Jon Jones Is Back: Five Greatest UFC Fights of the MMA Legend

• Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson fought twice, with the former prevailing in both of their encounters
• Jones delighted fans with submission wins over Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida
• Jones stamped his class over arch-rival Daniel Cormier in their first meeting

The long wait is almost over.

MMA legend Jon Jones will return to the Octagon this coming Saturday when he squares off with Ciryl Gane for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Before that UFC 285 mega event, let’s look at the five fights that stand out among the others as the best ones in Jones’ UFC career.

1. UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson 1 (2013)

There’s a reason this fight was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020. The UFC light heavyweight title showdown between Jones and Alexander Gustafsson contained non-stop action between the two gladiators.

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Not many expected this UFC 165 battle to be a classic, as fans and pundits didn’t believe Gustafsson was worthy of a title shot. The lanky Swede proved them all wrong, giving Jones, hands down, the most challenging and best fight of his career.

Gustafsson dished some hard shots on the champion, even taking Jones down for the first time. His effort was not enough to sway the judges, who handed Jones the victory via unanimous decision.

UFC President Dana White summed it up best, saying this is the “greatest light heavyweight title fight in UFC history.”

2. UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort (2012)

One of the greatest moments of Jones’ career came in UFC 152 when he faced MMA legend, Vitor Belfort. Jones displayed his incredible power and endurance to beat the fan favorite.

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The win did not come easy for Jones, as Belfort did a masterful job of frustrating the incumbent champion in the early going. The challenger even injured Jones after locking him up with a significant armbar.

That only woke Jones, who secured a submission in the first minute of the fourth round to retain the title.

3. UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida (2011)

The fight between Jones and Lyoto Machida was eagerly awaited by fight fans, with many thinking that the latter had the style to trouble the UFC’s youngest-ever champ.

The contest’s first round was pretty even, but the momentum swung wildly in Jones’ favor in Round 2. Jones stunned the fans in Toronto when he managed to lock the Brazilian into a chokehold until he lost consciousness.

That was the first time Machida lost via technical submission in the UFC, proving once and for all that Jones was a cut above the rest in the light heavyweight ranks.

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4. UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier 1 (2015)

One of the most heated rivalries in UFC history is that of Jones and Daniel Cormier. The former Olympic wrestler successfully transitioned from heavyweight to the light heavyweight division to challenge Jones for the championship.

Given the animosity between the two fighters, the lead-up to their clash was very personal and tense, as expected. Jones was clearly the better fighter when the action began in UFC 182. The judges agreed, giving the champion the win by unanimous decision.

5. UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 (2018)

Given how close their first fight was, it was a surprise that it took five years for UFC to book a rematch.

This time, it was much different, with Jones dominating Gustafsson right from the get-go. His wicked ground-and-pound technique troubled the Swede in the first two rounds.

When Gustafsson suffered a groin injury in the third round, Jones took full advantage. He continued to pound the Swede on the mat before the official intervened and stopped the contest.

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The third-round knockout victory crowned Jones as the light heavyweight champion in the UFC.

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