Jon Jones is one of the greatest fighters of all time, without question… so why has the reaction to his retirement not been unanimous praise?
To say Jones’ legacy is complicated would be an understatement. His in-cage accomplishments are nearly unmatched: The youngest fighter ever to win a UFC title (he did it at 23 when he beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua). Eight straight light heavyweight title defenses, 11 in total. Won a vacant heavyweight championship and successfully defended it once. Never legitimately lost in 30 pro fights.
And then there are the missteps. His first title reign ended when he was stripped for a hit-and-run conviction in which he fled the scene after colliding with two other vehicles, one containing a pregnant woman. He regained the undisputed title with a spectacular head kick of Daniel Cormier, only to have that result overturned when he tested positive for banned substances.
A close call against Dominick Reyes. A three-year break from competition. No fight with Francis Ngannou. No fight with Tom Aspinall. Legal issue upon legal issue, including a domestic battery charge in September 2021 on the same night he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing.
Again, complicated.
Fans seem to feel the same way as there were a variety of reactions to the news that Jones no longer plans to compete in MMA, not all of them reverential.
Check out what the MMA Fighting community had to say about Jones’ retirement below.
