Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is an American martial arts fighter who competes in the UFC. He’s widely regarded as one of the best UFC fighters of all time. Despite the fact that his career is nearing its end, Jones is actively working on a final fight between his arch-nemesis Stipe Miocic.
His incredible accomplishments have brought Jones millions in revenue over the years. He’s become a kind of a cultural icon for the UFC, who often uses him in heavyweight fight posters. He’s a significant figure in martial arts, and no matter how his career ends, Jones will be set for life.
Early Life
Jon Jones is a UFC and MMA legend, and also a major UFC betting favorite at most betting sites. No matter the opponent or challenge before him, bookies are sure Jones is a heavy favorite. That was the case before when he fought the legend Daniel Cormier, and will definitely be the same when he faces Stipe Miocic in the last fight of his career. That might be a fight against Tom Aspinall instead, as the Englishman is the interim champ. Nevertheless, you can expect bookies to offer top betting odds on Jon Jones in the last fight of his career, hopefully by the end of this year.
Before he was a UFC betting favorite and champion, Jon Jones was born as Jonathan Dwight Jones on July 19, 1987. He was raised beside three siblings. His father was a pastor, and sports became a big thing in their family. Three of Jon’s brothers became professional football players. Jon himself was a member of the high school wrestling team, earning a state champion medal. Medals would keep on counting later during his UFC career, with many bettors picking him as the favorite in nearly any fight he took part in.
As for his nickname Bones, he earned it after joining the high school football team. He may be big now, but in high school, Jones had a skinny physique. His football coach called him Bones, and the nickname stuck. He later attended the Iowa Central Community College, but dropped out due to his love of MMA.
Rise in the UFC
Jon Jones set his mind on pursuing a career in MMA. He joined the UFC in 2008. Disaster struck just one year later in 2009, when he was disqualified from a fight for using elbow strikes. However, UFC’s boss, Dana White, saw something in Jones and raised his voice. He and many experts stated that the controversial decision in the fight against Matt Hamill should have been a ‘no contest’ instead of Jones’ loss.
Despite the drawbacks, Jones continued working on his physique and moves. Success followed just years later. In 2011, he became the UFC’s youngers champion. He defeated the legendary Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua to take the title at the age of 24. He was scheduled to defeat his belt at the UFC 145 in 2012. He was supposed to fight Dan Henderson, who withdrew in the last minute. Legendary UFC fighter Chael Sonnen was announced as the alternative, but Jones refused to fight him.
As a result, the whole UFC 145 event was cancelled. Dana White criticized Jon Jones for making fighters lose money. Jones stood his ground and eventually fought later, defeating Alexander Gustaffson to retain his title. A new star was born. Jon Jones became the UFC’s darling, earning millions in the process. He was later scheduled to fight Daniel Cormier, but tested positive for a drug which resulted in another fight stripped.
Jones never backed down. He returned to the UFC in 2018 and continue to excel. He won fights in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, winning, against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Dominick Reyes, and Ciryl Gane.
In 2023, he was set to fight Stipe Miocic for the undisputed heavyweight belt. He pulled out the fight due to an injury, but vowed to fight Miocic later for a final fight before he sets the gloves down.
Net Worth
Jon Jones has had a lot of backing from major companies during his career. He was the first MMA fighter to be sponsored by Nike. Years later, he has his own shoe line. Jones also entered into a sponsorship deal with Gatorade, bringing his total net worth in excess of $3 million.
Personal Life
It’s fair to say that Jon Jones’ personal life has been controversial. He’s had legal issues on and off the court. In 2012, he crashed into a pole on a road, resulting in a DUI arrest. Three years later, he ran a red light with his rental car, abandoning the scene. The crash resulting from that incident saw a pregnant woman injured.
In 2019, he was charged with battery for assaulting a waitress. Just a year later, police were responding to a shots fired violation, finding a drunk Jon Jones behind the wheel of a vehicle. He also had a handgun in his possession. For this incident, he was charged with aggravated DWI and possession of a firearm, resulting in house arrest.
Undeniable Legacy
Despite the legal issues, Jon Jones is living his best life. His lavish lifestyle and reported net worth that may be over $3 million allows him to life a comfortable life. No matter how the final fight of his career ends his legacy in MMA and the UFC is undeniable. He’s the best heavyweight fighter of all time, and he’ll have a chance to prove it against either Stipe Miocic or Tom Aspinall very soon.
