Jon Jones’ only defeat was a controversial disqualification for an illegal move that Dana White tried to overturn
Jon Jones is arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history.
At UFC 309 on Saturday night, Jones can cement his GOAT status with a win over legend Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title clash for the ages.
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'Bones' enters the legacy bout with a 27-1 record and one no contest in 29 career fights, with the one blemish on his record being a controversial disqualification loss.
That lone defeat came to Matt Hamill in The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in 2009.
Jones dominated in what was just his third UFC appearance, controlling Hamill, dislocating his shoulder on a takedown, and hammering him with ground and pound.
However, the future two-time Light Heavyweight champion was disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti after landing a series of illegal '12-6' elbows on Hamill's face.
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A 12-6 elbow is an MMA strike where a fighter lifts their elbow as high as possible from a 12 o’clock position and drives it straight down into six o’clock with maximum force.
It was originally put in place to protect fighters from taking those types of shots to the back of the head or spine. However, it was only enforced by whomever was refereeing a bout during the UFC’s early years, meaning a final decision was always subjective in terms of the trajectory of the downward elbow.
Mazzagatti originally took a point from Jones but called the fight off after he couldn't get a response from Hamill, who had blood in his eyes and was born deaf. It was eventually ruled a disqualification victory for Hamill and Jones was handed his first and only career loss.
“He definitely didn’t lose this fight, and I definitely didn’t win, but I guess the rules are there for a reason," Hamill said at the time.
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"It is what it is. I went into this fight feeling like my record was actually 9-1, so with this so-called win, I will now consider my record 9-2.”
According to UFC CEO Dana White, it was an outcome that "shouldn't have happened."
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"It shouldn't have happened that way. He shouldn't have a loss, so it's unfortunate," White told media the time.
"It was a downward elbow, you take a point," White added. "Hamill couldn't continue because his shoulder was messed up. It had nothing to do with the elbow."
"Why the fight was stopped had nothing to do with the elbow," White said.
"If he had been gashed open and the fight couldn't continue, or broke his nose and couldn't continue - anything to do with the face or anything to do with an illegal strike - then I'd get it. But it didn't. He couldn't continue because of his shoulder. That should have never had been the call."
Mazzagatti was eventually removed from the regular rotation of UFC referees. White said he still considers Jones an undefeated fighter.
“I mean realistically — if you look at all the people that he’s fought, he’s never lost a fight,” White said on The Jim Rome Show. “It kills me that, that one [loss] is on his record. 26-1.
“You have to understand for the people that don’t know, this was during a time when the Nevada State Athletic Commission was very weak and there was a referee in there that stopped the fight and called Jones the loser in that fight. A fight he was dominating and should have been finished. Instead of disqualifying Jones, they should have stopped the fight. Jones really should be 27-0.”
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The UFC head honcho also admitted he tried to get the decision overturned but had no luck convincing the Nevada Athletic Commission to change Jones' record.
"I fought hard to get that one taken off his record but I haven’t been able to get it done," White revealed.
“It’s horrible. It’s a referee that I said a million times should not even be in the octagon [refereeing]. But what are you going to do?”
The 12-6 elbow is no longer outlawed in the UFC. If Jones vs Hamill went down today, 'Bones' would not have received the DQ.
The ban on the move was lifted ahead of UFC Fight Night 246, which took place in Edmonton, Canada, at the start of November.
Jones has been seen practising the one move that cost him his undefeated record ahead of his heavyweight title defence against Miocic this weekend.
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Both fighters have hinted at retirement following the bout.
It would be quite the story if Jones' final UFC win came via a move that once cost him a perfect MMA record.
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