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Jon Jones’ Memorable 2024 Highlights: Battling Before Donald Trump

Jon Jones' 2024 Highlights: Battling Before Donald Trump For Jon Jones, fighting in front of President-elect Donald Trump was bigger than besting the best heavyweight in mixed…

For Jon Jones, fighting in front of President-elect Donald Trump was bigger than besting the best heavyweight in mixed martial arts history.

Though he only fought once in 2024, it was another big year for the consensus GOAT punctuated by his dominant victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 inside the world’s most famous arena — Madison Square Garden. On that night, Trump finished the former two-time titleholder via a third-round TKO.

But what made it all the more special for ‘Bones’ was the presence of Trump who sat cageside just days after locking up his re-election.

Immediately following the win, ‘Bones’ hopped the cage wall and handed his UFC title to Trump, much to the chagrin of some fight fans and the delight of others.

Looking back on the year, Jones expressed gratitude for another ride around the sun and those who stood by his side along the way.

“Man, 2024… what a year,” Jones wrote on X. “I’ve gotta say, this one’s been special. It’s been full of challenges, blessings, and opportunities, and I’m just beyond grateful for the ride. None of it would’ve been possible without the people who’ve been rockin’ with me through it all—my family, my team, my coaches, and, of course, all of y’all who support me every step of the way.

“This year, I leveled up in ways I never thought possible — on the mat, in the Octagon, on the screen, and most importantly, as a man and a father. That doesn’t happen without a strong foundation, and y’all have been that for me. So, from the bottom of my heart — thank you. The love and energy you give me push me to keep going and striving for greatness. And trust me when I say this — this is just the beginning. Let’s keep building. God bless!”

Jon Jones shares his biggest accomplishments of the year

‘Bones’ followed that up with a list sharing the things he was most thankful for in 2024, the first being his opportunity to fight — and win — in front of our 47th President of the United States.

Reflecting on the year

•Performed for the President: Had the honor of showcasing my skills in front of our country’s leader.
•First-Time Voter: Took part in democracy and voted for the first time ever—a major personal milestone.
•Global Traveler & Educator: Traveled to…

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2024

“It feels amazing to look back at the last year and make a list of achievements like that,” Jones concluded. “I’m sure if I spent more time on it, I’d realize just how many things I left out. Now, I’m excited to start writing down some New Year’s resolutions and even more excited to see the list of things I accomplish after 2025.”

Jones also spent a large chunk of his year traveling to countries like Mexico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand where he shared his expertise in MMA.

Personally, that sounds a lot cooler than fighting in front of a 34-time convicted felon, but to each their own.

Jon Jones’ Memorable 2024 Highlights: Battling Before Donald Trump

For Jon Jones, fighting in front of President-elect Donald Trump was bigger than besting the best heavyweight in mixed…

For Jon Jones, fighting in front of President-elect Donald Trump was bigger than besting the best heavyweight in mixed martial arts history.

But what made it all the more special for ‘Bones’ was the presence of Trump who sat cageside just days after locking up his re-election.

Immediately following the win, ‘Bones’ hopped the cage wall and handed his UFC title to Trump, much to the chagrin of some fight fans and the delight of others.

Looking back on the year, Jones expressed gratitude for another ride around the sun and those who stood by his side along the way.

“Man, 2024… what a year,” Jones wrote on X. “I’ve gotta say, this one’s been special. It’s been full of challenges, blessings, and opportunities, and I’m just beyond grateful for the ride. None of it would’ve been possible without the people who’ve been rockin’ with me through it all—my family, my team, my coaches, and, of course, all of y’all who support me every step of the way.

“This year, I leveled up in ways I never thought possible — on the mat, in the Octagon, on the screen, and most importantly, as a man and a father. That doesn’t happen without a strong foundation, and y’all have been that for me. So, from the bottom of my heart — thank you. The love and energy you give me push me to keep going and striving for greatness. And trust me when I say this — this is just the beginning. Let’s keep building. God bless!”

Jon Jones shares his biggest accomplishments of the year

Reflecting on the year

•Performed for the President: Had the honor of showcasing my skills in front of our country’s leader.
•First-Time Voter: Took part in democracy and voted for the first time ever—a major personal milestone.
•Global Traveler & Educator: Traveled to…

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2024

“It feels amazing to look back at the last year and make a list of achievements like that,” Jones concluded. “I’m sure if I spent more time on it, I’d realize just how many things I left out. Now, I’m excited to start writing down some New Year’s resolutions and even more excited to see the list of things I accomplish after 2025.”

Jones also spent a large chunk of his year traveling to countries like Mexico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand where he shared his expertise in MMA.

Personally, that sounds a lot cooler than fighting in front of a 34-time convicted felon, but to each their own.

Tom Aspinall Reveals What Surprised Him Most About Watching Jon Jones Up Close

Tom Aspinall claims that it wasn’t his intention to make the UFC 309 fight week about him even if he was weighing in as the back-up fighter. The main event at Madison Square Garden featured two of the greatest champions in the history of the promotion colliding for the very first time and yet, a […]

From Jones walking out of interviews to Aspinall chants at the press conference, the presence of the interim champion was clearly felt in New York. After successfully weighing in as the back-up, once it was clear that he wouldn’t be needed, he changed his focus.

His new goal was to enjoy the fights and watch the man that could be his next opponent if he gets the fight that he wants. Everyone who has been an MMA fan for some time will have seen Jones fight before because he’s been at the top for so long.

However, Aspinall was able to leave the world’s most famous arena with some new observations after watching the GOAT live and in the flesh. In a recent episode of Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports, he broke down his main takeaways from the fight.

The interim champ highlighted one aspect of the fight that he didn’t see coming, crediting Jones’ aura in the cage and Miocic’s age as the reason why “Bones” was able to dictate the action.

“Something that surprised me sitting up close was the footwork. Maybe not the footwork as such but just the constant forward motion of Jon Jones and Stipe was just kind of left to go side-to-side with his feet constantly. He was never really on the front foot which is surprising because Stipe is a natural heavyweight, Jon Jones obviously coming up from light heavy. I wouldn’t think that Jon would have the prowess in the Octagon to push him back constantly which I was pretty surprised by.”

Former UFC Champ Dismantles Michael Chandler’s UFC 309 Remarks with a Savage Retort

Michael Chandler has stated that he believes he beats Charles Oliveira “nine times out of ten” despite having lost…

Michael Chandler has stated that he believes he beats Charles Oliveira “nine times out of ten” despite having lost to him twice now.

Chandler did everything he could to defeat Oliveira at UFC 309 but fell short. The fans were ecstatic to witness a truly thrilling battle, and ‘Iron’ received a lot of praise for his grittiness and heart. However, when the judges’ scorecards were read, it was a unanimous decision victory for ‘Do Bronx’, and Chandler would go home with another loss.

Speaking to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, ‘Iron’ opened up about his feelings concerning the skill gap between him and his Brazilian rival, saying: “I believe I beat Charles Oliveira nine times out of 10. Obviously I’ve lost twice to him now. Two out of two. I have 100% loss rate to Charles Oliveira. So I understand why people might tsk at that, roll their eyes at that.”

This would indeed turn out to be a statement that many would scoff at, as well as claims from Chandler that he did not hit Oliveira in the back of the head (which he made later in the interview with Helwani). This would leave a crafty opening for a former UFC champion to roast Michael Chandler, and it would not be an opportunity squandered.

Michael Chandler Gets Roasted by Rafael Dos Anjos over comments about UFC 309 fight

Replying to the “I’d beat Oliveira nine times out of ten” and “I didn’t hit him in the back of the head, it was the ear” talk, RDA took advantage of a perfect moment and cracked a funny on Instagram, saying: “You hit him on the back of the head nine times out of ten.”

To add insult to injury, Chandler is now a bleak 1-4 in his last five fights. While a genuinely exciting fighter to watch, nobody remains on the UFC roster for too long after going on too bad of a skid. Especially the older and higher-paid fighters, those seemingly make the most sense to let go.

So, it’s only a matter of time until we find out how much leeway Michael Chandler will be allotted in terms of losing fights. The UFC can be more lenient depending on the fighter and how easy they are to work with, and Chandler has proven himself to be a rather apt company man so far. But they say good times never last, and nobody can fight forever.

Do you think Michael Chandler should be worried about getting cut by the UFC?

Michael Chandler Can’t Math, Claims He’d Beat Charles Oliveira ‘Nine Times Out of 10’

There’s a reason Michael Chandler fights inside a cage instead of teaching grade school math. After sitting on the…

There’s a reason Michael Chandler fights inside a cage instead of teaching grade school math.

After sitting on the sidelines for two years trying to coax Conor McGregor into a fight that was never going to happen, the former Bellator titleholder returned to the Octagon at UFC 309 for a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

The first time around, Chandler damn near finished ‘Do Bronx’ in the opening round. This time, Chandler could barely stay on his feet, getting outwrestled by a jiu-jitsu guy for the majority of their five-round affair in Madison Square Garden.

Looking back on his lackluster showing during a recent interview, Chandler made a rather confusing and downright delusional statement.

“I’m not happy with my performance. I would give myself a 2 out of 10,” Chandler said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I cannot overstate how horrible of a performance this was or the set of circumstances it was after that first round compared to what my vision was for what I’m capable of. I believe I beat Charles Oliveira nine times out of ten. Obviously, I’ve lost to him twice now – two outta two. I have a 100% loss rate to Charles Oliveira, so I understand why people might roll their eyes at that” (h/t MMA Mania).

Somebody tell Mr. Chandler that his math ain’t mathing.

Michael Chandler still holding out hope for McGregor Fight

Two weeks removed from fight night, Chandler is still in recovery mode after revealing that he was peeing blood and showed off some gnarly swelling to his left leg.

Chandler is still holding out hope that he’ll get his red panty night against Conor McGregor one day, but the chances of that happening aren’t looking too good these days.

Michael Chandler Unhappy With ‘Narrative’ Painted By UFC 309 Commentary Team: ‘I’m An Honest Guy’

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes his “integrity” was wrongly called into question in the aftermath of his defeat earlier this month. Two years on from a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at Madison Square Garden, Chandler made his long-awaited return inside the same venue on Nov. 16, running it back with Charles Oliveira in […]

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes his “integrity” was wrongly called into question in the aftermath of his defeat earlier this month.

Two years on from a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at Madison Square Garden, Chandler made his long-awaited return inside the same venue on Nov. 16, running it back with Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309.

Having previously been on the wrong end of a memorable comeback form “do Bronx” in their 2021 title showdown, the former Bellator champion had his sights set on redemption in New York City.

But “Iron” fell convincingly short of that on fight night, with Oliveira securing a convincing decision victory following a dominant five rounds from the Brazilian.

As was the case after his setback against “The Diamond,” Chandler has been accused of seeking advantages outside the boundaries of the ruleset, with cries of fence grabs, eye pokes, and egregious back of the head strikes filling social media.

According to Chandler, however, the claim he consistently fouled at UFC 309 was a lie created by those sat cageside with mic in hand.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Chandler commented on how his actions were commentated over by Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier after rewatching the broadcast.

“Watching it on TV wasn’t as appealing to me,” Chandler said. “A little bit of the commentary (bothered me) when it comes to some of the stuff they were saying — the misinterpretation of what the back of the head is by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial arts, the misinterpretation of what cage-grabbing is, and a couple of different things.

“I’m an honest guy. I try to live pretty full of integrity and full of honest, and a narrative that has been painted is not very interesting to me. I’m not very happy about it,” Chandler continued. “I’m not going to say I didn’t do anything wrong. … (But) 90 percent of the shots at least, most of them…all of them, my hand, my fist was catching the ear. If you’re catching the ear, that is not the back of the head. … A referee who was within two feet away never said one thing about it. Then you’ve got commentators 35 feet away saying it’s the back of the head.”

Those controversial strikes came in the final round when Chandler enjoyed his only success of the fight. With that in mind, he gave his performance a “2 out of 10” rating during the same interview with Helwani.

And although he maintained his reputation as an entertainer in the dying moments at UFC 309, the result has left “Iron” with a losing 2-4 record in the Octagon — something he’ll look to rectify in 2025.

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