In 2011, Jon Jones put together what may have been the single best year an MMA fighter has ever had. After earning a spot in a championship fight with a win over Ryan Bader, Jones proceeded to take the light heavyweight title from Mauricio Rua and defended the belt he earned against former UFC champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida.
Outside the cage, 2012 has not been nearly as kind to Jones, who recently pleaded guilty to charges of driving while intoxicated. Still, Jones has continued his success inside the cage, where he defended his belt against rival Rashad Evans and will soon look for a fourth straight title defense against Dan Henderson.
With a couple more wins before the end of the year, Jones could once again separate himself as the top fighter of the year. However, let’s see where he currently stands among the 10 best fighters of 2012.