Jon Jones has arguably the best resume in mixed martial arts, holding the UFC record for most title defenses and being a champion in two different divisions. He has numerous iconic and memorable moments in his MMA career, but in this feature we’ll look at his top forgotten fights, long before he became a UFC champion.
A lot of his early fights shaped Jones and expanded his dynamic skill set, which ended up helping him hold numerous UFC records and multiple title reigns.
As his career winds down, it seems apt to look at key fights that got Jon Jones to this point.
Jon Jones’ top 3 best fights from the regional scene
Before Jon Jones’ Hall of Fame UFC career, he was 6-0 with every single one of his regional fights happening in a span of just three months. We’ll look at his top 3 most notable performances below.
He didn’t stay in the regional scene very long, but prior to joining the UFC, Jones competed in various smaller organizations that not many fans will be familiar with today. Here we’ll unearth some of these key bouts that most fans never got to see, and highlight some of Jon Jones’ forgotten fights.
3. Jones’ MMA debut
Jon Jones vs. Brad Bernard, April 12, 2008
It seems fitting that we also start this list where it all began: Jones’ professional MMA debut. This happened back in 2008, in an event called “Full Force Productions: Untamed 20,” where Jones stopped a “barroom brawler” called Brad Bernard.
His debut opponent was 0-2 and nothing to write home about, but Jones did show incredible potential and flashes of what we would see from him down the road. The most notable sequence is the nasty highlight reel suplex that led to the TKO finish in a little over a minute.
Jon Bones Jones vs Brad Bernard (Jones' first pro fight)
2. Jones’ fastest ever knockout
Jon Jones vs. Ryan Verret, May 9, 2008
Jones’ fastest finish in the UFC was a drubbing of MMA vet Vladimir Matyushenko that lasted just one minute and 52 seconds. In the regional scene, a 20-year-old Jon Jones just ran through the much lower competition even quicker.
The fastest ever KO in Jones’ career was on his fourth fight. He took on Ryan Verret (1-3) and dropped him with his very first strike. The fight just lasted 14 seconds.
Jon Jones vs Ryan Verrett
Interestingly enough, Jones also went on to have a quick, 36-second KO over
Parker Porter
in his very next fight. Porter was 2-0 at that time, and unlike Jones’ earlier opponents, he actually went on to become a well respected UFC heavyweight, with eight fights in the promotion. Unfortunately, video of their fight isn’t available online, with clips of this Verrett match just being mistitled for Porter’s.
1. Jones’ final regional fight before the UFC
Jon Jones vs. Moyses Gabin, July 12, 2008.
Jones’ boxing and shot selection still looked a bit unrefined at this point of his career, but this fight really showcased many of the traits and trademark moves we got to see in his UFC career. From multiple takedowns, to nasty spinning elbows, spinning kicks, and jumping knees, his creativity was already in full display in this fight.
Gabin is no slouch either, as he came into this match at 2-1, and eventually went on to have four prelim fights in Bellator. Jones stopped him two minutes into the second round, improving his record to 6-0 and getting him a UFC call up.
Jon Jones was still obviously a bit more green at this stage, but it was easy to see why the UFC decided to sign him immediately after.
Jon Jones Vs. Moyses Gabin
If you notice how the dates on the listed fights are all close together, it’s because Jon Jones incredibly racked up six wins in just three months before joining the UFC. That pace did not slow down much after though. Less than a year into his entire MMA career, a 21-year-old Jon Jones would also end up going 8-0, with two UFC wins against Andre Gusmao and Stephan Bonnar.
Two years and six more fights later, Jones would go on to become the youngest ever UFC champion at just 23 years old.
UFC championship reign: How many title defenses does Jon Jones have?
Jon Jones has the UFC records for most wins in UFC title fights at 15, and most title defenses at 11, having been champion across two divisions.
Jones’ Hall of Fame career saw him have two title reigns plus an interim belt at light heavyweight, where he had 11 overall title defenses, including eight straight at one stretch. He also has one title win at heavyweight, when he finally moved up a division in 2023. Jones never lost a fight during that historic championship run, but the separate title reigns were due to being stripped of the title and suspended due to various issues, drug test failures and arrests.
Jones’ biggest hindrance in his career have been his own actions outside the cage, while his performances inside of it have mostly been very successful.
What is Jones’ next fight?
Jon Jones next fight is against Stipe Miocic at
UFC 309, on November 16, 2024.
In what could very likely be the final fight of his Hall of Fame career, Jon Jones will be defending his title against an all-time great – albeit aging – heavyweight in Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Should this really be the final bout of his career, Jones, despite all his controversies, will surely leave as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.
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