On Saturday afternoon, UFC president Dana White shocked the MMA world when he announced that UFC heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was retiring.
The news was confirmed shortly after by Jones in a social media post.
Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the UFC. This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years.
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 22, 2025
From the first time I stepped into the Octagon, my goal was to…
“Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the UFC. This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years,” wrote Jones.
Jones entered the MMA scene on April 12th, 2008 in a fight against Brad Bernard at Untamed 20, run by MMA promoter Full Force Productions.
After winning that fight, he reeled off five consecutive wins (4 KOs, 1 submission) before getting the call from the UFC in August of that same year.
He won three straight UFC fights before losing in a controversial decision to Matt Hammill at the Ultimate Fight 10 Finale.
After that blip on his record, Jones never lost again, finishing his MMA career at 28-1 with 11 T/KOs and 7 submissions. That includes becoming the light heavyweight champion and moving up to the heavyweight division in 2023 and winning that belt after submitting Ciryl Gane.
Last November, Jones defended his heavyweight title by knocking out Stipe Miocic, but that was the last time he stepped into the octagon.
While there’s no denying his talents and success in the ring, his life outside of it has been marred by multiple bad incidents.
In May 2012, he was involved in his first high-profile vehicle accident after crashing his car into a traffic pole after partying. He was arrested, fined and had his driver’s license suspended for six months.
In 2014, he and Daniel Jones got into an altercation at the UFC 178 press conference in Las Vegas, after which he was fined $50,000 and sentenced to community service.
In January 2015, after beating Cormier, he checked into rehab only days after testing positive for cocaine before the fight. A few months later, he was involved in a hit-and-run with a pregnant woman. After fleeing the scene, he turned himself in and was given 18 months probation, but was stripped of his light heavyweight title and suspended by the UFC.
A year later, he was accused of being involved in drag racing and was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Over the following two years, he failed two drug tests after beating Cormier, was suspended and had his title stripped yet again.
After that run of poor decisions, he fought four fights, reeling off four straight victories before his 2023 move up to heavyweight.
There’s no denying Jones’ MMA talents and his success in the octagon. His professional fighting career, which includes being one of the youngest champions in UFC history, makes him a surefire Hall of Famer.
