Jon Jones

Jonathan Dwight "Bones" Jones is an American mixed martial artist who competed in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions of the UFC, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport.

Born in Rochester, New York, Jones built his foundation on the wrestling mat. He was a standout at Union-Endicott High School, winning a New York state wrestling championship, before continuing his career at Iowa Central Community College, where he captured a national junior college title. That wrestling pedigree became the base for his move into mixed martial arts, where he turned professional in 2008 and signed with the UFC the same year. For the bulk of his career he trained out of Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a camp known for developing technically versatile, adaptable fighters.

Jones's amateur credentials as a state high school champion and national junior college champion translated directly into the cage, underpinning a takedown game and scrambling ability that few opponents could solve. In the Octagon, he became known as one of the sport's most unpredictable stylistic puzzles. An exceptionally long reach let him control distance and strike from angles opponents couldn't answer, while his attack blended spinning strikes, elbows, and oblique kicks with elite wrestling and grappling instincts, making him extraordinarily difficult to hit clean or put on his back.

Jones's highlights include becoming the youngest champion in UFC history when he won the light heavyweight title at UFC 128 against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. He built one of the sport's most decorated title reigns at 205 pounds, defending the belt against elite contenders including Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier. He later moved up to heavyweight and added that title as well, submitting Ciryl Gane

Stats last updated: August 18, 2026