John White publicly declared John John as the greatest fighter in history.
John "Bones" Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, will defend his title against Cyril Gane at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 11th. This marks Jones' first heavyweight title defense, following his impressive debut in the division earlier this year.
Jones, an American MMA legend, won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in March 2023, after a three-year hiatus focused on bulking up. In his heavyweight debut, he faced Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 and won by submission with a "guillotine" choke in just two minutes, capturing the vacant title that had been left vacant by Francis Ngannou due to contract disputes.
The heavyweight division was a new challenge for Jones, but he dominated the light heavyweight division from 2011 to 2020, setting records for most title defenses (12) and most wins in UFC title fights (14). His victory over Gane was not his first title win after moving up from a lower division; he had previously won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship twice.
Jones' heavyweight championship reign, however, has been somewhat controversial. Ngannou was considered the lineal champion despite being stripped of the belt. Moreover, Jones was criticized for avoiding a title unification fight against interim champion Tom Aspinall, who won the interim belt in 2023. Instead, Jones opted to defend his title first against former champion Stipe Miocic, a decision that was questioned given Miocic’s recent decline and near retirement status.
Jones has faced and defeated every opponent he has faced in the UFC, including a rematch victory over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in 2018 to regain the vacant Light Heavyweight title by TKO. He also defended the title against Anthony Smith in 2019, Thiago Santos in the same year, and Dominick Reyes in 2020, with the Reyes win being notably controversial due to close scoring.
Stipe Miocic, also an American and a former two-time UFC division champion, is Jones' opponent in the heavyweight title defense. Despite some controversy surrounding his title reign, Jones' achievements in the octagon and beyond sports have earned him the respect of UFC president Dana White, who has praised Jones, calling him the greatest fighter of all time. As Jones prepares for his title defense, he is expected to receive the recognition he absolutely deserves.
Jones, an American MMA legend, has defended his UFC Heavyweight Championship against Stipe Miocic, an American and a former two-time UFC division champion, in a title defense that marks his first heavyweight title defense after his impressive debut in the division. Additionally, Jones has a successful history in mixed-martial-arts, having set records in the light heavyweight division and even winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship twice before moving up to the heavyweight division.
