Jon Jones

Early life

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.

Background

High school

Before beginning his MMA career, Jones was a stand-out high school wrestler at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, New York. As a junior in 2004, he won the Northeast Junior Greco‑Roman Regional Championship at 189-pounds and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the event. That year, he also won the STAC Wrestling Championship and placed third at the NYSPHSAA Division I state championships. As a senior in 2005, he captured the NYSPHSAA Division I state title at 189-pounds, and was named an NHSCA Senior All‑American. Over the course of his high school career, he was a two-time Section IV champion. He also played football as a defensive lineman; due to his slight frame, his coach nicknamed him "Bones".

College

As a freshman at Iowa Central Community College, Jones won a NJCAA wrestling national championship, helped secure the overall team championship, and was named an All-American. After transferring to Morrisville State College to study Criminal Justice, he dropped out of college to begin his MMA career.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Jones made his professional MMA debut in April 2008. He amassed an undefeated record of 6–0 over a period of three months, finishing all of his opponents. In his last bout before signing with the UFC, Jones defeated Moyses Gabin at BCX 5 for the USKBA Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Jones made his UFC debut against André Gusmão at UFC 87 on August 9, 2008. Jones had accepted the deal on two weeks' notice as a late replacement for Tomasz Drwal. Jones won via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 30–27), using takedowns and unorthodox striking, such as spinning elbows and a spinning back kick.

In his second UFC match, Jones took on veteran Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 on January 31, 2009. Jones won the fight by unanimous decision.

Jones's third fight was against Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. Jones won via submission. 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. Jones used his wrestling to dominate Hamill, but was disqualified for the use of illegal 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, Hamill was unable to continue due to his dislocated shoulder. 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 had 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 disqualification, which resulted in 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. Jones won the fight by TKO. 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."

Retirement

Following his title defense against Miocic, Jones expressed disinterest in fighting interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, instead calling out then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira for a superfight. At the post-fight press conference of UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. on June 21, 2025, Dana White announced that Jones had retired from mixed martial arts competition and that Aspinall was the new undisputed champion as a result.

On July 4, 2025, the day after UFC White House was announced, Jones said he re-entered the testing pool and is listed as active on the official UFC website. On March 9, 2026, after the White House card was announced and Jones was not on it, he requested his release from the UFC.

MMA coach

Jones has trained 2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson since Steveson's transition to mixed martial arts in 2025. Steveson decided to pursue MMA after assisting Jones during preparations for his November 2024 UFC heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic.

Jones has also helped train and mentor several other high-profile fighters. He worked extensively with Holly Holm prior to her knockout victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, which earned her the UFC Bantamweight Championship. He also assisted former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski in his preparation for UFC 187, which Arlovski won by TKO over Travis Browne.

Jones previously served as a head coach opposite Chael Sonnen on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen in 2013. He later coached on ALF Reality, a Russian reality fighting series, appearing in its second season in 2025 opposite Jorge Masvidal and its third season in 2026 opposite Daniel Cormier.

Grappling career

2008 Northeastern Grappler's Challenge

In January 2008, Jones participated in the Northeastern Grappler's Challenge in Ithaca, New York. Jones competed in two matches, both against Doug Fournet, whom Jones submitted both times with a 'Kimura'.

2016 North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Tournament

After being called out by some MMA fans at the Europa Games expo in October 2016, Jones decided to take part in the NAGA no-gi grappling tournament, winning both of his matches with guillotines.

2016 Submission Underground (SUG)

Jones agreed to headline the Submission Underground 2 main event on December 10, 2016, against Dan Henderson. Jones and Henderson had been scheduled to fight in the main event at UFC 151 in 2012, but Henderson suffered an injury during training and was forced to withdraw.

In the contest, Jones sumbitted Henderson with just over a minute left in regulation time.

Training

Jones has trained with Team BombSquad out of Cortland, New York, then briefly with the Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada, and most recently at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has also trained in boxing with trainer Patrick O'Connor. During his suspension from the UFC, he trained as a power-lifter.

Jones's training emphasizes versatility, strength, and technical mastery, ensuring he remains dominant. His regimen includes a combination of wrestling drills, striking practice, grappling sessions, and high-intensity functional training, all designed to enhance his overall fight game. To refine his striking and transitions, Jones incorporates pad work, sparring, and clinch drills into his routine. His training also features explosive strength exercises, plyometrics, and agility drills, which boost his speed and power.

During training camps, Jones trains six days a week, balancing intense workouts with active recovery sessions. As the fight nears, he reduces the intensity to give his body time to fully recover. He shifts his focus to honing technical precision and engages in lighter sparring, ensuring he enters the fight in optimal physical and mental condition.

Fighting style

Jones has been described as "one of the most dynamic, innovative, and constantly evolving fighters in the history of MMA" and "perhaps the greatest martial artist ever to step into an octagon". Jones capitalizes on his long range and defensive wrestling to land blows in an unorthodox style.

He employs a diverse kicking technique, favoring front kicks to the body and head, roundhouse kicks to the legs and upper body, and his most known technique, the "oblique kick", a controversial move that targets his opponent's knee. The oblique kick was a technique popularized by Bruce Lee, whom Jones cited as an inspiration.

Jones also excels in the clinch, where he is skilled at controlling his opponent's arms and scoring elbow and knee strikes. He is particularly known for his spinning elbow, which has been clocked at over 900 degrees per second. He uses Greco-Roman wrestling takedowns like lateral drops from overhooks, as well as a variety of judo throws, like osoto gari, harai goshi and deashi harai, which he claims he picked up by watching them on YouTube. Jones has been praised for his positional control and ability to find openings for punches and elbow strikes on the ground.

Personal life

In an interview with Joe Rogan on December 1, 2016, Jones stated that he has four daughters (aged 9, 8, 6 and 3). On February 23, 2022, Jones announced via Twitter that his fiancée Jessie had left him around two months prior. The two have since reconciled, and Jessie accompanied Jones into the cage after he won the heavyweight title at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. In June 2024, Jones announced that he had been granted 50/50 custody over his son, marking the first time he indicated having a son.

Jones said that he was sexually assaulted as a child.

On March 19, 2011, Jones was en route to Great Falls Historic Park in Paterson, New Jersey, where he planned to meditate several hours ahead of his fight against Maurício "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128. He was accompanied by his coaches Mike Winkeljohn and Greg Jackson. As their driver prepared to drop them off, Jones observed an elderly couple screaming for help. The woman informed Winkeljohn that a man had smashed her car window and had run off with her GPS. Jones, along with his two coaches, chased after the robber, caught and tripped him, and held him down until the police arrived.

In January 2025, President Donald Trump extended a personal invitation to Jones for his inauguration, an event Jones attended.

On October 3, 2025, Jones' older brother, Arthur, died at the age of 39.

Business partnerships

In December 2010, Xyience announced that it had signed Jones to an endorsement deal as a brand ambassador.

On August 8, 2012, Jones became the first mixed martial artist to be sponsored by Nike on an international scale. He is also the first MMA fighter to have his own shoe line, and the first MMA fighter to represent Gatorade and MuscleTech in the Octagon. On December 16, 2014, Jones announced that he had signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok. However, on April 29, 2015, Reebok terminated their sponsorship following Jones's involvement in a hit-and-run incident. A day later, Jones also lost his sponsorship with MuscleTech.

On November 4, 2015, Jones signed a sponsorship deal with GAT Nutrition.

In March 2025, it was announced that Jones is a co-owner of "Dirty Boxing Championship". On June 23, Jones announced he had become co-owner and chief performance officer of Ketone-IQ. In September, it was announced Jones had joined 1win as its global ambassador.

Magazine covers

Jones has appeared on the covers of several magazines, including Fighters Only, FIGHT!, Tapout, L'Optimum, Athletes Quarterly, Ultimate MMA and UFC. He was also featured as an athlete in ESPN The Magazine's The Body Issue in October 2011.

Charitable work

In December 2019, Jones donated and handed out $20,000 worth of coats to homeless people in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also partnered with a local charity to give out hot meals and toys to children. In May 2020, Jones donated $25,000 to The Food Depot, an organization dedicated to combating hunger.

In 2020, Jones founded the C.A.R.E. Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the cleanup and beautification of New Mexico. Through his foundation, Jones has launched several initiatives aimed at supporting his community.

After defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, Jones said his $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus would go towards community service in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In February 2025, Jones partnered with Power to the Patients, a healthcare reform group, to advocate for more affordable and accessible healthcare.

Jones, together with 1win Charity, in a global campaign running from December 1–23, 2025, drew over 60,000 participants from 40+ countries and fulfilled more than 100 wishes worldwide, backed by a $100,000 prize fund, including personal gifts as well as community support such as donations to animal shelters and equipping a volunteer rescue team with tools.

Controversies

Eye pokes

Jones has been criticized for repeatedly poking his opponents in the eyes. In response to the criticism, Jones released a video on Instagram in April 2014 in which he mocked fans by simulating crying and saying "Jones put his finger in his eye. Dirtiest fighter in MMA." After backlash towards the post, Jones deleted it from his account.

When asked about the controversy, UFC president Dana White stated, "we've got to stop that stuff. The openings of the hands and putting the hands on the face are something bad, but it happens with guys who have reach. They do that a lot." White clarified his position in another interview, saying, "It's not just taller fighters. Jones has that range and he can do it, but lots of guys do it because that's how you block punches. So you keep your hands open and you slap punches down. Then guys are rushing in and you're doing whatever, and guys get poked in the eyes." White also noted that in the fight against Glover Teixeira, after Jones was warned about the behavior, he was more careful to avoid any eye pokes throughout the rest of the match, a move he claimed Jones "would not [be] credited for" from detractors.

Jones later said in an interview, "I realize that I do it. I realize the criticism that I got from it. It's not on purpose. If you watch my fights, it's me extending my arm in a reactionary way. I do put a hand on people's foreheads to maintain distance. That's what you saw [against] Teixeira, but to say I am purposely poking people in the eye, it's just inaccurate." In 2017, the Unified Rules were amended to prohibit extension of a fighter's fingers towards the eyes of an opponent.

Daniel Cormier altercation

During a promotional event for UFC 178, on August 4, 2014, Jones and Daniel Cormier briefly scuffled during an on-stage staredown, initiated by Jones pressing his forehead against Cormier's forehead, prompting Cormier to shove Jones by the throat, to which Jones responded by throwing a punch. Both fighters were restrained by coaches and event organizers. Later that day during a press conference, Cormier expressed a desire to spit in Jones' face, to which Jones responded by threatening to kill Cormier. UFC chief legal officer Kirk Hendrick said "there are going to be ramifications". In addition, the Nevada State Athletic Commission requested a video copy of the altercation. On September 23, 2014, Jones was fined $50,000 and was ordered to undergo 40 hours of community service by the Nevada Athletic Commission. During the disciplinary hearing, Jones claimed to have lost a six-figure endorsement deal with Nike, but later admitted to fabricating the statement.

Legal issues

Hit-and-run conviction

On April 27, 2015, Albuquerque, New Mexico, police stated that Jones was sought in connection with a hit and run early the previous morning. Jones was alleged to have run a red light and crashed his rental car in a collision involving two other vehicles. Jones allegedly fled the scene of the crash on foot, leaving an injured pregnant woman behind in another vehicle. The incident was witnessed by an off-duty police officer who identified the suspect as an African-American man, wearing a white shirt and dark pants, whom he believed to be Jones. According to witnesses, the man described as Jones then returned to the scene to grab cash from the vehicle before fleeing again. Paperwork found in the rental car was under the name of "Jonathan Jones". Inside the silver Buick SUV, law enforcement found a pipe with marijuana inside of it. Though initially wanted for questioning that could have resulted in a simple misdemeanor, Jones's charges were elevated to a felony on April 27 for injuring a person and purposely leaving the scene of an accident.

An arrest warrant was issued against Jones, and surrender arrangements were made between law enforcement and Jones's lawyers. That evening, Jones turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department. Later that evening, he posted bail of $2,500 and left the Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center. He made a court appearance on April 28 and did not enter a plea. The judge lifted any travel restrictions, and Jones was allowed to remain free, as long as he remained in contact with his lawyer and followed certain conditions. With a pending UFC fight still in his contract, UFC President Dana White and Zuffa owner Lorenzo Fertitta traveled to New Mexico from Las Vegas to meet with Jones in person. That same day, the UFC stripped Jones of the title, removed him from official rankings, and suspended him indefinitely. In a statement released that day, the UFC announced that Jones was stripped from his belt for violating the Athlete Code of Conduct Policy.

Jones apologized to his fans on Twitter by saying, "Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I've let down." On September 29, 2015, he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was subsequently sentenced to up to 18 months of supervised probation. He was authorized to travel for work-related purposes. Jones met all of the conditions, which included 72 separate appearances for charity or youth outreach, avoiding a felony charge on his criminal record. In an interview in December 2016, Jones admitted he had run from the scene of the accident and had not checked on the occupant of the other vehicle.

Domestic violence arrest

In the early hours of September 24, 2021, a day after Jones was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his fight with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, police were called to the Caesars Palace resort hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, responding to a domestic incident. According to a police report obtained by news site MMA Fighting, a 9-1-1 call was made by a hotel security guard when Jones's youngest daughter requested help, saying there was a domestic incident between Jones and his fiancée, Jessie Moses. Police arrived, cutting Jones off as he was attempting to flee. When investigating the room, they observed Moses with blood on her face and clothing, and with a bump on her lip. Moses said that Jones had left the hotel to go out with friends, and when he returned, he became agitated and pulled her hair. She said that the hair pulling was the extent of the physicality between the two, and that the blood on her face and clothing was from chapped lips. She also declined a temporary protective order against Jones. Police stated that while Jones was being detained, he headbutted the hood of the patrol vehicle and made threats, saying he could break free from the handcuffs. Jones was arrested after the investigation, taken to Clark County jail, and was charged with one count of domestic battery, a misdemeanor, and one count of tampering with a police vehicle, a felony. His bail was set at $16,000.

Jones posted bail approximately twelve hours after his arrest and was due to be arraigned in court on October 26. Four days after his arrest, Jones posted an Instagram video of himself lifting weights, with the caption saying "I have way too much trauma to consume alcohol, my brain simply can't handle it anymore. I will leave alcohol in my past forever." Three weeks after the arrest, Jones was banned from entering Jackson Wink MMA gym by his coach, Mike Winkeljohn, where Jones had been training since 2009. On December 16, it was revealed that the domestic battery charge against Jones was dropped. As for the felony tampering with a police vehicle charge, Jones pleaded no contest and was ordered to pay $750 in restitution, attend anger management therapy, and was given a court order to stay out of any and all legal trouble.

Other legal troubles

In the early morning of May 19, 2012, Jones drove his Bentley Continental GT into a pole in Binghamton, New York. Jones was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and was bailed out by his mother. He pleaded guilty to DUI charges and was order to pay a $1,000 fine, install ignition interlocks on all of his vehicles, complete a victims impact class, and had his driver's license suspended for six months.

On July 21, 2019, it was reported that Jones had been charged with battery for an alleged incident in April 2019 involving a cocktail waitress at a strip club in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The waitress claimed that Jones slapped her, put her in a choke hold and kissed her on the neck, and touched her after she had asked him to stop. The bench trial of the case was held on September 26, 2019, where Jones pleaded no contest to the charges and received a 90-day deferred sentence whereby he must avoid arrest, not violate the law, consume no alcohol or drugs and not return to the scene. He was also ordered to pay court fees during his unsupervised probation period, as per the court document.

Jones was arrested in the early morning of March 26, 2020, in Albuquerque. According to police reports, an Albuquerque PD officer heard what sounded like a gunshot and, upon further investigation, observed a black Jeep with Jones in the driver's seat. After noticing signs of intoxication, the responding officer administered a field sobriety test, which Jones failed. Jones was also given a breathalyzer test and registered a BAC more than twice the legal limit. Police then searched Jones's vehicle while arresting him for DWI and found a partially empty bottle of Recuerdo Mezcal as well as a black handgun underneath the driver's seat. Jones was arrested on the scene and taken to the Bernalillo County jail. Altogether, Jones was charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container, and driving with no proof of insurance. On March 31, it was announced that Jones had pleaded guilty to the DWI charge, after accepting a plea deal in which the other charges would be dropped. He was sentenced to four days' house arrest, one year of supervised probation, a minimum of 90 days of outpatient therapy, and he must complete 48 hours of community service.

On March 30, 2024, Crystal Martinez, a drug-testing agent from Drug Free Sport filed a police report stating that Jones allegedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her during a recent visit to his home when she was tasked with collecting a urine sample as part of the UFC's anti-doping program. On April 7, 2024, Albuquerque Police Department issued Jones a summons citing assault and interference with communications offenses. In July 2024, Jones pled not guilty to both misdemeanor charges, with bench trial being set to take place on August 22. Subsequently the trial was postponed until September 26 due to the police officer that responded to the incident could not attend on the original date. On October 29, 2024, Jones agreed to attend four hours of anger management classes to resolve charges.

Failed drug tests

UFC 182

On January 6, 2015, it was announced that Jones failed a drug test prior to UFC 182. He tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine. Because benzoylecgonine is not banned out-of-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the NSAC could not halt Jones from participating during UFC 182. He was randomly tested on December 3, 2014, and results came back on December 23. A week after his first test, Jones was tested again. He passed the second test, which meant that the cocaine metabolite was out of his system before the fight. When the news was made public, Jones went into rehab for one night. He was fined $25,000 on January 17 for violating the UFC's Athlete Code of Conduct policy. On January 19, 2015, Jones was interviewed for the first time since the failed drug test and said: "...I'm not a cocaine addict by any means or not even a frequent user. I just made a really dumb decision and got caught with my pants down in this whole situation."

Prior to his UFC 182 bout with Cormier, Jones's testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio was considered by some experts to be alarmingly low. Victor Conte, a former steroid distributor, who founded and led the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), said of Jones's test "these (levels) are highly suspicious for Jon Jones, in my opinion. This is the reason that sophisticated anti-doping officials do target testing. So based on what we see here, my opinion is Jon Jones should be on a very short leash and should be random tested here until they sort out why he has these anomalies." This resulted in several journalists imploring the NSAC to utilize CIR (Carbon Isotope Ratio) testing on Jones's samples. "Luckily, this is a situation where speculation could quickly be ended. Jon Jones's drug test samples still exist and a simple Carbon Isotope Ratio test could be conducted to find the result. Put simply, a CIR test would be able to determine if the testosterone in Jones's system was synthetic or natural," Brent Brookhouse of Bloody Elbow wrote. However, according to NSAC executive director Bob Bennett, Jones's test samples had already undergone CIR testing by the same WADA-accredited lab which had reported his T/E ratios, noting that all CIR results came back clean. Additionally, he said there were three different types of tests done during each of the random tests: urine, blood testing for human growth hormone and a blood passport test. "The only negative was testing positive for cocaine metabolites," Bennett said.

UFC 200

On July 8, 2016, a urine sample from Jones tested positive for two banned substances, clomiphene, an anti-estrogen substance, and letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, prior to his scheduled championship bout with Cormier at UFC 200. The violation was from an "A" sample collection on June 16, with subsequent testing of the B sample confirming the doping. Both drugs, which are on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned substances list, are described as "hormone and metabolic modulators", which are not allowed to be used in or out of competition. As a result, Jones had to withdraw from the event, and was replaced by former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Throughout the ordeal, Jones maintained his innocence, claiming that he was the victim of a contaminated product that he believed to be Cialis, which was later independently obtained, tested and found to be contaminated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). On November 7, 2016, it was announced that Jones was issued a one-year suspension by USADA following his arbitration hearing, though the panel concluded that Jones did not take the banned substances intentionally, and was not a drug cheat.

UFC 214

On August 22, 2017, it was announced that Jones was flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA, stemming from his test sample that was collected on July 28, one day before his rematch against Cormier at UFC 214. He tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid, and was placed on a provisional suspension as a result of the positive drug test. On September 13, the CSAC announced that it had overturned the result of the fight with Cormier from a KO victory for Jones to a 'no contest', after both Jones's A and B samples tested positive for Turinabol. Jones was also stripped of the title for a third time, and it was then returned to Cormier.

Jones stated that he did not knowingly take any prohibited substances, with his team believing Jones consumed tainted substances. Jones potentially faced up to a 4-year suspension if found guilty, but on September 18 he was handed a 15-month suspension by USADA, retroactive to July 28, plus three months community service. Thirty months were deducted from the four-year suspension because Jones provided "substantial assistance" to USADA. "Substantial assistance" refers to an athlete informing an anti-doping agency about a doping violation by another athlete. USADA said it reduced the suspension by a further three months after a hearing with an independent arbitrator, Richard McLaren, on September 15. Travis Tygart, CEO of USADA, said in a statement: "The independent arbitrator found that Jon Jones was not intentionally cheating in this case, and while we thought 18 months was the appropriate sanction given the other circumstances of the case, we respect the arbitrator's decision and believe that justice was served. This case is another strong reminder that athletes need to be extremely cautious about the products and supplements they use to ensure they are free of prohibited substances."

UFC 232

Jones became eligible to fight again on October 28, 2018, and was scheduled to fight against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in Las Vegas on December 29. However, after further inconsistencies arose with his drug test on December 23, he was not granted a license to compete in Nevada, so the event was moved to Los Angeles. In order to receive a license from CSAC, Jones had to enroll into the VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) testing program, thus making him the first UFC fighter to be signed to both USADA and VADA testing programs simultaneously. Drug tests administered at UFC 232 found an ultra trace amount of turinabol, which doctors attributed to a long-term "pulsing effect" of the M3 metabolite detected in 2017. CSAC did not take disciplinary action against Jones as the medical experts stated that there was no evidence that Jones had re-administered a banned substance and no performance-enhancing benefits were gained.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC Hall of Fame (Fight Wing, Class of 2021) vs. Alexander Gustafsson 1 at UFC 165

UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

One successful title defense

Second longest Heavyweight champion reign in UFC history (840 days)

Most wins in UFC title fights (16)

Most successful title defenses in UFC history (12)

Most UFC title fights (17)

Second most submissions in UFC title fights (4)

Tied (Matt Hughes) for second most finishes in UFC title fights (8)

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (Two times)

Eleven successful title defenses (Overall)

Eight successful title defenses (First reign)

Three successful title defenses (Second reign)

Most successful title defenses in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (11)

Most consecutive title defenses in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (8)

Most successful title defenses in a 12-month period in UFC history (4)

Amateur wrestling

National Junior College Athletic Association

NJCAA 197 lb National Champion out of Iowa Central Community College (2006)

NJCAA All-American out of Iowa Central Community College (2006)

National High School Coaches Association

NHSCA Senior All-American (2005)

New York State Public High School Athletic Association

NYSPHSAA Division I State Championships representing Union-Endicott High School

2004 (189 lb)

2005 (189 lb)

Section IV Championships representing Union-Endicott High School

2004 (189 lb)

2005 (189 lb)

STAC Wrestling Championships representing Union-Endicott High School

2004 (189 lb)

USA Wrestling

Northeast Regional Junior Greco-Roman 189 lb Champion (2004)

Grappling

Submission Underground (SUG) 2 Superfight Champion (2016)

Mixed martial arts record

Reference:

Filmography