Jon “Bones” Jones Takes UFC Light Heavyweight Title
Becomes First Ever UFC Fighter To Appear On The Tonight Show
Press Release – (Westlake Village, CA) March 23, 2011 – California Sports Company K·Swiss (NASDAQ: KSWS) and FORM Athletics endorsed Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Jon “Bones” Jones made history Saturday night at UFC 128, becoming the youngest UFC Champion ever! Bringing home the title of Light Heavyweight Champion, 23-year-old Jones was up against Maurico “Shogun” Rua.
As if being named youngest champion ever in the UFC was not momentous enough, Jon “Bones” Jones continues to blaze the trail in history making for the UFC with a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this Thursday, March 24th. Jones is the first ever UFC fighter to be featured on the show.
Ever prepared and ever the gentlemen, Jones had an unexpected and untelevised warm up when he subdued an accused thief with a figure four leglock at a park in Paterson, NJ, just hours before the fight.
Despite Rua’s reputation as a well-rounded champion and many awards, including Fighters Only World MMA Awards 2010 Knockout of the Year, Jones entered the cage in full form, controlling the fight from the opening bell. Jones clearly dominated Rua through the first two rounds with unorthodox striking, speedy footwork, length, and cardio. Halfway into the third round after many cleanly landed blows, Jones landed a knee that put Rua down and the match was officially declared a TKO victory for Jones.
FORM Athletics and K·Swiss congratulate Jones on his amazing performance. “Jones is more than a star, he is an icon. We believed in Jones from the inception of FORM Athletics, and watching him achieve this amazing feat in the UFC and becoming the youngest champion in history was truly breathtaking. We are proud to work with such a dedicated athlete and upstanding individual, Jones embodies the ideals for which FORM Athletics stands.” said Mark Miller, president of FORM Athletics and K·Swiss Orange County.
FORM Athletics fighters dominated the fight card 4-0 at UFC 128. Jones captured the championship against RUA, Joseph Benavidez defeated Ian Loveland, Erik Koch took down Raphael Assuncao, and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber triumphed over former WEC Bantamweight Champion Eddie Wineland in the co-main event. Landing several good combinations in the final round, Faber put away WIneland and is now set to face Dominick Cruz for a title shot for the UFC Bantamweight Champion title.
About K·Swiss
Founded more than forty years ago in Van Nuys, California, K·Swiss (NASDAQ: KSWS) introduced the first all-leather tennis shoe, the K·Swiss “Classic” in 1966. Since its inception, K·Swiss has rooted itself in California Sport with an aim to be the most inspiring and innovative sports brand in the market. Today the company offers performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel for several categories under its California Sports umbrella including Tennis Heritage, California Fit (Running, Triathlon and Fitness) and California Youth. K·Swiss also designs, develops and markets footwear under the Palladium brand, and owns the FORM Athletics brand. For more information about K-Swiss, visit www.kswiss.com.
About FORM Athletics
FORM Athletics is a division of K·Swiss that was founded in 2010 by Action Sports veteran Mark Miller and WEC former Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber. FORM was built on the belief that true expression doesn’t end in the gym, what you wear speaks to who you are, FORM is a brand designed and inspired for your active lifestyle. FORM is a true testament to the commitment, sacrifice, and confidence inspired by the world’s toughest athletes. www.formathletics.com