At the tender age of 23, Jon Jones clinched the light heavyweight championship in 2011, setting a record as the youngest titleholder in UFC history. Initially hailed as invincible, Jones seemed destined for greatness. However, his path has been riddled with both heart-wrenching setbacks and exhilarating triumphs.
Jones embarked on his professional MMA journey at Full Force, debuting in Massachusetts, Boxborough with a resounding victory over Brad Bernard via a Total Knockout in the 210-pound catchweight bout. Subsequently, he consecutively secured wins in subsequent matches.
Just four months after his pro debut in 2008, Jones stepped into the Octagon on short two-week notice, sporting a flawless record of 6-0. He faced Andre Gusmao in a preliminary bout at UFC 87 in Minneapolis, triumphing via unanimous decision as a last-minute replacement.
The main event featured Georges St-Pierre, the welterweight champion, squaring off against Jon Fitch, while Brock Lesnar notched his inaugural UFC victory in the co-main event with a unanimous decision victory over Heath Herring. However, on December 5, 2009, Jones suffered a controversial loss despite dominating the fight.
During the match, Jones was disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti for employing illegal 12-to-6 elbows that incapacitated Matt Hamill. The aftermath saw UFC President Dana White embroiled in a public feud with the match official.
