Regardless of Controversy, Jon Jones Remains One of the Greatest Fighters of All Time
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This weekend, Jon “Bones” Jones headlines UFC 235 in Las Vegas against the very experienced Anthony “Lionheart” Smith, just two months after defeating Alexander Gustafsson.
With a stacked card on the horizon, I found myself asking a familiar question: what is Jon Jones’ legacy?
Since making his UFC debut on August 9, 2008, Jones has compiled 23 wins with just one loss, a disqualification. By any measure, he is one of the most dominant fighters to ever step inside the Octagon. Ask an MMA fan who belongs on the shortlist of the greatest of all time, and Jon Jones’ name is almost always included based on his UFC résumé alone.
Jones is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, one of those rare fighters who simply feels special to watch. He owns two wins over Daniel Cormier and has dominated the majority of his opponents throughout his career. His physical gifts, fight IQ, and adaptability set him apart in a way few fighters ever achieve. Inside the cage, his greatness is undeniable.
But once you step outside the Octagon, the discussion becomes far more complicated.
The Talent vs. The Turmoil
For a long time, Jon Jones was the ideal champion in the UFC’s eyes. He was marketable, talented, and appeared to be everything the promotion could want in a star. It is no surprise the UFC pushed him as hard as they did. He felt like the perfect storm.
That image began to crack in 2012, when Jones crashed his Bentley Continental GT into a pole in Binghamton, New York, leading to a DUI arrest. Unfortunately, the issues involving cars did not stop there. In 2015, Jones was involved in a hit-and-run accident that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. After briefly returning to the scene, he fled, grabbing money from his rental car. At the time, he was the reigning light heavyweight champion and was promptly stripped of the title.
Then came the failed drug tests and the now-infamous picogram discussions. Jones tested positive for banned substances on two occasions, further muddying the waters surrounding his career. While those issues damaged his legacy for many fans, the Nevada State Athletic Commission concluded there was no scientific or medical evidence proving Jones had an unfair competitive advantage heading into UFC 235.
Defining the Legacy
So when you take everything into account, the dominance, the controversy, the brilliance, and the mistakes, what is Jon Jones’ legacy?
There are two versions of Jon Jones’ legacy: the fighter inside the Octagon and the man outside of it. I’ve gone back and forth on where he ultimately lands, but even with all the baggage, it is hard to deny his place among the greatest fighters of all time.
He is the youngest champion in light heavyweight history, has never lost a championship fight, and his lone defeat came by disqualification, a result many still attribute to a questionable referee decision. Jones has battled personal demons, but considering how young he was when he was thrust into superstardom, it is not shocking that he made serious mistakes along the way.
Separating Controversy From Greatness
As for the USADA issues, I do not believe Jones has taken anything that significantly enhanced his performance. The fighter we see inside the Octagon appears to be the product of rare, God-given talent rather than chemical assistance. When you truly examine his career in its entirety, the controversies do not erase the fact that Jon Jones is a special, one-of-a-kind athlete.
This weekend at UFC 235, Jon Jones continues to build that complicated, fascinating legacy when he steps into the Octagon against Anthony Smith.
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