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Fighter Focus
Jon "Bones" Jones
An undisputed top-class fighter in the octagon, considered by many to be the best of all time, but also one of the most controversial figures in the sport due to numerous scandals outside of combat sports: Today in Fighter Focus: Jon "Bones" Jones.
Youth and private life
Born the son of a priest in Rochester, New York, young Jonathan Jones was supposed to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in the church. But Jon, like his three siblings, had other ideas. The Joneses' genes must be athletic, as both of his brothers are professional American football players. He himself also played football in his youth, but began wrestling in college and eventually became a New York State Champion.
Jon studied Criminal Law, which many fight fans might chuckle to themselves, as Jon is said to have found himself on the other side of the law several times during his life. But more on that later...
Rasanter Aufstieg
Durch sein starkes Wrestling begann Jon mit MMA. Nach seinen ersten drei Monaten Kämpfen in niedrigeren Divisions hatte er prompt einen 6-0 Record. So wurde auch die Ultimate Fighting Championship auf ihn aufmerksam und nahm ihn unter Vertrag.
Seine ersten 5 Fights in der UFC gegen Kämpfer wie unter anderem Brandon Vera, Stephan Bonnar oder Jake O'Brien stellten keinerlei Probleme für Jones da, er zeigte Kampf für Kampf wieso er eines Tages bei der Elite mitkämpfen würde und forderte Fights gegen die Top Contender.
Youngest champion of all time
Shortly after his fight against former Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader, it became public that Rashad Evans, a training partner of Jones's at the time and originally fighting for the light-heavyweight title, had suffered a knee injury, prompting a search for a new opponent for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Fast forward: Jon Jones received the title shot and had the opportunity to become the youngest champion of all time.
Jon Jones stopped "Shogun" by TKO in the third round. With this incredibly dominant performance against UFC veteran Mauricio Rua, Jones underscored his seemingly endless potential.
Invincible Champion
Ab sofort wurde der Jäger zum Gejagten. Eine der vollgepacktesten Divisions des Verbandes war von nun von Jones angeführt. Kanten wie Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Chael Sonnen oder der Jones' gut bekannte Rashad Evans bekamen alle die Möglichkeit, Jones vom Thron zu stürzen. "Bones" Extraklasse ließ sie allerdings chancenlos. Der Jüngling zeigte den Veteranen ihre Grenzen auf und etablierte sich langsam aber doch als einer der dominatesten Champions aller Zeiten, trotz des jungen Alters.
Einen "Hall of Fame Fight" lieferte sich Jones anschließened mit dem "Swedish Viking" Alexander Gustaffson. In fünf Runden brutalem Hin und Her gewann Jones nur knapp per unanimous descision. Viele sahen den Schweden als Sieger und werteten UFC 165 als erste inoffizielle Niederlage Jones'.
Rivalität mit Daniel Cormier
A planned rematch against Gustaffson unfortunately fell through due to an injury to the latter, but for fight fans, this marked the beginning of one of the most legendary rivalries of all time: Jon Jones versus Daniel "DC" Cormier. Cormier is another national wrestling champion and even finished fourth for the USA at the Olympic Games in Athens.
However, it wasn't just the two men's high skill set that made the rivalry so special, but rather the sheer unbridled hatred between the two athletes. After fights at press conferences, legendary interviews, and repeated postponements, the fans finally got what they had been waiting for.
Jones won the first fight by clear decision, even knocking down wrestling champion Cormier three times. But even after the fight, the issue wasn't over for either of them: They went to a second fight to settle everything once and for all. It ended as it had to: Jonathan Jones defeated a solid-looking Daniel Cormier in the second round with a surprise head kick from which "DC" couldn't recover. Thus, one of the sport's greatest rivalries ended with the better end for the man from Rochester. A more detailed timeline of the story of these two men will be available soon under "Fight History: Legendary Rivalries"...
Skandalperson
Unfortunately, "Bones" isn't only known for his exceptional performance as a top athlete. Due to his numerous excesses, he's one of the most controversial figures in the sport and has always had a dark side off the octagon, with multiple violations, suspensions, and court cases.
He appears to have suffered from various personality disorders since his youth; outsiders often describe him as a narcissistic sociopath who has difficulty empathizing with others. If anyone would like to learn more, here 's a pretty good video about his personality traits.
He regularly consumed cocaine, especially and unusually frequently in the weeks before fights. He once described it in an interview as a safety mechanism, so he could have an excuse for himself later if he ever lost a fight.
violations of the law
However, his drug excesses also caused significant harm to third parties. He once hit a pregnant woman with his car, causing a DWI (Drunk While Intoxicated) and then fled the scene. During the trial, he frequently mentioned his worries about what he would do next and his fear at the moment of the accident about all the problems that would arise. He never mentioned the fact that he had seriously injured a pregnant woman. He lacked empathy and had a heightened focus on himself, a classic trait of narcissists.
Another particularly gruesome dark side looms over this Jon Jones: domestic violence. He was often violent toward his wife, so much so that his own children called the police. An inexcusable misconduct that rightly caused even many of Jones's oldest and most loyal fans to turn their backs on him.
Legacy
With all the scandals, someone like that may understandably have lost sympathy. That's the life story of this Jon Jones.
However, despite constant suspensions and breaks, he has consistently shown his class inside the octagon in recent years. He came back, became Light Heavyweight Champion again, and defended the title several more times. In March 2023, he celebrated his big comeback, this time at heavyweight against Cyril Gane. He defeated Gane by submission in the first round and cruised to the heavyweight championship in what felt like third gear. He was able to defend this title in style against veteran Stipe Miocic in November 2024. During his final reign as champion, there were repeated calls for a fight against rising star and interim champion Tom Aspinall as the GOAT's final test. However, Jones decided to end his UFC career in June 2025. For Jones haters, this is an argument for fleeing the Aspinall fight.
What remains, however, is mainly gold and glory. The youngest champion of all time, only the ninth double champion, and alongside GSP and Khabib, only the third to retire as a title holder. Jonathan "Bones" Jones has never been defeated to this day and, at least from a purely sporting perspective, is, without a doubt, the greatest of all time.
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