Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed from 2008 to 2025. During his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he was a two-time Light Heavyweight Champion, holding the title from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020, and held the Heavyweight Championship from 2023 to 2025. He also held the interim Light Heavyweight Championship in 2016. He is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history with his light heavyweight title victory over Maurício Rua at age 23. He holds many UFC records in the light heavyweight division, including the most title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak. He has also defeated nine different former undisputed UFC champions, the most in history. During much of his championship reign, Jones was widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and spent a record 1,743 days as the UFC's #1 pound-for-pound fighter. Never stopped nor outscored during his career, Jones's only professional loss is a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill; a result disputed by Hamill and UFC president Dana White.
Between 2015 and 2017, Jones was involved in several controversies and lost his light heavyweight title three times as a result of disciplinary action. He was first stripped of his title and removed from the official rankings by the UFC in 2015 after he was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges. His subsequent returns to the UFC in 2016 and 2017 saw him emerge victorious in title bouts against Ovince Saint Preux and Daniel Cormier, but were both cut short by Jones testing positive for banned substances and receiving further suspensions, with the latter reversed to a no contest. After his 2017 suspension was lifted, Jones reclaimed the championship by defeating Alexander Gustafsson in 2018, which he held until voluntarily vacating it in 2020. Jones spent three years away from MMA before returning in 2023 to win the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane and holding it until his 2025 retirement. He was the eighth UFC fighter to win titles in two different weight classes and the fourth to defend titles in two different divisions.
Early life Jones was born on July 19, 1987, in Rochester, New York. At the age of 10, he relocated with his family to the Binghamton area. His father Arthur is a pastor at Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ in Binghamton, New York. Growing up, family life revolved around church, and Jones even sang in the church choir. Arthur discouraged Jon's fighting career, "I wanted him to preach. I tried to discourage him from being a fighter. I told him you don't want to do that. You can do other things. Be a pastor." Jon's mother, Camille, died in 2017 at the age of 55, after a long battle with diabetes.
Jon was one of four children. His older brother Arthur and younger brother Chandler both played in the National Football League (NFL) as defensive ends. His older sister, Carmen, died of a brain tumor before her 18th birthday.
Background High school Before beginning his MMA career, Jones was a stand-out high school wrestler at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, New York. As a junior in 2004, he won the Northeast Junior Greco‑Roman Regional Championship at 189-pounds and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the event. That year, he also won the STAC Wrestling Championship and placed third at the NYSPHSAA Division I state championships. As a senior in 2005, he captured the NYSPHSAA Division I state title at 189-pounds, and was named an NHSCA Senior All‑American. Over the course of his high school career, he was a two-time Section IV champion. He also played football as a defensive lineman; due to his slight frame, his coach nicknamed him "Bones".
College As a freshman at Iowa Central Community College, Jones won a NJCAA wrestling national championship, helped secure the overall team championship, and was named an All-American. After transferring to Morrisville State College to study Criminal Justice, he dropped out of college to begin his MMA career.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career Jones made his professional MMA debut in April 2008. He amassed an undefeated record of 6–0 over a period of three months, finishing all of his opponents. In his last bout before signing with the UFC, Jones defeated Moyses Gabin at BCX 5 for the USKBA Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.
Ultimate Fighting Championship Debut and rise to contender status Jones made his UFC debut against André Gusmão at UFC 87 on August 9, 2008. Jones had accepted the deal on two weeks' notice as a late replacement for Tomasz Drwal. Jones won via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 30–27), using takedowns and unorthodox striking, such as spinning elbows and a spinning back kick.
In his second UFC match, Jones took on veteran Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 on January 31, 2009. Jones won the fight by unanimous decision.
Jones's third fight was against Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. Jones won via submission. In September 2009, Jones was rewarded for his victories by signing a new, four-fight contract with the UFC.
On December 5, 2009, Jones fought fellow light heavyweight prospect Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale. Jones used his wrestling to dominate Hamill, but was disqualified for the use of illegal 12–6 elbows. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts prohibited downward elbow strikes, and Jones was initially only penalized a point from the round. However, Hamill was unable to continue due to his dislocated shoulder. Consequently, the replay simulation was reviewed, and showed that Jones's elbows further damaged Hamill's already bloody and lacerated nose. This marked the first time that Nevada had used its recently enacted instant replay rule, in which the referee's decision was supported by the commission, which utilized a slow-motion replay to review the elbows. UFC president Dana White was aggrieved that referee Steve Mazagatti ruled the bout as a disqualification, which resulted in a loss for Jones, saying that it should have been a no contest. In 2019, White said he was still attempting to have the result overturned to a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Jones fought Brandon Vera on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones. Jones won the fight by TKO. The elbow delivered to stop the fight also broke Vera's face in three places. Jones also won the "Knockout of the Night" award.
Jones defeated former IFL Light Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO with elbows in 1:52 of the first round on August 1, 2010, at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko. Dana White promised Jones a "huge step-up in the competition", if he managed to defeat Matyushenko. Following the match with Matyushenko, White said, "Vladimir Matyushenko is a guy who I have a lot of respect for and I didn't think it was going to happen that easy. Jones is the real deal and he just catapulted himself tonight into the top eight in the world. Tonight solidified it. ... He's got to keep his head together, stay focused and keep doing all the right things in training. He's smart, good looking and bad-ass. He's going to make a lot of money—this kid is going to do very well."
After defeating Matyushenko, Jones stated that he wanted a "top-three opponent" for his next fight. Jones mentioned in an interview with Inside MMA that he would be facing the winner of Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader. Reports that Jones had previously been offered a match with Nogueira, but turned it down, turned out to be false. In the Inside MMA interview, Jones also stated that he had been informed by Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta that if he finished his next two fights, he would likely receive a title shot.
White soon confirmed that Jones would face the undefeated Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader, on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126. Jones handed Bader his first professional loss by defeating him via submission due to a guillotine choke in the second round after dominating Bader in the first round. Jones was awarded the "Submission of the Night" bonus.
Light Heavyweight Champion Immediately after the bout with Bader, it was revealed that title contender and Jones's training partner Rashad Evans had sustained a knee injury in training, and would not be able to compete in his scheduled match with UFC light heavyweight champion Maurício "Shogun" Rua. Jones was told by Joe Rogan in the post-fight interview that he would replace Evans in the fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. On March 19, 2011, at UFC 128, Jones defeated Rua by TKO at 2:37 of Round 3, becoming the youngest ever UFC champion. After an early flying knee that badly hurt the champion, Shogun was dominated throughout the three rounds. A body shot and knee to the head dropped the champion to his knees, causing the referee to step in and halt the match.
Jones's first title defense was expected to be on August 6, 2011, at UFC 133 against Rashad Evans, his former friend and teammate, but Jones was sidelined with a hand injury. It was initially announced that the hand injury would require surgery, but Jones opted for rest and rehabilitation without surgery after further consultations with doctors. Jones's injury was originally thought to keep him out of action until late 2011, but he instead made his first title defense against Quinton Jackson on September 24, 2011, at UFC 135. Jones defeated Jackson via rear naked choke submission at 1:14 in the 4th round. In the process, he became the first UFC fighter to submit Jackson. In 2012, Jones said that this was his favorite fight up to that point.
Jones vs. Evans was in the works for a second time, and a bout was targeted for December 10, 2011, at UFC 140. However, a lingering thumb injury cost another title opportunity for Evans, and Jones instead faced Lyoto Machida at the same event. Jones successfully defended the light heavyweight title at UFC 140, stopping Machida at 4:26 of the second round via guillotine choke technical submission. This was the first submission loss in Machida's career.
Jones faced his arch rival and former teammate Rashad Evans on April 21, 2012, at UFC 145, and won via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, and 50–45). During the UFC 145 post fight press conference, Dana White confirmed that Jones's next opponent would be Dan Henderson. The Jones-Henderson fight was expected to take place at UFC 151, but Henderson pulled out of the bout due to injuries. Jones then refused a late replacement fight with Chael Sonnen after his coach Greg Jackson told him with three training days left, it would be difficult to prepare. UFC 151 was then subsequently canceled, the first cancelation in the company's 19-year history.
Jones's decision to decline the fight against Sonnen was criticized by UFC president Dana White, who said, "This is one of the most selfish, disgusting decisions that doesn't just affect you. This is affecting 16 other lives, their families, kids are going back to school. The list goes on and on of all the things, the money that was spent for fighters to train and the list goes on and on. Like I said, I don't think this is going to make Jon Jones popular with the fans, sponsors, cable distributors, television network executives or other fighters." However, Jones was defended by MMA analysts, who criticized White for promoting a thin card. It was later reported that Henderson was injured three weeks prior to the announcement, but kept the injury under wraps as he was still hoping to compete.