Jon Jones nickname: Why is the former UFC champion called 'Bones'?

Jon Jones has used the nickname 'Bones' for a very long time now, but how did the former UFC champion get the name? Jones has stated that everyone used to call him 'Bones' during his high school football days.

The nickname was a reference to Jones' small frame, with the former champion stating that he only weighed 170lbs at the time, despite being 193cm tall.

Jones was a defensive lineman at Union-Endicott High School and kept the nickname when transitioning into MMA as an homage to his high school football career.

Watch 'Bones' speak about his nickname here:

However, Jon Jones has also stated that his initial nickname when entering professional MMA was going to be very different. In a rather embarrassing Tweet, back in November 2020, Jones stated that his nickname was going to be 'Sexual Chocolate' instead of 'Bones'.

This sounds crazy, considering that the former light-heavyweight champion's nickname is now one of the most iconic in all of MMA. See Jones' Twitter confession below:

The nickname is now just as prevalent as his real name, which can be seen on his social media profiles. On Twitter and Instagram, Jones uses the handle @JonnyBones and has his name set to Bony on both platforms. The former UFC champion's full government name is Jonathan Dwight Jones.

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When did Jon Jones make his professional MMA debut and whom did he fight?

Jon Jones made his professional MMA debut back in 2008 and faced Brad Bernard at Full Force Productions: Untamed 20. The bout was a very low-key affair and his opponent never competed in professional MMA after facing 'Bones'.

He rose to the UFC relatively fast, fighting just six times as a professional before making his organizational debut in late 2008 against Andre Gusmao at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy. 'Bones' beat Gusmao via unanimous decision after three rounds of fighting.

Watch Jones' debut here:

Jon Jones was only 21 years old when making his UFC debut. The American would remain unbeaten until facing Matt Hamill in his fourth fight for the organization. In the contest, the referee deemed 'Bones' to have delivered an illegal elbow causing the fight to be stopped and declared a loss for Jones.

So far, this is the only loss on Jones' professional MMA record, with just one no-contest against Daniel Cormier after testing positive for a banned substance following the bout.