The Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is enjoying a successful career in the promotion. During his meteoric rise to the title and subsequent Championship reign, Jones finishes a bout of 205-pounders in a terrific manner, cementing his status as one of the greatest fighters in the history of MMA. His finishing ability was exceptional during the first half of his UFC journey. In this article, we will tell you about the five most dangerous finishes of Jon Jones in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort
Throughout Jon Jones’ career, there have only been a few moments when he was actually in danger of losing the fight. He found himself in his most precarious position against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, where he almost conceded defeat but made a comeback to earn a spectacular victory. Jones was defending his UFC light Heavyweight title for the fourth time and faced Belfort at UFC 152 in Toronto, Canada.
This bout turned out to be the most entertaining fight of “Bones” career. The challenger caught Jones in an armbar in the early rounds. Jones tried some different moves to get his arm out of danger and eventually resorted to lifting and slamming his opponent to break free. Jones dominated “The Phenom” in the next three rounds and eventually defeated him in the fourth frame, impaling him before forcing the Brazilian to tap with a keylock submission.
Jon Jones vs. Mauricio Rua
After entering the UFC, Jones amassed a 6-1 record to earn the title shot, with his only loss being a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009, a fight where he was dominating before referee intervention. At UFC 128, Bones faced then-UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua.
Mauricio defeated some of the biggest fighters at the time and was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters worldwide. Jones was so young and inexperienced at the time that many believed this to be a mismatch. However, “Bones” silenced all the doubters as he looked to be a step ahead of Rua right from the start of the match. Jones thrashed his opponent with consistent long-range strikes and sharp elbows whenever he stepped into range.
“Shogun” was looking tired and out of ideas going into the third round, with Jones; confidence increasing. Halfway through the round, Jon landed a powerful blow to Mauricio’s body, followed immediately by a knee to the head, forcing the referee to stop the contest. This is still one of the most iconic title-winning performances in UFC history.
Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
After Jones successfully defended his heavyweight title against Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnes, he was viewed as the best fighter around the globe. “Bones” already defended his belt five times, so there was not much excitement leading up to the fight in his sixth championship defense against Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson.
This bout turned out to be arguably the toughest test for Jones. Alexander Gustafsson really pushed Jones to the limit during the fight. Gustafsson outclassed Jones in the first few rounds and even scored a takedown, becoming the first ever fighter to do this against Jon.
At the end, Jones won by a narrow decision and managed to retain his title. Given how tough and competitive the fight was, a rematch was mandatory. Both fighters faced off five years later for the vacant title at UFC 232 and this time Jones dominated the fight. He used his long-range kicks to stop “The Mauler’s” famous boxing in the first two rounds. Jones landed a takedown in the center of the octagon in the third frame and went all out against his opponent before landing hard strikes from top position and securing a statement-making TKO victory.
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 2
Jon Jones’ win in this match is not on the official record, but it is still one of the most brutal in-cage finishes by the champion. The rivalry between Jones and Daniel Cormier is the greatest rivalry in the history of the division. The two first faced off at UFC 182, where Jon outwitted Cormier in every step and won the bout via unanimous decision. “Bones” was then stripped of his title after testing positive for benzoylecgonine. While he was in suspension, “DC” won the light heavyweight title and defended it twice before Jones was cleared to re-enter the competition.
At this point, the bitterness between the two was very high. They carried it back into the main event of UFC 214, where Jones regained his title with a spectacular finish. Cormier made a good start in the rematch and showed considerable improvement and significant adjustments from their first face off.However, Jones showed amazing prowess in the third round as he landed the perfect head kick to stagger “DC” before finishing the fight with a vicious ground-pound.
Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida
Jon Jones is one of the most exceptional fighters in the UFC because of the wickedness he shows in the Octagon. He is especially known for his meanness in the cage and disregard for his opponents, which has led to some surprising results. In particular, his submission win over Lyoto Machida is the best win of his career.
Jones faced Machida at UFC 140 in 2011, with the former looking to defend his title for the second time. Lyoto Machida was considered one of the best strikers in the UFC at the time and was coming off an amazing front-kick knockout victory over Randy Couture,so there was a lot of hype surrounding his match against Jones.
“The Dragon” had a lot of success in the first round, as he catched “Bones” several times whenever he moved forward. He struck Jones’ chin four times in the beginning but was unable to finish the fight. The champion remained safe and kept his distance until the end of the round. The second round began in the same manner, until Jones hit Machida with a hard elbow, leaving a gash on his opponent’s face. He then dropped “The Dragon” with a step-in hook, and as Machida tried to get back on his feet, Jones grabbed a standing guillotine choke.
The champion tightened his grip and pressed the Brazilian fighter against the fence, and referee John McCarthy did a brilliant job of realizing that Machida had been knocked unconscious. As McCarthy stopped the fight and broke Jones’ hold, Machida came crashing to the canvas.
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