Jon “Bones”Jones

Jon Jones, born July 19, 1987, in Rochester, New York, is a retired American mixed martial artist best known for competing in the UFC. Nicknamed “Bones,” he is listed at 6 feet 4 inches and built his athletic foundation through wrestling: he won a New York state title at Union-Endicott High School and later captured a junior-college national championship at Iowa Central Community College. Jones made his UFC debut against André Gusmão on August 9, 2008.

Jones became the youngest UFC champion when he defeated Maurício Rua for the light heavyweight title at UFC 128 in March 2011. He later held the UFC light heavyweight championship on two separate occasions, vacated that belt in August 2020, and returned to win the vacant heavyweight championship by submission over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. His final UFC appearance was a heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024. UFC announced Jones’s retirement on June 21, 2025, with the heavyweight title subsequently awarded to Tom Aspinall.

A long-range, adaptable fighter, Jones paired an unusually large reach with wrestling, clinch work, kicks and creative elbow attacks. His approach regularly used distance management to draw opponents into takedowns or varied strikes, including spinning techniques. That blend of length, grappling and unorthodox offense defined his UFC run across the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.