Jon Jones was just 23 years old when he became UFC light heavyweight champion in 2011, making him the youngest belt holder in the fight promotion's three-decade history. He looked unbeatable and the sky was the limit, it seemed. But it has been a twisty, sometimes bumpy road for «Jonny Bones» ever since, with a mixture of breathtaking victories and issues away from the Octagon.
Here is a selective timeline of a career filled with high and low points:
April 12, 2008: Jones makes his professional MMA debut at a Full Force Productions event in Boxborough, Massachusetts, beating Brad Bernard by TKO at 1:32 of the first round in a catchweight bout (210 pounds). He will fight again one week later, then one week after that, both stoppage wins.
Aug. 9, 2008: Less than four months after his pro debut, Jones takes a 6-0 record into his first fight in the Octagon, as a replacement on two weeks' notice, and beats Andre Gusmao via unanimous decision in a prelim bout at UFC 87 in Minneapolis. The main event that night pits welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre against Jon Fitch. In the co-main, Brock Lesnar records his first UFC victory, a unanimous decision over Heath Herring.
Dec. 5, 2009: Jones loses! (Technically.) In a bout he is dominating, Jones is disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti for using illegal 12-to-6 elbows that hurt Matt Hamill to the point where he cannot continue. Much controversy ensues, including UFC president Dana White bitterly slinging insults at the ref.
Feb. 5, 2011: Jones submits previously unbeaten Ryan Bader at UFC 126 to improve his record to 12-1 and immediately afterward is informed that, in just over a month, he will replace injured teammate Rashad Evans in a title fight against Mauricio
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