Jon Jones was the biggest story in 2017 not named McGregor. But with controversy surrounding him again, are we questioning his greatness?
Today, Max Holloway’s twelve straight victories in the UFC featherweight division are the benchmark for championship excellence in MMA. He’s ousted several tough, talented, and durable contenders en route to the belt, and dispatched it’s all-time greatest champion (twice) for the right to wrap it around his waist. But years before “Blessed” ever debuted in the UFC, Jon Jones embarked on what remains the best campaign ever by a UFC champion. His numbers speak for themselves. As do his actions. But when laying everything out on the table, is Jones the best of all-time?
To this day, no UFC champion has come close to replicating Jones’ 2011 campaign. He opened the year by taking out then-undefeated Ryan Bader, coming back six weeks later to defeat Brazilian legend Shogun Rua for the belt, then defeated former champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida to defend the title. More impressively, he stopped each opponent.
Everything about the run was impressive. Each opponent was at the elite level at the time. Even now, Bader is a world champion in Bellator and Machida went on to have another title shot at middleweight years later. Throughout it all, he conducted himself as a soft spoken young man with vaunted skills who was passionate about his game and breaking records. At a time when the debate revolved around Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, and Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones had many wondering if he could truly eclipse all of them before his career was done.
He showed no signs of slowing down in the years afterward. He dispatched top contenders like Glover Teixeira and prevailed in high-profile grudge matches against the like of Chael Sonnen and former champion Rashad Evans. His bout with Alexander Gustaffson is regarded as one of the greatest bouts in the history of the UFC and easily the best ever waged in the light-heavyweight division. In 2015, he defeated Daniel Cormier in a five round shut-out that had many wondering if any opponent would ever be able to challenge him.
If measured by those years alone, then Jones case as the best ever is well presented. His talent was never in question. His ability to utilize his reach and overwhelm opponents with strikes from unorthodox angles was unstoppable, and he faced the best competition available who could have proved otherwise.
As has been well documented, that was far from the end of the story for Jon Jones. In late 2014, Jones tested positive for cocaine before the fight with Cormier. Because it was not considered a banned substance, the bout could not be cancelled and when Jones was tested again before the fight there were no traces of it in his system. Later in 2015, he made headlines for a hit-and-run incident involving two other vehicles, one containing a pregnant woman. His actions drew great criticism as he fled the scene then returned for items in his vehicle before fleeing once again.
The UFC would go on to strip Jones of his title due to the incident and Cormier would go on to defeat Anthony Johnson to win the light-heavyweight belt. It would be over a year until Jones would be scheduled to challenge DC for his old title, with one fight against Ovince Saint Preux in the interim due to an injury by the champion. Just days before the fight with Cormier at UFC 200, Jones was pulled from the event for a doping violation and the criticism began to rain down that he had self-sabotaged what was arguably the greatest career in MMA history.
Jon Jones was able to appeal that he had received a tainted sexual performance enhancer, an explanation unbefitting of an all-time great to say the least. He served a year suspension, and in July returned to finally face Cormier. UFC 214 was set up to be his ultimate redemption. He had served his punishment and now had to defeat the best fighter in the division who was hungry to avenge his only career loss.
Jones overcame a brilliant tactical performance by Cormier to finish the fight in the third round. When it was over, there were great expectations. After finally overcoming personal demons, it was believed that Jones would finally resume adding to his already impressive legacy by defending his title and moving up to challenge champion Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight belt.
His demons re-emerged, in what was now an all too familiar pattern. A month after the fight, Jones was flagged for another doping violation and his victory was overturned to a No Contest. He was once again stripped of the title and Cormier is champion once again. The case is still on-going, but Jones could face a four year suspension if found guilty. Considering the circumstances of his last violation, even his most ardent defenders have found it difficult to argue how he could have let himself become victim to a tainted supplement a second time.
Jones was the biggest story in mixed martial arts not named Conor McGregor in 2017, and his reign of dominance began years before the public and the UFC had ever even heard of “The Notorious.” Once upon a time, Jones was the young phenom who looked as if he would achieve the great potential that was predicted for him. Today, his personal shortcomings appear to be a more formidable challenge than any faced inside the cage.
Are Jon Jones’ victories and accomplishments diminished because of personal decisions outside of competition? Is his greatness measured through a different lens because he couldn’t handle the pressures of stardom? Like any debate in sports about who was the greatest, perhaps it is just a matter of opinion. The greatest hope for those who enjoy mixed martial arts is that Jon “Bones” Jones can return one day to showcase his phenomenal skills, and that Jonathan Dwight Jones the man can overcome the personal demons that plague him.
