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Having a long and successful MMA career while remaining undefeated is almost impossible. Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) is perhaps the only fighter who has managed to reach the top, stay at the top and then retire from the sport undefeated. However, that is a rarity in the world of MMA fighting. All other great fighters, such as GSP, Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson, have suffered at least one defeat in their careers.
One of the most famous and controversial defeats in the MMA world is certainly the defeat of Jon Jones. His only defeat came in late 2009, when he was disqualified in a match against Matt Hamill. That match has remained the subject of much debate, and many believe that the defeat should not have been recorded as official at all. Jones dominated the entire fight and was undoubtedly the better, but in the end he crossed the line.
A controversial moment
Namely, in the fight against Hamill, Jon started hitting illegal "12-6" elbows, after he couldn't finish the fight the way he wanted. Referee Steve Mazzagatti soon stopped the fight, and Jones was disqualified. Although he dominated the entire match, he was forced to leave the fight due to his illegal strikes.
Many today believe that Jon Jones was not actually defeated, because they are convinced that disqualification is not the right way to register a defeat. But Demetrious Johnson, one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, disagrees. Appearing on the Jaxxon podcast, Johnson stated that Jones actually lost because he broke the rules.
Johnson believes that regardless of the circumstances, a disqualification is still a legitimate way to record a loss.
"Whether you win by a second or by five miles, a win is a win," Johnson said, adding that even though this great UFC fighter wasn't knocked out, breaking the rules earned a loss.
This debate about whether or not Jon is truly undefeated really boils down to whether or not we accept the disqualification as a true defeat. Jones was dominating at that moment, but with his actions he lost his concentration and ultimately made it difficult for himself to win.
English (US)