5 Best Jon Jones UFC fights

Jon Jones has been a force in the MMA world from the very first day. He took the world by storm with his wins. His height and reach make it difficult for most people to take him on. His use of his elbows in his fights makes it difficult for anyone to take him on, but they have also gotten him in trouble. His one loss came because of the disqualification for the illegal use of his elbows.

His last fight against Cormier saw him recapture the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, however, that did not end well for him.

The fighter's test samples allegedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid in 2017, which saw him stripped of the title and the result of the last fight overturned. Cormier was given the title, and Jones' test samples were confirmed to contain Turinabol. If found guilty of doping, then Jones could be suspended for four years from participation.

With the allegations hanging over his head, it cannot be ascertained when Jones will return to the Octagon. His career till this point has been an immensely successful one, however, and he has had several impressive fights under his belt.

In this article, we will talk about the best five bouts of Jon Jones in the UFC.

#5. Lyoto Machida (UFC 140):

When UFC 140 came around, many people thought that Machida had the exact tools, which were necessary to defeat Jones. The bout started off hot and it looked like Machida might have Jones' number as he clipped him and sent him back with a hard punch.

The first round saw Machida in control, and although Jones was never in real trouble, he could not take the initiative either.

The second round changed the look of the bout entirely, with Jones seeming more confident and able than he had been previously. The fight entered the last minute of the second round, with Machida and Jones battling it out.

Things changed here, with Jones locking in the standing guillotine choke on Machida. The former champion ended up sleeping in the Octagon, while Jones got away with another victory, continuing his run at 15-1.

You can see Machida face Jon Jones at UFC 140 here:

#4 Rashad Evans (UFC 145):

With the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on the line, Jones had a lot to prove in this bout. He had not really been tested as such till that point. He had skated by with his longer reach and ability in the ring.

However, that changed with Evans. Although the bout did not have the back and forth combat that had been expected from it, it was still one, where both men gave it their all.

Evans had been at 17-1-1 himself at that point, however, Jones changed that. Jones proved himself in the match, going the full five rounds and ending up with the win by unanimous decision.

You can see the UFC 145 press conference here:

#3. Vitor Belfort (UFC 152):

Vitor Belfort's bout saw Jon Jones face something in the octagon that he had never faced before. Actual adversity.

The Light Heavyweight Champion faced Belfort when the smaller competitor stepped up to him at a time when not too many others were willing.

From the onset, it looked like Jones' time had come, as Belfort locked in an amazing armbar on him in the very first round. Unfortunately for Belfort, Jones did not tap.

He went on fighting and as time went on seemed to gain more strength. He dominated most of the remaining part of the bout despite having a hurt arm and won in the fourth round with an Americana submission.

You can see the post-match interview of Jones here:

#2. Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165):

The bout saw the first time that Jones was not only tested but taken down as well. Battered, bruised and bloody, Jones looked like anyone else. Battling Gustafsson was a new experience for him, with a fighter having the same sort of reach that he did.

The fight went the full five minutes and saw what many consider to be the best Light Heavyweight Championship bout of all time. Gustafsson seemed to dominate most of the match but was caught by a spinning back elbow in the fourth round. The elbow hurt Gustafsson, and ultimately made the difference between the two fighters, as Jones won by unanimous decision.

You can see the post-match interview here:

#1. Daniel Cormier (UFC 182):

Cormier and Jones' had a lot of bad blood prior to their match, and the intensity of the build-up had been unprecedented. While their rematch two years later has been overturned, at the time Jones did not have any doping controversy attached to his name.

The bout between the two saw both fighters giving solid performances. The match saw them fight in a brutal encounter, as Jones did not fight from the outside, as he had done in previous matches. Jones was the superior striker and grappler in that encounter and ended up with the win, defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship yet again.

The win silenced fans who had doubted him and proved to many that he might be one of the best fighters in the world.

You can see the evident bad blood between the two here: