Jon Jones

Jon "Bones" Jones is considered by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. He became the youngest UFC champion in history when he defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title at just 23 years old in March 2011. What followed was one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history — a decade-long stretch in which Jones defeated every elite contender the division could produce.

His fighting style is built on an unprecedented combination of reach, creativity, and fight IQ. Jones weaponised oblique kicks, spinning elbows, and unorthodox striking angles before they became mainstream in MMA. His wrestling pedigree — rooted in a family of elite athletes including two NFL brothers — gives him the ability to control where any fight takes place. His takedown defence sits at approximately 95% across his career, a near-impossible figure given the calibre of wrestlers he has faced.

After vacating the light heavyweight title, Jones moved to heavyweight and defeated Ciryl Gane by first-round submission at UFC 285 in March 2023 to claim the heavyweight belt. He then defended the title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024 with a third-round TKO. His only career blemish is a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill in 2009 for illegal elbows — a fight Jones was dominating. The record book shows 27-1, but the sporting reality is that Jones has never truly been beaten inside the octagon.