Jon Jones has been inactive in recent years, only competing against Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight belt in 2023, when he won by guillotine in two minutes. Prior to that, Jones hadn’t competed since 2020.
I do feel as though Jones has declined in recent fights. He went to a very competitive decision with both Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes, who are largely two average talents in the light heavyweight division.
Jones has simply been a less effective offensive fighter in recent years. He has only secured one knockdown in his last 43 professional rounds and hasn’t been as effective as a wrestler, either. Despite his success against Gane, who has no real base as a grappler, I am not convinced that Jones can turn back the clock and become his former dominant self, where he would control and smash opponents from top position.
However, Jones has still been a very strong defensive force, which is one of his best attributes, and I do still believe he is capable in that regard.
Jones historically only absorbs 2.22 significant (sig.) strikes per minute, with a 64 percent defensive rate, and he defends takedowns at 95 percent. He’s also been one of the most durable fighters in the sport’s history and has never suffered a knockdown.
There just aren’t many ways to score against Jones.
