Jon Jones Seeks to Erase Sole MMA Career Loss Following Rule Change.
Jon Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, is on a mission to remove the only blemish on his professional MMA career—a disqualification that will be rendered obsolete in November.
On December 5, 2009, at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, Jones made his fourth UFC appearance against Matt Hamill. Entering the fight with an unblemished 9-0 record, Jones was a rising star in the UFC.
Jones dominated from the start, quickly taking control of the fight. However, at 4:14 of the first round, he unleashed a series of rapid 12-6 elbow strikes from the full mount position. Referee Steve Mazzagatti intervened and disqualified Jones for the illegal strikes, resulting in the only loss on Jones’s record to this day.
On Tuesday, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) voted unanimously to lift the ban on 12-6 elbow strikes, a rule in place since 2000. The rule change will take effect on November 1, and it will be up to each state’s athletic commission to implement the modification.
Upon learning about the rule change, Jones quickly took to social media to share his thoughts, calling on UFC CEO Dana White to help him expunge the loss from his record.
“Undefeated then, undefeated now,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “@danawhite we need to get that loss taken off the record books.”
Jones initially appealed the fight’s outcome against Hamill shortly after the event. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission chose not to hear his arguments at the time. With the upcoming rule change, Jones sees a renewed opportunity to challenge the lone defeat on his record.
As the rule change takes effect later this year, Jon Jones is poised to renew his efforts to clear the only loss from his professional MMA record. The upcoming modification to the 12-6 elbow strike rule could pave the way for Jones to achieve his goal of officially maintaining an undefeated status in his illustrious career. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how this unfolds and what impact it may have on the legacy of one of MMA’s greatest fighters.
