5 times Jon Jones almost lost in UFC (and 1 time he actually did)

Jon Jones is beheld as one of the MMA G.O.A.T.s (Greatest Of All Time). The 37-year-old defends his UFC heavyweight championship against fellow legend Stipe Miocic next. They'll headline UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 16, 2024.

Jones' stellar career has been marked by a number of controversies, be it the NC on his MMA record due to a failed drug test or his multiple run-ins with the law. Regardless, his upcoming fight has been deemed one of the most important ones in combat sports history.

On the eve of the historic fight, today, we take a special look at a few times Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) almost lost, and the one time he actually did!

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#6 Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort

Jon Jones defended his UFC light heavyweight title against former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort, at UFC 152 (September 2012). 'The Phenom' took that fight on short notice and almost submitted Jones with a visibly tight armbar in round one. It's considered the closest 'Bones' came to being stopped in MMA competition.

Watch the armbar below:

Jones somehow survived the submission, gradually outworked Belfort, and submitted him with a keylock in round four. Many believe Belfort should've applied more pressure to break the arm rather than holding position and hoping for a tap. On the Jota Jota podcast in 2023, the Brazilian legend opined he should've tried to hurt Jones, adding that he (Belfort) was a lamb when he should've been a lion.

Both fighters have often been accused of steroid use. Jones tested positive for steroids/PEDs multiple times in the following years. Incidentally, in a 2015 interview with Ariel Helwani, 'Bones' accused Belfort of being on steroids for their 2012 fight.

Jones even indicated that the UFC knew Belfort was using steroids but still let him compete, thereby posing a "hazard" to his life.

Watch Jon Jones' assessment below (45:10):

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#5 Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen

After beating Vitor Belfort, Jon Jones' very next fight came against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 (April 2013). They were rival coaches on Season 17 of the UFC's TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show. Sonnen dominated their verbal battles, but as for the actual fight, he was deemed a massive underdog.

Come fight night, the clash went as many experts had predicted, with Jones out-striking and out-grappling his smaller and older opponent. He secured multiple takedowns and landed vicious ground and pound en route to a first-round TKO victory.

However, heading into his post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan, a celebrating Jon Jones realized that he'd broken the big toe on his left foot. He sat on a stool and winced in pain while speaking to Rogan. 'Bones' said:

"Well, I wasn't planning on breaking my big toe. It's all nasty, man. I was supposed to go to Jamaica after this. Now, I don't think that's going to happen."

Jones had badly injured his toe, almost ripped it off the bone. Apparently, it snapped on the mat during one of the takedown sequences and eventually worsened. The belief was that Jones' injury was so gruesome that if Sonnen had survived round one, the octagon-side physician would've advised the referee to stop the fight and Sonnen would've won via TKO.

Watch Jon Jones' conversation with Joe Rogan after the injury below:

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#4 Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson

After the close shave against Chael Sonnen, Jon Jones' next fight was an all-time classic against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 (September 2013). The Swede matched Jones in both size and skill. His educated jab stifled Jones' striking early on. Gustafsson also displayed exceptional grappling prowess, staving off the American grappling savant's takedown attempts.

That said, Jones staged a championship-caliber comeback in the championship (no pun intended) rounds. He used a vast array of strikes, including devastating elbows, that added to the visibly exhausted Gustafsson's woes. The fight went the five-round distance, and Jones was handed a unanimous decision win.

Judge Doug Crosby scored it 48-47, Judge Richard Bertrand had it 48-47, and Judge Chris Lee saw it as 49-46 -- all in favor of Jones. The back-and-forth match was later inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame 'Fight Wing.'

To this day, many fans assert that Gustafsson deserved the judges' nod in that fight. Their rematch, in December 2018, ended decisively with Jones stopping 'The Mauler' via third-round KO.

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#3 Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos

Thus far, the only fighter in MMA history who's outdone Jon Jones on a judge's scorecard is Thiago Santos. Jon Jones put his UFC light heavyweight championship on the line against striking savant Santos at UFC 239 (July 2019). The fight went the distance. Neither combatant seemed stunned or close to being finished, and both displayed amazing striking techniques.

Ultimately, Judge Mike Bell and Judge Derek Cleary scored it 48-47 each for Jones, whereas Judge Junichiro Kamijo scored it 48-47 for Santos. Jones thereby retained his title via a split decision verdict against the hard-hitting Brazilian KO artist. It was later revealed that Santos' impressive performance came despite his suffering multiple knee injuries during that fight.

On one hand, some fans assert that though the matchup was closely contested, Jones did enough to warrant a points victory. On the other hand, some feel the judges robbed 'Marreta' of a deserved win.

Check out their clash below:

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#2 Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes

After edging past Thiago Santos, Jon Jones put his light heavyweight gold on the line against the then-undefeated Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 (February 2020). Reyes matched Jones in height and possessed the ability to fight well at long range. 'The Devastator' thoroughly outworked the MMA legend in rounds one and two.

Nevertheless, Jones upped the ante in round three and dug deep in an attempt to outwork his foe in rounds four and five. Akin to the Santos matchup, neither combatant seemed in danger of being stopped. Ultimately, Jones was handed a unanimous decision victory. Judge Marcos Rosales and Judge Chris Lee both had it 48-47 each for 'Bones.' Meanwhile, Judge Joe Solis scored it 49-46 for Jones.

The verdict elicited criticism, as many cited Reyes' outstanding showing in the early going. They argued that he'd been wronged by the judges. It ended up being Jones' last fight at light heavyweight, as he vacated the title later in 2020, bulked up during his MMA hiatus, and then made his heavyweight divisional debut in March 2023.

Check out the duo's fight below:

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#1 Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill

Way before Jon Jones captured the UFC light heavyweight or heavyweight championships, he was an undefeated rising star in the organization's light heavyweight division. His first, and thus far only, defeat came during his ascent in the 205-pound weight class when he faced Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighters: Heavyweights Finale in December 2009.

Jones dominated Hamill with his superior striking and grappling prowess. 'Bones' eventually attained the full-mount position and rained down ground strikes on his foe, eyeing a first-round stoppage. Jones appeared to land a couple of 12-6 downward elbow strikes on Hamill.

Referee Steve Mazzagatti intervened, and it was determined that Hamill was unable to continue. The official verdict was that Hamill defeated Jones via DQ (Disqualification). UFC boss Dana White and Jones have long lobbied for that loss to be overturned. Well, the 12-6 elbow rule was recently changed, and there's also been speculation surrounding whether the loss could be overturned.

Speaking of DQs, Jones was almost disqualified after famously landing a knee on a downed Anthony Smith in their light heavyweight title fight's fourth round at UFC 235 (March 2019). Smith could've indicated that the illegal knee incapacitated him and won via DQ. 'Lionheart' continued and lost via unanimous decision despite 'Bones' receiving a two-point penalty for that knee.

Check out their fight below: