Free Fight! Jones Wrecks Shogun, Makes History

Photo by Al Bello/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Jon Jones has gone on one of the most dominant runs ever as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, earning 11 title defenses, and losing only once in his entire mixed martial arts (MMA) career via disqualification.

But before he earned his first-ever title fight, he had to prove himself, winning his first five fights with his lone loss to Matt Hamill sandwiched in between. And after two years as a UFC pro, “Bones” landed a championship bout against Mauricio Rua at UFC 128.

The action got started fast and early, as both men came out swinging for the fences before Jones scored a takedown just 30 seconds into the fight. After spending the majority of the time fighting off Rua’s submission attempts, Jones was able to pop off some offense with his razor-sharp elbows.

Upon getting back to the feet, Jones was able to tag “Shogun” with a few clean shots, wobbling the former PRIDE FC champion. In round two, Jones landed a silky-smooth spinning back elbow that once again rocked Rua, who did his part to play off the damage by pushing forward. After taking some more damage on the ground, Rua got up like a wounded animal at the end of round two.

In round three, Jones once again scored a nice takedown, punishing the champion on the ground at will. After Rua managed to get back to his feet, he ate a vicious body shot for his troubles which buckled him, followed by a knee to the face to put an end to the fight. With the win, Jones became the youngest UFC champion ever at the age of 23.

Had it not been for his multiple suspensions and out-of-the cage legal incidents, Jon’s resume would be that much more impressive, and his title defense mark would likely be off the charts. “Bones” was most recently seen defending his title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 (see it here).

And while the idea of a rematch was tossed around, it doesn’t seem to be in the cards anytime soon.