JON JONES

ATTRIBUTES

OFFENSIVE SKILLS

DEFENSIVE SKILLS

ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES

JON JONES' RIGHT BACK FIST

Level 3—Both Standing, Striking Range

This quick spinning back fist has been known to catch Jones’s opponents off guard, much to their misfortune. Land this unexpected strike from range to rock his foes.

RIGHT SPINNING BACK ELBOW

Level 3—Both Standing, Striking Range

When Bones famously dropped Stephan Bonnar with this epic spinning back elbow at UFC 94, the MMA world collectively sat up and took notice of the UFC’s newest rising star.

JUMPING DOUBLE LEG TAKEDOWN

Level 3—Both Standing, Striking Range

When you tire of battering Jones’s opponents with brutal technique strikes on the feet, dive in for this excellent double leg and drag them to the ground to work some equally vicious ground-and-pound.

STRENGTHS

• Wrestling

• Athleticism

• Unorthodox striking

One of the most dangerous fighters in the world, Jon “Bones” Jones has already risen to superstardom at the young age of 24, having captured the UFC light heavyweight title in his one-sided dismantling of former 205 division champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.

Jones combines his explosive athleticism with his incredible reach and unorthodox striking.

This allows him to catch his opponents off guard with devastatingly fast and powerful blows that they never saw coming.

Bones is nearly impossible to rock with standing strikes, so use his great speed, range, and footwork to keep the fight upright as you pick apart his opponent from ideal distance.

His clinch grappling and wrestling skills are also excellent—grapple with potentially troublesome strikers if you like, taking away their strengths while still leaving Bones with plenty of options for putting his opponent away.

WEAKNESSES

• Ground striking defense

• Ground bottom grappling

• Submission defense

It’s tough to find many weaknesses in Jones’s game, because all of his opponents have failed to do so in the UFC.

The light heavyweight champ is extremely dangerous when striking on the feet or in the clinch, so the best plan is to take him to the mat and struggle to control the accomplished wrestler in the ground game.

He has excellent clinch control and takedown defense, so putting him on his back is easier said than done.

Pressure Bones toward the fence and try to time a short takedown, or use the cage to help you bring him to the ground with a clinch throw.

He’s is vulnerable to ground-and-pound and submissions, but he’s pretty good at escaping from the bottom, so focus on maintaining top position in Open Guard or Mount.

Avoid his Half Guard, however, for he can easily sweep you onto your back from there.

Unleash a bit of conservative ground-and-pound as you struggle to keep Jones on the mat, attacking his body to erode his stamina on your way to setting up a TKO or submission upset.