Jon Jones Biography

Jonathan Dwight Jones, born on July 19, 1987, is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC from 2008 to 2025. Jon Jones held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from 2011 to 2015 and 2018 to 2020, the interim title in 2016, and the Heavyweight Championship from 2023 to 2025. Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history by winning the light heavyweight title at age 23 against Maurício Rua. He was widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world for much of his career and held the #1 pound-for-pound ranking for a record 1,743 days. Between 2015 and 2017, he was involved in multiple controversies that led to the loss of his light heavyweight title on three separate occasions due to disciplinary action. Jon Jones won title fights against Ovince Saint Preux and Daniel Cormier in 2016 and 2017, but both results were invalidated after he tested positive for banned substances and received suspensions. After a three-year absence from MMA, Jones returned in 2023 to claim the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane and retained it until his retirement in 2025.