The Jon Jones curse and the state of the UFC light heavyweight division

Jon Jones is no longer the UFC light heavyweight champion. In fact, he hasn't been for some time now since first vacating his title three years ago after defeating Dominick Reyes via controversial unanimous decision. In the aftermath of his departure from the 205-pound weight class, much has changed.

Jon Jones went on to fulfill his destiny by capturing championship gold in the heavyweight division. Meanwhile, the 205-pounders he left behind sought to establish some semblance of order since he left his divisional throne vacant. Unfortunately, there's been anything but stability at light heavyweight.

Three years since Jon Jones took his leave from the division, his former crown remains unclaimed once more. A curious pattern has emerged at 205 pounds, almost as if Jon Jones cursed the division to forever remain in his shadow. With no reigning champion, the situation at light heavyweight is worth examining.

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Jon Jones takes his leave, and a new champion is crowned

It may very well be several years from now before anyone comes close to matching Jon Jones' accomplishments in the UFC light heavyweight division. Perhaps this is partly responsible for the ease with which 'Bones' was willing to relinquish his iron grip on the title.

No other 205-pounder could compare to him. The division scrambling for stability ever since his departure is a testament to that. After he vacated his title, Dominick Reyes carried himself as the uncrowned champion at light heavyweight due to the controversial nature of his loss to Jon Jones.

Many felt that 'The Devastator' was robbed of a deserved win and Jon Jones walked away an undeserved winner. So when he was booked to face Jan Błachowicz, a man no one had ever previously regarded as a future champion, Reyes felt that his future as the divisional titleholder was prewritten in the stars.

Instead, he suffered a crushing TKO loss and the Polish power-puncher enthroned himself as the new light heavyweight champion. For many, however, it didn't feel real enough, and hardly anyone believed that he would reign over the light heavyweight division for any extended period of time.

The irony is that Jan Błachowicz is the only champion in the weight class to successfully defend the title since Jon Jones. Unfortunately, he never did so against a 205-pounder. Instead, he did so against Israel Adesanya, thwarting the middleweight kingpin's dreams of multi-divisional supremacy.

Unfortunately for Poland's first male UFC champion, it would be his last title defense. At UFC 267, he faced Glover Teixeira.

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The scramble for light heavyweight gold

Riding a wave of confidence from handing the previously unbeaten Israel Adesanya his first-ever loss, Jan Błachowicz locked horns with Glover Teixeira. However, his performance left a lot to be desired. He was uncharacteristically timid and tapped to a rear-naked choke in the second round.

While it was a tragedy for Błachowicz, it was the fruit of a lifetime of labor for Teixeira, who became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history. Sadly, his joy was short-lived. He was booked to face Czech samurai Jiří Procházka at UFC 275. Their bout turned out to be a classic that won Fight of the Night honors.

By the end of 2022, it was voted Fight of the Year. It was a bloody, back-and-forth affair with several swings in momentum that showcased the grappler gaining the upper-hand in the striking exchanges, and the striker ultimately prevailing in the grappling sequences, when Procházka submitted Teixeira with seconds to spare.

It was a poetic victory, as the Czech samurai had dethroned his Brazilian foe with the same submission he had used to dethrone Błachowicz: a rear-naked choke. Given the all-action nature of their bout, a rematch was subsequently scheduled. Unfortunately, it never came to be.

Procházka suffered a severe shoulder injury during training. The extent of his injury was such that he opted to vacate his title, as opposed to holding onto it while an interim bout disgraced his reign. With Jiří Procházka out of the mix, the UFC replaced him with the then streaking Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev was at the helm of a 9-fight win streak and represented Dagestan's strongest chance at conquering the 205-pound weight class. Glover Teixeira, however, was displeased with having to face a short-notice replacement that was the polar opposite of a foe he'd spent an entire training camp gameplanning for.

He refused the matchup and was replaced by former titleholder Jan Błachowicz. Thus, neither man scheduled for the original title bout was present for it. To make things more ludicrous, the resulting matchup ended in a controversial draw. The fight was a highly competitive one.

Błachowicz got the better of the striking exchanges by nearly crippling Ankalaev with low kicks. However, the Dagestani turned the tide by outwrestling his foe in the later rounds. But with the bout scored a draw, the light heavyweight title remained vacant.

Eventually, another matchup was scheduled, this time between Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill, whose run of three knockouts sparked some interest in his prospects as a title challenger. At UFC 283, he showcased the full depth of his skill-set by handing the Brazilian a thorough beating.

After five hard-fought rounds, he was crowned the UFC light heavyweight champion. Talk of a potential bout with Jiří Procházka upon his return became frequent, as was the possibility of facing Alex Pereira given the former middleweight champion's then imminent move to light heavyweight.

But just months after capturing the title, Jamahal Hill was forced to vacate it due to a severe Achilles tendon injury. He too, never defended the title, and it is vacant once again. While there's no official announcement about the UFC's plans, rumor has it that Alex Pereira vs. Jan Błachowicz could be upgraded to a title fight.

However, with how chaotic things have been since Jon Jones first left the division, will the winner of the fight even manage to defend the title against a genuine light heavyweight or will 'Poatan' become champion to set up a rematch with Israel Adesanya the next time he decides to move up in weight?

The division is in a state of chaos, and it might not change any time soon.