Jon Jones is one of the biggest names when it comes to the UFC and MMA in general. Owing to numerous impressive records, and a career full of achievements, Jones has firmly set his position in the GOAT conversations as well. That said, his resume has always been a topic of great controversy.
For those unaware, Jon Jones (27-1-0-1 NC) holds a largely unblemished UFC and MMA record spanning across nearly 30 fights over 16 years. As such, many will notice that despite controversies, and a no-contest against Daniel Cormier in 2017, Jon has managed to achieve a lot in his career. Being the youngest UFC champion and holding the previous record for the largest reach, Jones has many accolades under his belt.
As such, there has often been talk about his losses, notably the disqualification loss to Matt Hamill which has been discarded from the memories of diehard fans of the fighter. At the same time, a lot of attention was brought to his losses during his high school wrestling days to Matt Riddle, who is largely known for his stint in the WWE but was also a former UFC fighter.
Jon Jones debunks high school wrestling loss to Matt Riddle
Previously, pictures of Matt Riddle and Jon Jones standing next to each other on podiums after college tournaments started doing rounds on the internet. As such, many sources surmised that Jones owing to his standing had lost to the former UFC and WWE star on two separate occasions. Considering that Riddle had done what no other man had been able to do in the UFC, it was a matter of great discussion.
That said, during a spell of recent social media activity, Jon Jones once again began interacting with the fans. Amid all this, the pictures and assumed loss to Matt Riddle were also brought up. Naturally, Jones was quick to dispel the rumors, revealing that he had never even faced Riddle in competition.
Some of these guys will say anything for clout. If you actually did your homework, you would realize I never actually wrestled Matt Riddle. I wrestled Jack Sullivan in the semi finals (04) and lost, than went on to beat Jack our senior year to win the New York State high school… https://t.co/vy7jDXUYKk
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 17, 2024
“Some of these guys will say anything for clout. If you actually did your homework, you would realize I never actually wrestled Matt Riddle. I wrestled Jack Sullivan in the semi-finals (04) and lost, than went on to beat Jack our senior year to win the New York State high school wrestling championships like a boss”
Thus, whilst Jon Jones never even faced Matt Riddle, he did lose to a fellow competitor by the name of Jack Sullivan, who he ended up beating during their senior year. Interestingly, Riddle has often commented on having wrestled alongside Jones, yet never dispelled or denied the rumors of having beaten or even facing him in competition.
Was Jon Jones as dominant a college wrestler as he is in the UFC?
For the most part, by now it is common knowledge that Jon Jones is one of the most dominant fighters that the UFC has ever seen. Over the years, the cornerstone of this domination was his elite wrestling skills. At first glance of his UFC and MMA career, many will see that Jones has won 17 of his fights (10 KO/TKO, 7 sub) by way of finishes. However, what they do not see is how Jones would use his wrestling to take down his opponents before imposing his will on them.
Prior to his transition to MMA, Jones was a top prospect as a high school wrestler and a state champion at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, New York. Further, he also won a NJCAA wrestling national championship at Iowa Central Community College. It was his success at the high school and college levels that further pushed him to delve into the world of MMA. Over the years it has resulted in perhaps one of the most impressive and sought-after legacies in combat sports.
Although his career was riddled with controversies and troubles with the law on numerous occasions there is no denying that Jon Jones is perhaps a unique and extremely accomplished individual. That said, it is entirely possible that he may soon call time on his career. Regardless, Jones will the sport as one of the greatest of all time, cementing his place in the Hall of Fame and among the GOATs of the sport.