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Jon Jones is one of the most polarizing fighters in the UFC today. Some call him the greatest fighter to ever compete in the octagon for his numerous achievements in the UFC. But there are others who consider him a cheater because of his tainted past with failed drug tests, with his antics outside of the octagon not helping his image.
Whether you are a fan or not, it is hard to deny that Jon Jones is one of the most skilled fighters in the UFC today. The 34-year-old showed early signs of greatness when he became the youngest fighter in UFC history to become a champion. Jones was only 23 years old when he defeated UFC veteran Mauricio Rua via TKO at UFC 118 to become the new heavyweight champion.
Since then, Bones' run in the 205-pound division has been nothing short of spectacular. Jones' resume includes wins over MMA veterans like Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, Brandon Vera, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustafsson, Chael Sonnen, Quinton Jackson, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira.
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While running through his opponents in the light heavyweight division, the 34-year-old collected various UFC records. Jones has the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the promotion with 17 wins and one no contest in his last 18 fights.
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'Bones' also has the most victories in UFC title fights with 14 wins in the light heavyweight division.
But all these accolades do not mean that the UFC Hall-of-famer has not faced tough competition. There have been instances when the former light heavyweight champion appeared to be in trouble inside the octagon.
On that note, here are five instances of Jon Jones' invincibility being tested inside the UFC octagon:
#5. Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort at UFC 152
After successfully defending his title against former teammate Rashad Evans, Jon Jones was scheduled to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 152.
The bout showed Jones' impressive will and determination to fight through uncomfortable situations. At one point in the fight, 'The Phenom' caught Bones' arm and wrapped the 34-year-old in a vicious armbar.
It appeared to be the end of Jones' reign as the 205-pound champion but the New York native persevered and got out of the submission. He later finished the Brazilian fighter with a submission of his own.
#4. Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier at UFC 182
Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier is one of the ugliest and most bitter rivalries to ever come out of the UFC. Both fighters have said nasty things about each other in the past and even after DC's retirement from MMA, the rivalry still continues on social media.
Jon Jones, who was coming off seven consecutive title defenses, got lined up against the then-undefeated Daniel Cormier, who many predicted to be his toughest challenge to date. The fight took place in January 2015 at UFC 182.
The 34-year-old, who was supposed to have a tough time against Cormier in the fight, showed his MMA superiority and edged out a unanimous decision win with a score of 49-46 on all three judges' scorecards. The contest was awarded 'Fight of the Night' honors and both fighters took home a bonus cheque.
The infamous rivalry didn't end there. Words continued to be exchanged on Twitter. Cormier won his next four fights whereas Jones only competed (and won) once before the two fighters' second collision at UFC 214.
This time, 'Bones' finished the job left incomplete at UFC 182 by knocking out Cormier in the third round with a head kick and punches. But the result was later overturned to a no-contest due to the 34-year-old turning positive for PEDs. Fans have been asking for a trilogy bout between the two for years, but now that DC's retired, the possibility of a third fight is almost non-existent.
#3 Jon Jones vs Thiago Santos at UFC 239
With one 'Fight of the Night' and two 'Performance of the Night' bonuses in his first three bouts in the 205-pound division, Thiago Santos earned a shot at light heavyweight gold.
Jon Jones had been predicted to run through 'Marreta' but was in for a rough day at work at UFC 239. Despite taking heavy damage to his leg, the Brazilian fighter kept coming at Jones with all his power. The New York native managed to edge out a split decision victory in the fight. Bones' fight against Santos is the only time the 34-year-old lost on a judges scorecard. The three judges scored the fight 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 in the 34-year-old's favor.
#2 Jon Jones vs Dominick Reyes at UFC 247
After coming off one of the toughest fights of his career against Santos, Jon Jones was pitted against the then undefeated Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. This fight turned out to be another tough test of Jones' invincibility as 'The Devastator' went toe-to-toe with the former champion for five hard rounds. Reyes showed signs of brilliance and had success in the earlier rounds, but Jones bounced back in the championship rounds.
The close contest was declared a unanimous decision win for Jones. The result of the fight did not sit well with many MMA fans as many of them believe to this day that 'The Devastator' was the rightful victor of the contest.
This was Jon Jones' last fight in the 205-pound division as 'Bones' later relinquished the light heavyweight title and announced that he will be moving up to the heavyweight division of the UFC.
#1 Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165
No one in the UFC has given Jon Jones a tougher fight than Alexander Gustafsson in the two 205-pounders' first encounter at UFC 165. One of the major reasons why this fight is number one on the list is due to the damage 'Bones' took in the contest, as is clearly visible from the above pictures.
Gustafsson, who was being counted out by many before the fight, rose to the occasion and gave the UFC fans one of the best fights in the promotion's history. But it was 'Bones' who showed the heart of a champion in the final round and ultimately, who took home the spoils of the war as the bout was declared a unanimous decision win in the 34-year-old's favor.
Many people claimed that it was 'the Mauler' who deserved to get his hand raised that night. The iconic fight was later inducted into UFC's 'Hall of Fame.'
The two fighters faced off again at UFC 232 where 'Bones' clearly proved himself to be the better fighter as he took only three rounds to finish the Swedish fighter.
