Who is Jon Jones, the best and most controversial fighter in the history of the UFC

In contrast to his clear success in sport, Jones’ career has not been the most exemplary in non-sporting terms. Numerous arrests, positives for drugs and the traffic accident with a pregnant woman in which he fled are facts that stain his legacy. Lately, Bones, as he is nicknamed, seems to be calmer, so his next fight against Stipe Miocic on November 16 at UFC 309 may be an attempt to overshadow the controversies of the past.

Jon Jones came to the UFC when he was just 21 years old. Despite his young age, he soon made his mark in the light heavyweight category (205 pounds or 92.9 kilos). After three wins in a row, the American received his first ‘defeat’. He was disqualified for using illegal elbows on his rival in a fight he was winning. Today, that hit is totally legal in the company. This did not demotivate him, as he added three more consecutive victories and obtained the starting opportunity. At 23 years old, he faced Maurício Rua for the championship, achieving a finish and becoming the champion youngest in history of the UFC.

He defended successfully three more times, but the fame and money in such a young person made his head not bear it. On May 19, 2012, at the age of 24, his first controversy came. He crashed his car and was arrested for driving under the influence. He then spent almost three years calm, and took advantage of the time to continue accumulating defenses in historic fights like the one he had with Alexander Gustafsson. After having retained his belt seven times, a legendary rivalry would begin with Daniel Cormier. In this first chapter, Jones obtained the victory and his eighth defense, but here the darkest episode of the New Yorker.

2015 was a year to forget for the American champion. His scheduled fight against Anthony Johnson was canceled due to a traffic accident. This was not just any incident, but the then light heavyweight champion, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, injured a pregnant woman and he fled. This put a turning point in his career. He was stripped of his belt and earned a one-year suspension. Upon his return he regained the belt against Ovince St. Preux.

New suspense for Jones

Everything seemed to have returned to normal, Bones was going to face Daniel Cormier again, however, two days before the fight he tested positive for doping substances, being eliminated from the poster. A year later he returned, and finally the long-awaited revenge could take place. Although Jones won again, and this time decisively, a few days later it was discovered that he tested positive for steroids again. Dana White, the president of the UFC, decided to classify the fight as a No Contest (null result), return the title to Cormier and suspend again to Jones.

After a year he put on the gloves again for the rematch against Alexander Gustafsson. With a TKO in the third round, Jon Jones would begin his second journey as 205-pound champion. He would get three more defenses, the last being, against Dominick Reyes, a very controversial decision. In August 2020 he announced that he was leaving the title vacant to move up the ranks and seek new challenges in the heavy weight.

After three years and tough salary negotiations with Dana White, Jon Jones returned at UFC 285 against Ciryl Gane, a promising young athlete in the new category. In less than two minutesJones showed why he is called the best in history, subduing Gane and winning the heavyweight championship.

In November of that same year he was scheduled to face Stipe Miocic, the fighter with the most championship victories in the UFC’s heaviest division, but he injured his shoulder and was out for more than a year. A year later, that long-awaited fight has been rescheduled for this UFC 309, a duel that, despite arriving late for some, is going to write a page in the MMA history books.