Background and career
Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed from 2008 to 2025. During his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he was a two-time Light Heavyweight Champion, holding the title from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020, and held the Heavyweight Championship from 2023 to 2025. He also held the interim Light Heavyweight Championship in 2016. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history with his light heavyweight title victory over Maurício Rua at age 23. He holds many UFC records in the light heavyweight division, including the most title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak. He has also defeated nine different former undisputed UFC champions, the most in history. During much of his championship reign, Jones was widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and spent a record 1,743 days as the UFC's #1 pound-for-pound fighter. Never stopped nor outscored during his career, Jones's only professional loss is a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill; a result disputed by Hamill and UFC president Dana White.
Between 2015 and 2017, Jones was involved in several controversies and lost his light heavyweight title three times as a result of disciplinary action. He was first stripped of his title and removed from the official rankings by the UFC in 2015 after he was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges. His subsequent returns to the UFC in 2016 and 2017 saw him emerge victorious in title bouts against Ovince Saint Preux and Daniel Cormier, but were both cut short by Jones testing positive for banned substances and receiving further suspensions, with the latter reversed to a no contest. After his 2017 suspension was lifted, Jones reclaimed the championship by defeating Alexander Gustafsson in 2018, which he held until voluntarily vacating it in 2020. Jones spent three years away from MMA before returning in 2023 to win the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane and holding it until his 2025 retirement. He was the eighth UFC fighter to win titles in two different weight classes and the fourth to defend titles in two different divisions.
Jones was born on July 19, 1987, in Rochester, New York. At the age of 10, he relocated with his family to the Binghamton area. His father Arthur is a pastor at Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ in Binghamton, New York. Growing up, family life revolved around church, and Jones even sang in the church choir. Arthur discouraged Jon's fighting career, "I wanted him to preach. I tried to discourage him from being a fighter. I told him you don't want to do that. You can do other things. Be a pastor." Jon's mother, Camille, died in 2017 at the age of 55, after a long battle with diabetes.
Jon was one of four children. His older brother Arthur and younger brother Chandler both played in the National Football League (NFL) as defensive ends. His older sister, Carmen, died of a brain tumor before her 18th birthday.
