History of Jon Jones in Timeline
Jon Jones is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the UFC's Heavyweight division, where he is the reigning champion. Previously a dominant Light Heavyweight Champion, holding the title from 2011-2015 and 2018-2020 (also interim champion in 2016), Jones is widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. As of November 19, 2024, he is ranked #2 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
July 19, 1987: Birth of Jon Jones
On July 19, 1987, Jonathan Dwight Jones was born. He is now known as a professional mixed martial artist.
January 2008: Jones Competes in Grappling Matches
In January 2008, Jones participated in the Northeastern Grappler's Challenge, submitting Doug Fournet twice with a Kimura.
April 2008: Professional MMA Debut
In April 2008, Jon Jones made his professional MMA debut and amassed a 6-0 record in three months, finishing all opponents.
August 9, 2008: UFC Debut
On August 9, 2008, Jon Jones made his UFC debut against André Gusmão at UFC 87 and won via unanimous decision.
2008: Professional MMA Debut
In 2008, Jon Jones started his professional MMA career.
January 31, 2009: Victory Against Stephan Bonnar
On January 31, 2009, Jon Jones fought Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94, securing takedowns and winning by unanimous decision.
July 11, 2009: Victory Against Jake O'Brien
On July 11, 2009, Jon Jones fought Jake O'Brien at UFC 100, controlling the match and winning via a modified guillotine choke.
September 2009: New UFC Contract
In September 2009, Jon Jones signed a new four-fight contract with the UFC after a series of victories.
December 5, 2009: Disqualification Loss to Matt Hamill
On December 5, 2009, Jon Jones fought Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale and was disqualified for using illegal 12-6 elbows.
2009: Jones begins training at Jackson Wink MMA gym
In 2009, Jon Jones began training at Jackson Wink MMA gym under coach Mike Winkeljohn, marking a key step in his career development.
March 21, 2010: TKO Victory Against Brandon Vera
On March 21, 2010, Jon Jones fought Brandon Vera at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones, winning by TKO in the first round and earning the "Knockout of the Night" award.
August 1, 2010: TKO Victory Against Vladimir Matyushenko
On August 1, 2010, Jon Jones defeated Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko in the first round.
February 5, 2011: Submission Victory Against Ryan Bader
On February 5, 2011, Jon Jones defeated Ryan Bader by submission due to a guillotine choke at UFC 126, earning the "Submission of the Night" bonus.
March 19, 2011: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
On March 19, 2011, Jon Jones defeated Maurício 'Shogun' Rua by TKO at UFC 128, becoming the youngest ever UFC champion.
August 6, 2011: Title Defense Sidelined by Injury
On August 6, 2011, Jon Jones was expected to have his first title defense against Rashad Evans at UFC 133, but the fight was sidelined due to a hand injury.
September 24, 2011: Victory Against Quinton Jackson
On September 24, 2011, Jon Jones defeated Quinton Jackson via rear naked choke submission at UFC 135.
December 10, 2011: Victory Against Lyoto Machida
On December 10, 2011, Jon Jones defended the light heavyweight title at UFC 140, stopping Lyoto Machida via guillotine choke technical submission.
2011: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
In 2011, Jon Jones became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
April 21, 2012: Victory Against Rashad Evans
On April 21, 2012, Jon Jones fought and won against Rashad Evans at UFC 145 via unanimous decision.
May 19, 2012: Jones arrested for DUI
On May 19, 2012, Jon Jones was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after crashing his car into a pole in Binghamton, New York. He later pleaded guilty to the charges.
September 22, 2012: Victory Against Vitor Belfort
On September 22, 2012, Jon Jones defended the championship against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152.
2012: Favorite Fight
In 2012, Jon Jones said that the fight against Quinton Jackson was his favorite fight up to that point.
April 27, 2013: TKO Victory Against Chael Sonnen
On April 27, 2013, Jon Jones defeated Chael Sonnen via TKO at UFC 159, tying Tito Ortiz for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC light heavyweight history.
September 21, 2013: Victory Against Alexander Gustafsson
On September 21, 2013, Jon Jones fought Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 and won via unanimous decision, earning the Fight of the Night bonus award.
November 13, 2013: Jones vs Teixeira Card
On November 13, 2013, it was announced that Jon Jones would fight Teixeira at UFC 170, scheduled for February 22, 2014.
February 1, 2014: Initial Date for Teixeira Fight
On February 1, 2014, Jon Jones was initially expected to fight Glover Teixeira at UFC 169, but the announcement was premature.
February 22, 2014: Fight Removed from the Card
On February 22, 2014, the match had been removed from the card.
March 15, 2014: Fight Moved Again
On March 15, 2014, Jones and Teixeira fight was moved again.
April 2014: Jones Responds to Eye-Poking Criticism
In April 2014, Jones responded to criticism about repeatedly poking opponents in the eyes by releasing a mocking video on Instagram, which he later deleted.
April 26, 2014: Victory Against Glover Teixeira
On April 26, 2014, Jon Jones fought Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, and won the bout via unanimous decision.
April 27, 2014: UFC President confirms Jones-Gustafsson Rematch
On April 27, 2014, Dana White confirmed that Jones would have a rematch against Gustafsson, suggesting it could take place in a stadium in Sweden.
June 5, 2014: Jones vs. Gustafsson Rematch Confirmed
On June 5, 2014, the UFC officially scheduled the Jones vs. Gustafsson rematch for September 27, 2014, at UFC 178.
August 4, 2014: Jones and Cormier Scuffle at UFC 178 Promotion
During a promotional event on August 4, 2014, Jones and Daniel Cormier scuffled during an on-stage staredown, resulting in both fighters being restrained.
August 12, 2014: Jones Injured, Fight Postponed
On August 12, 2014, Jones withdrew from the scheduled fight due to a leg injury sustained during training, leading to a rescheduling of the bout.
September 23, 2014: Jones Fined and Ordered to Community Service
On September 23, 2014, Jones was fined $50,000 and ordered to undergo 40 hours of community service by the Nevada Athletic Commission due to the altercation with Cormier.
December 3, 2014: Jones undergoes random drug test
On December 3, 2014, Jon Jones was randomly tested for drugs, with the results coming back on December 23.
December 16, 2014: Jones Signs Sponsorship Deal with Reebok
On December 16, 2014, Jones announced that he had signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok.
January 6, 2015: Jones fails drug test for cocaine metabolite
On January 6, 2015, it was announced that Jon Jones had failed a drug test prior to UFC 182, testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite.
January 19, 2015: Jones speaks about failed drug test
On January 19, 2015, Jon Jones was interviewed about his failed drug test and stated that he was not a cocaine addict and had made a "dumb decision."
April 27, 2015: Jones Sought in Hit-and-Run
On April 27, 2015, Jon Jones was sought by Albuquerque police in connection with a hit-and-run incident where he allegedly crashed into two vehicles and fled the scene.
April 29, 2015: Reebok Terminates Sponsorship with Jones
On April 29, 2015, Reebok terminated their sponsorship with Jones following his involvement in a hit-and-run incident.
May 23, 2015: Jones Removed from UFC 187
Jones was expected to defend his title against Anthony Johnson on May 23, 2015, at UFC 187, but was stripped of the belt and suspended from the UFC indefinitely.
September 29, 2015: Jones pleads guilty to leaving the scene of an accident
On September 29, 2015, Jon Jones pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation, with authorization to travel for work. This allowed him to avoid a felony charge.
October 23, 2015: Jones Reinstated to Active Roster
On October 23, 2015, the UFC announced Jon Jones had been reinstated to the active roster, after his suspension.
2015: Title Stripped After Arrest
In 2015, Jon Jones was stripped of his title and removed from rankings after an arrest for felony hit-and-run charges.
2015: End of First Title Reign
In 2015, Jon Jones' first reign as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion concluded.
April 23, 2016: Jones defeats Saint Preux at UFC 197
On April 23, 2016, Jones defeated Ovince Saint Preux by unanimous decision at UFC 197.
July 6, 2016: Jones Removed from UFC 200
On July 6, 2016, Jon Jones was removed from the UFC 200 bout by USADA due to a potential doping violation.
July 8, 2016: Jones flagged for potential doping violation
On July 8, 2016, Jon Jones was flagged for a potential doping violation after testing positive for clomiphene and letrozole. This led to his removal from UFC 200.
October 2016: Jones Participates in NAGA Tournament
In October 2016, Jones competed in the NAGA no-gi grappling tournament after being called out by fans, winning his matches with various chokeholds.
November 7, 2016: Jones Suspended by USADA
On November 7, 2016, Jones was suspended for one year by USADA, retroactive to July 7.
December 1, 2016: Jones Reveals Having Four Daughters
On December 1, 2016, Jon Jones mentioned in an interview with Joe Rogan that he has four daughters.
December 10, 2016: Jones Submits Henderson
On December 10, 2016, Jon Jones defeated Dan Henderson in a grappling match at Submission Underground 2, submitting him with an arm-triangle choke.
December 2016: Jones admits to fleeing accident scene
In December 2016, Jon Jones admitted in an interview that he had run from the scene of the accident in 2015 and had not checked on the other driver involved.
2016: Victory against Ovince Saint Preux
In 2016, Jon Jones emerged victorious against Ovince Saint Preux, but the victory was cut short by Jones testing positive for banned substances and receiving further suspensions.
2016: Interim Championship
In 2016, Jon Jones was the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
July 29, 2017: Jones Defeats Cormier at UFC 214
On July 29, 2017, Jones defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, recapturing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship via knockout and earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
August 22, 2017: Jones flagged for potential doping violation after UFC 214
On August 22, 2017, Jon Jones was flagged for another potential doping violation by USADA after testing positive for Turinabol following his fight against Daniel Cormier at UFC 214.
2017: Death of Mother
In 2017, Jon Jones' mother, Camille, passed away at the age of 55 after battling diabetes.
2017: Title Bout Result Changed
In 2017, Jon Jones's victory against Daniel Cormier was reversed to a no contest after testing positive for banned substances, leading to suspension.
2017: Turinabol detected
In 2017, an ultra trace amount of turinabol was detected which was attributed to a long-term "pulsing effect" of the M3 metabolite.
September 2018: Jones Receives Suspension of 15 Months
In September 2018, USADA announced that Jones would serve a suspension of 15 months due to anti-doping offences, reduced from a potential 48 months due to cooperation.
October 10, 2018: Jones Returns at UFC 232
On October 10, 2018, it was announced that Jones would return at UFC 232 on December 29, 2018, in a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson.
October 28, 2018: Jones becomes eligible to fight again
On October 28, 2018, Jon Jones became eligible to fight again after serving a suspension. He was scheduled to fight Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232.
December 29, 2018: Jones Wins UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
On December 29, 2018, Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson by technical knockout in the third round to win the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
2018: Second Title Reign
In 2018, Jon Jones began his second reign as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
2018: Championship Reclaimed
In 2018, Jon Jones reclaimed the championship by defeating Alexander Gustafsson after his 2017 suspension was lifted.
March 2, 2019: Jones Defeats Anthony Smith at UFC 235
On March 2, 2019, Jones defeated Anthony Smith via unanimous decision at UFC 235, although he was deducted two points for an illegal knee.
April 2019: Jones allegedly involved in battery incident
In April 2019, Jon Jones was allegedly involved in a battery incident with a cocktail waitress at a strip club in Albuquerque, New Mexico, leading to legal charges.
July 6, 2019: Jones Defends Title Against Thiago Santos
On July 6, 2019, Jones defended his title against Thiago Santos at UFC 239, winning by split decision.
July 21, 2019: Jones charged with battery
On July 21, 2019, Jon Jones was formally charged with battery related to an alleged incident in April 2019 at a strip club in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
September 26, 2019: Jones pleads no contest to battery charges
On September 26, 2019, Jon Jones pleaded no contest to battery charges stemming from an incident in April 2019. He received a deferred sentence and was ordered to avoid further legal issues.
2019: Attempt to Overturn Loss
In 2019, Dana White mentioned he was still attempting to have Jon Jones's loss to Matt Hamill overturned to a no contest.
February 8, 2020: Jones Defeats Dominick Reyes at UFC 247
On February 8, 2020, Jones defeated Dominick Reyes via a controversial unanimous decision at UFC 247, setting a new record for most wins in UFC title fights.
March 8, 2020: UFC Hall of Fame Induction
On March 8, 2020, it was announced that the fight between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing on July 9.
March 26, 2020: Jones arrested for DWI and firearm-related charges
On March 26, 2020, Jon Jones was arrested in Albuquerque for aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, and other charges. He failed a sobriety test and had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit. A handgun and alcohol were found in his vehicle.
May 2020: Jones Disputes with Dana White
In May 2020, Jones had a conflict with UFC President Dana White over pay, leading him to consider vacating his title and targeting a fight with Francis Ngannou.
August 15, 2020: Jones Relinquishes Light Heavyweight Championship
On August 15, 2020, Jon Jones announced he would be relinquishing the Light Heavyweight Championship and moving up to heavyweight.
2020: Title Vacated
In 2020, Jon Jones vacated the UFC Light Heavyweight title.
September 24, 2021: Jones arrested for domestic violence and tampering with a vehicle
On September 24, 2021, Jon Jones was arrested in Las Vegas for domestic battery and tampering with a police vehicle. Police responded to a domestic incident involving his fiancée, Jessie Moses, who had visible injuries. Jones was belligerent and damaged a police vehicle. He was later released on bail.
March 4, 2023: Jones Wins UFC Heavyweight Championship
On March 4, 2023, after over three years away, Jones defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 to win the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship via a guillotine choke, earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
November 11, 2023: Jones Withdraws from UFC 295 Due to Injury
On November 11, 2023, Jones was scheduled to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 but had to withdraw due to a torn pectoral tendon injury.
2023: UFC Heavyweight Championship
In 2023, Jon Jones returned to MMA after three years and won the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Ciryl Gane.
March 30, 2024: Drug-testing agent files police report against Jones
On March 30, 2024, a drug-testing agent, Crystal Martinez, filed a police report alleging that Jon Jones assaulted and threatened her during a visit to his home for a urine sample collection.
April 7, 2024: Jones receives summons for assault and interference
On April 7, 2024, Jon Jones was issued a summons by the Albuquerque Police Department for assault and interference with communications offenses, stemming from the incident with the drug-testing agent.
June 2024: Jones Granted Custody of Son
In June 2024, Jones announced he had been granted 50/50 custody of his son.
July 2024: Jones pleads not guilty to misdemeanor charges
In July 2024, Jon Jones pled not guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and interference with communications offenses, with the bench trial set for August 22, relating to an incident with a drug-testing agent.
October 29, 2024: Jones agrees to anger management classes
On October 29, 2024, Jon Jones agreed to attend four hours of anger management classes to resolve charges related to an alleged assault on a drug-testing agent.
November 16, 2024: Jones wins Fight by TKO
On November 16, 2024, Jones won the fight by technical knockout via a spinning back kick followed by punches in the third round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
November 19, 2024: UFC Rankings
As of November 19, 2024, Jon Jones holds the #2 position in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
