page_title: Jon Jones
section_title: Debut and rise to contender status
hierarchical_section_title: Jon Jones / Mixed martial arts career / Ultimate Fighting Championship / Debut and rise to contender status
caption_attribution_description: UFC youngest champion Jon Jones and basketball player Glen Davis.
context_page_description: Jonathan Dwight Jones is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he competes in the light heavyweight division. Widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever, he is the former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jones first held the title from March 2011 to April 2015, and then from December 2018 to when he vacated the title on August 17, 2020. Jones also held the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. As of August 19, 2019, he is #1 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
  At age 23, with his victory over Maurício Rua at UFC 128, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history. He holds many UFC records in the light heavyweight division, including the most title defenses, most wins, longest win streak, and most submission victories. During much of his championship reign, Jones has been widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Never stopped nor outscored during his career, Jones's only professional loss is a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill, a result that Hamill and UFC President Dana White dispute.
context_section_description: Jones made his UFC debut against Andre Gusmão at UFC 87 on August 9, 2008. Jones had accepted the deal on two weeks' notice as a late replacement for Tomasz Drwal. He put on an impressive performance, using takedowns and displaying unorthodox striking, such as spinning elbows and a spinning back kick. Jones won by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 30–27).
  In his second UFC match, Jones took on veteran Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 on January 31, 2009. Jones showed superior wrestling abilities, executing strong takedowns as well as throws including a suplex. Again showing unorthodox striking as he had in his debut, Jones secured one of Bonnar's legs and landed a back-elbow that nearly knocked out his opponent during the first round. Although he appeared to tire in the third round, Jones held on to win another unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 29–28) victory.
  Jones's third fight was against Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. Jones controlled the majority of the match and eventually secured a modified guillotine choke, causing O'Brien to tap out. In September 2009, Jones was rewarded for his victories by signing a new, four-fight contract with the UFC.
  On December 5, 2009, Jones fought fellow light heavyweight prospect Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale. Despite dominating the fight, Jones was disqualified for the use of multiple 12-6 elbows. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts prohibited downward elbow strikes, and Jones was initially only penalized a point from the round. However, because Hamill could not continue due to a dislocated shoulder, Jones was disqualified for those strikes. Consequently, the replay simulation was reviewed, and showed that Jones's elbows further damaged Hamill's already bloody and lacerated nose. This marked the first time that Nevada has used its recently enacted instant replay rule, in which the referee's decision was supported by the commission, which utilized a slow-motion replay to review the elbows. UFC president Dana White was aggrieved that referee Steve Mazagatti ruled the bout as a loss for Jones, saying that it should have been a no contest. In 2019, White said he was still attempting to have the result overturned to a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
  Jones fought Brandon Vera on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones. He won the fight by TKO after an elbow to Vera's face followed up with various punches in the first round. The elbow delivered to stop the fight also broke Vera's face in three places. Jones also won the "Knockout of the Night" award.
  Jones defeated former IFL Light Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO with elbows in 1:52 of the first round on August 1, 2010, at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko. Dana White promised Jones a "huge step-up in the competition", if he managed to defeat Matyushenko. Following the match with Matyushenko, White said, "Vladimir Matyushenko is a guy who I have a lot of respect for and I didn't think it was going to happen that easy. Jones is the real deal and he just catapulted himself tonight into the top eight in the world. Tonight solidified it. ... He's got to keep his head together, stay focused and keep doing all the right things in training. He's smart, good looking and bad-ass. He's going to make a lot of money -- this kid is going to do very well."
  After defeating Matyushenko, Jones stated that he wanted a "top-three opponent" for his next fight. Jones mentioned in an interview with Inside MMA that he would be facing the winner of Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader. Reports that Jones had previously been offered a match with Nogueira, but turned it down, turned out to be false. In the Inside MMA interview, Jones also stated that he had been informed by Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta that if he finished his next two fights, he would likely receive a title shot.
  White soon confirmed that Jones would face the undefeated Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader, on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126. Jones handed Bader his first professional loss by defeating him via submission
caption: UFC youngest champion Jon Jones and basketball player Glen Davis in 2010
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