TUF 10 Profile - Jon “Bones” Jones

Age: 22

Record: 9-0 

Before TUF 10 Finale

This kid is the real deal. He is the fastest rising star in the UFC, the most exciting prospect at the 205 lb. weight class and has been heralded by many in the sport as the Lebron James of MMA. His unorthodox throws, kicks and suplexes have driven him to a 9-0 record and he is looking to stay undefeated in his upcoming fight with Matt “The Hammer” Hamill. 

In his last fight at UFC 100 against Jake O’Brien, Jones picked him apart piece-by-piece until O’Brien opened up and Jones finished him with a guillotine choke. The fight prior to that was the dismantling of Stefan Bonner at UFC 94. Jones dominated Bonner from the onset and caught Bonner with the most awkward of spinning back elbows to the head early in the second round. Although unable to finish the fight, Jones walked away with a unanimous victory. 

The scariest thing about Jones is that he taught himself MMA by watching Youtube clips. He is a big young man now training out of Greg Jackson’s camp - arguably the best camp in the game - in New Mexico with the likes of Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and Joe “Daddy” Stevenson.  

Fight with Matt Hamill at TUF 10 Finale 

Jon Jones can have simply one strategy going into this fight and that is to just be Jon “Bones” Jones. Jones will have to stuff a number of takedown attempts but in doing so should look to do damage when he has Hamill in compromising situations.  

The worst thing Jones could do in this fight is play into Hamill’s hand and to try and wrestle with him. Despite being a fairly successful high school and college wrestler, the advantage has to go to Hamill in this area If Jones has one fault it’s that his cardio hasn’t looked like it’s all the way there yet. 

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Jones can be an extremely elusive fighter in terms of takedowns and combined with his superior striking should have the leg-up over Hamill.   

After TUF 10 Finale 

If Jones wins this fight, it should vault him into the top 10 in the UFC light heavyweight division. A fight with someone like a Luiz Cane who was right at the top of the game before a devastating loss to the younger of the Nogueira brothers might be in the cards. 

If Jones is to lose, it would only be the first loss of his MMA career. With the following he is developing there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he will still be in the UFC’s long-term light heavyweight plans.