To date, the only person to defeat Jon Jones in both his MMA career and personal life is, well, Jon Jones. Undoubtedly the greatest UFC light heavyweight fighter of all time, the career of Jones (26-1) is surrounded by controversy, and here’s why.
It was a Hall of Fame-caliber fight. I’m talking about the 2013 bout between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, inducted into this year’s UFC Hall of Fame class. Hours later, Jon Jones gets arrested. The charges? Injuring/tampering with a vehicle (a felony) and misdemeanor battery domestic violence. Jones allegedly got into a scuffle with his wife, pulling her hair, and then head-butted a police car while resisting arrest.
It wasn’t a one-off. Jones is no stranger to trouble with the law. His rap sheet and in-competition suspensions continue to grow. This incident marks his fourth arrest since 2012. His previous three included a hit-and-run and two DUI offenses.
In the octagon, the issues are alarming, too. The lone loss on Jones’ record is by DQ vs. Matt Hamill. Jones dominated the fight with ease but threw an illegal elbow, which cost Jones the bout and his perfect record. Jones’s other violations range from eye pokes to anti-doping violations, and he has been stripped of his championship on multiple occasions.
Jon Jones continues to blemish his reputation despite continuing success as a mixed martial artist. Jones is a legend in the fight game, hindered only by his faults and flaws. But instances are piling up, and, now, Jones’s career is in jeopardy. Will fans ever get to see the long-awaited debut of Jones at heavyweight? The outcome depends on …. (drumroll) … Jon Jones.
