heavyweight division.

Jon Jones: Becoming a Two-Division Champion

As previously mentioned, the violent culture, which is pro-MMA, doesn’t provide many consistents. However, Jon Jones and winning fights have been the norm for sixteen years. We do not include his one loss in such discussions because if that same fight had occurred today, he would’ve legally finished Matt Hamill via elbow strikes.

Jones needed a new challenge after dominating the 205lb weight class between 2008 and 2020. Many claimed that he was ducking the up-and-coming light-heavyweight challengers. Still, when he moved to heavyweight to challenge Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight strap, the haters were forced to find other excuses because he was competing against a young, prosperous striker many believed he couldn’t defeat.

Of course, you know how the story goes… Jones took the heavyweight title, steamrolled his French challenger, and, in turn, became a two-division titleholder.

Some were surprised, but they shouldn’t have been. Yes, Jones hasn’t had dominant performances in all 28 of his pro career fights, but he always wins! And in an incredibly unpredictable and dangerous sport, one familiarity is Jon Jones’ success inside the octagon.

Casual UFC fans might not adhere to Jones’ GOAT status, but most long-term enthusiasts already cemented Jones as the best MMA fighter in history long before he picked up the heavyweight strap after tapping Gane.

Those who refuse to recognize his greatness due to actions outside the cage or his personality have foggy lenses; they don’t see the bigger picture. People lie, but numbers don’t, and once you separate the drama from Jones’ in-cage resume, it’s difficult to make a case for any legend in UFC history challenging ‘Bones’ for the G.O.A.T. title.

Can Anyone Reach the Heights of Jon Jones  

Yes, anything is possible with the fast-rising evolution of mixed martial arts, but when discussing the greatest fighter of all time, Jones is a huge step ahead of any other fighter in history.

Let’s examine the names often mentioned when critics argue against Jones’ pound-for-pound greatest-ever status.

We have the Anderson Silva debate, which was commendable until the Brazilian didn’t know when to call it quits and finished his UFC career with one win from eight bouts.

Then we have Khabib Nurmagomedov, and comparing him to Jones is quite ridiculous. The Dagestani is undoubtedly a legend, but Jones’s championship reign produced more wins than the ‘Eagle’ has UFC fights overall (13).

Conor McGregor is laughable, but some people will argue it. The beloved Irishman has achieved some remarkable records, but most of those include pay-per-view figures and attendance records. McGregor is the G.O.A.T. of microphone skills and marketability, but fighting, not so much.

GSP is the closest challenger to meet Jones for the undisputed G.O.A.T. honors. However, Georges St-Pierre lost to a huge underdog in Matt Serra and suffered a defeat to Matt Hughes. These defeats hold little shame, but at a time when a twenty-something Jones was running through elite opposition such as Rampage Jackson, Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, and Lyoto Machida, I don’t believe the comparisons between ‘Rush’ and ‘Bones’ hold enough weight for the Canadian.

The careers of GSP and Jones are the closest on paper, but the latter is still active, still undefeated, and most of his successful nights in the cage haven’t been close. The most recent lopsided performance over Gane proves that Jones isn’t “one of the greatest”; he is the greatest!

‘Bones’ Jones sets the standard for what every professional fighter should want to achieve, but as of 2024, nobody comes close. The most exciting factor is that he isn’t done yet. As the heavyweight champion defends his newly obtained title, reaching the bar of what he’s achieved will only become more challenging. While his peers will idolize his accomplishments, emulating them is an entirely different story.

And that’s what it takes to become a legend, and not one of, but THE G.O.A.T.

Jon Jones Mixed Martial Arts Accomplishments

The Ultimate Fighting Championship 

• UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time, current)
• UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (Two times, 11 defenses overall)
• Most successful title defenses in UFC history (11)
• Longest Light Heavyweight championship reign in UFC history (1,500 days)
• Most wins in UFC title fights (15)
• Youngest fighter in history to become a UFC champion (23 years old, 2011)
• Longest undefeated streak in UFC history (19)
• Most wins in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (20)
• UFC Fight of the Night (4)
• UFC Performance of the Night (2)
• UFC Knockout of the Night (1)
• UFC Submission of the Night (2)
• UFC Hall of Fame (Fight Wing, Class of 2021)

USA Kickboxing Association

• USKBA Light Heavyweight Champion (One time)

National Junior College Athletic Association

• NJCAA National Champion (2006, 197 pounds)
• NJCAA All-American (2006)

Wrestling (Junior)

• Northeast Greco-Roman Regional Champ (Junior, 2004)