Jon Jones is without a doubt one of the most dominant champions to ever compete in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). At age 23, he became becoming Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) youngest champion ever, has defended his Light Heavyweight title 11 times and has never suffered a true loss inside the Octagon, with his lone defeat coming by way of disqualification to Matt Hamill.
Back in 2008, “Bones” made his official Octagon debut at UFC 87, facing longtime veteran, Andre Gusmao in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, Jones had only six pro fights under his belt on the regional circuit, so no one really knew who he was.
Early on, Jones showed urgency, pushing the pace against a much more experienced foe. But it didn’t take long for Jones to show his all-around arsenal, throwing spinning elbows and unorthodox strikes, though his striking game wasn’t near as polished as it its now, obviously. “Bones” may have been a bit too antsy, as he clipped Gusmao with two illegal blows. Still, that didn’t stop the young 205-pounder from keeping his foot on the gas pedal.
In the end, Jones scored a unanimous decision win, handing Gusmao the first loss of his pro career. Five wins and three years later, “Bones” earned his first ever shot at the UFC title against Mauricio Rua at UFC 128, knocking out “Shogun” in a history-making performance (see it here).
And the rest, as they say, is history.
“Bones” was last seen defending his title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 248 last February. Once UFC resumes its schedule, “Bones” is expected to defend his title against Jan Blachowicz.
Get the latest gear
