'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is a polarizing figure in the MMA world.
While many believe that 'Bones' is the greatest mixed martial artist to have ever competed professionally, others are of the opinion that the various controversies he has been involved in over the years have tainted his legacy beyond repair.
However, at the end of the day, Jones is one of the greatest fighters to have stepped foot in the UFC's octagon. He has made his fair share of mistakes, but based on ability and accomplishments, he's right up there with the best to have ever done it.
Here are five reasons why UFC fans believe Jon Jones is the greatest fighter of all time.
#5 Jon Jones is virtually undefeated
With 26 wins and one loss (one no-contest), Jon Jones has one of the best records in MMA history. His record is made even more commendable by the fact that his only loss came via disqualification due to illegal elbows in a fight he was clearly winning (against Matt Hamill in 2009).
Jones has had a couple of controversial wins - while he narrowly edged a split decision against Thiago Santos, his unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes is infamous for its questionable judging. However, on paper, 'Bones' is virtually undefeated and brushed aside his opponents for the better part of a decade.
Other GOAT contenders like Khabib Nurmagomedov can boast of the same, while Georges St-Pierre beat every fighter he was ever pitted against. As an essentially undefeated fighter, Jon Jones can match them step for step and even go one rung above others like Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson and Fedor Emelianenko.
Also Read: 3 reasons why the UFC needs Jon Jones to return
#4 Jon Jones' longevity
Jon Jones made his professional MMA debut back in April 2008, where he recorded a TKO win over Brad Bernard. He hasn't looked back since, and 13 years down the line, he's still at the top of his game.
Jones made his UFC debut with only six professional fights under his belt, and quickly cruised to three wins on the trot. The DQ loss to Hamill was a brief blip on his record, but he recovered quickly to clinch the UFC light heavyweight title in his eighth fight in the promotion. Coming in as a short-notice replacement, 'Bones' dominated Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua to secure a third-round TKO victory.
Since then, every fight involving Jon Jones has had a title on the line. Facing the best in the business, the youngest champion in UFC history reeled off win after win in incredible fashion. His longevity makes him arguably the greatest fighter of all time, and a potential heavyweight run will only further his case.
#3 Jon Jones is arguably the most well-rounded fighter of all time
Does Jon Jones have any holes in his game? His wrestling is right up there with the best in the world, as he proved by becoming the first man in the UFC to take Olympic legend Daniel Cormier down. His striking - especially his Muay Thai - is deadly, with elbows and knees studding a diverse arsenal of attacks.
Jones is 6'4" and has an outrageous 84.5" reach, making him an imposing physical specimen. He has an excellent chin, having survived some of the most dangerous punchers in the game, and absorbed barely any significant strikes until his fight against Reyes.
If you were to create the ideal MMA fighter in a lab, you'd probably end up with someone who bears a striking - no pun intended - resemblance to Jon Jones.
#2 Jon Jones has several UFC and MMA legends on his resume
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua. Rashad Evans. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. Lyoto Machida. Vitor Belfort. Alexander Gustafsson. Daniel Cormier. Glover Teixeira.
If there's one aspect of the GOAT debate in which Jon Jones is head and shoulders above everyone else, it's the quality of competition. Fighting savages right from his introduction to the UFC, the New York native has amassed a resume of several world champions and future Hall of Famers.
Speaking about this, Jones once said while comparing his resume to that of Khabib Nurmagomedov:
"I think Khabib's an amazing fighter. He's done a great job representing UFC. He's a great ambassador for our sport. But if you were to ask some MMA experts about myself and Khabib, I think most people would be able to tell our resumes are completely different. I've fought so many world champions that I've defeated. Khabib, a lot of his victories are against a lot of people that are relatively unknown. I've been fighting legends since I was a young man."
#1 Jon Jones' title defenses and other UFC numbers
Jon Jones' UFC numbers make for astonishing reading. He has the most wins in title fights (14), the most wins in the light heavyweight division (20), the joint-most successful title defenses in UFC history (11), the joint-most submission wins in the light heavyweight division (5) and the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (18).
As mentioned earlier, Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history (23 years and 242 days). His fight against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 has been inducted into the Fight Wing of the Hall of Fame.
These numbers by themselves may not make Jon Jones' case to be greatest of all time, as others like Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson boast of similar accomplishments. But a combination of the various points on this list makes a compelling argument for the 33-year-old to be the best to ever do it.
