Photograph credit: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones is a living legend
The term GOAT—Greatest of All Time—gets thrown around far too loosely these days. It seems like every athlete who’s been on the scene for a year or two suddenly crowns themselves with the title. Frankly, it’s absurd when you think about it. True greatness is not built on hype, one viral knockout, or a flash-in-the-pan title run. It’s forged over time, through adversity, consistency, and dominance. And in the UFC, only one man has ticked every box: Jon “Bones” Jones.
In its 30-year history, the UFC has witnessed a parade of talent. Legends have come and gone, flashy, and fierce, but very few have maintained relevance, skill, and superiority across multiple eras. We could list them all, sure. However, much like the list of the top 50 hip-hop artists on Billboard, it quickly becomes more of a popularity contest than a measure of impact. Jon Jones, however, stands outside of that noise.
Despite the chaos that surrounds his personal life, his record speaks louder than any controversy ever could. From his arrival in the UFC at just 21 years old, Jones was special. Unorthodox. Fluid. Dangerous. He wasn’t just winning fights, he was picking apart champions and seasoned veterans with ease. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Daniel Cormier; the list goes on, and none had an answer for him inside the cage.
Jones is more than just a fighter; he’s a tactician, a chess master in four-ounce gloves. His fight IQ is unmatched. Whether it’s using oblique kicks to control range or creatively mixing elbows, wrestling, and spinning attacks, Jones redefined what was possible in the octagon. He made the cage his home, and every opponent a visitor.
The physical gifts are one thing, his reach, his explosiveness, his timing. But it’s his mental warfare that sets him apart. Opponents are often beaten long before the first bell rings. He studies them, exposes them, and then calmly dismantles them in front of the world. And the scary part? He often made it look effortless.
A two-division world champion, undefeated by stoppage in over a decade of UFC competition, and arguably never truly beaten inside the cage—his only loss remains a controversial disqualification in a fight he was dominating. If that’s not GOAT status, what is?
Now, with the move to heavyweight, Jones is chasing something more symbolic. He’s not just collecting belts; he’s collecting legacies. His return against Ciryl Gane was a statement: two minutes and change to dismantle the most technical heavyweight striker on the roster. It wasn’t just a comeback, it was a coronation. Defeating Stipe Miocic in the devastating fashion cementing his legacy evebn further and put Jones in a Mountain Rushmore amongst of some of the most decorated UFC fighter.
The next opponent? Tom Aspinall, widely regarded as an up-and-coming prospect. But while Aspinall’s résumé is good, Jones is on another level. Many believe this is the final stamp on his legacy, the last remaining challenge. Expect Jones to approach this with the same measured ruthlessness he’s known for, and when the dust settles, the conversation around the UFC GOAT will be well and truly finished.
But beyond the belts and title defences lies Jones’s true impact: he changed the sport. Fighters began to train differently, coaches started building strategies with Jones in mind, and fans were introduced to a more cerebral, layered style of MMA. He brought an artistry to the octagon that transcended raw power or bravado. And despite his flaws, no one has done what he’s done, how he’s done it, for as long as he has.
Jon Jones isn’t just a champion. He’s an era-defining icon. His journey may have been rocky at times, but greatness often walks a turbulent path. The cage tells the truth, and in that truth, there is only one GOAT.
