The only loss on Jon Jones' professional mixed martial arts record came by legal strike in November, and the reigning UFC heavyweight champion is looking to erase that blemish.
Jones made his fourth appearance under the UFC banner against Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Final on December 5, 2009. “Bones” was an unbeaten 9-0 contender entering his third fight of the year.
Jones quickly took control and began to dominate the bout, but after landing a flurry of 12-6 elbows from full mount at 4 minutes and 14 seconds into the first round, referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight, disqualifying Jones without a warning, marking the only loss on his record to date.
On Tuesday, the Board of Commissioners of Boxing and Martial Arts Association voted unanimously to lift the ban on 12-6 elbow strikes. The ban on “straight above and straight below” elbow strikes has been in place since 2000. The lifting of the ban will take effect on November 1 of this year, after which it will be up to each state athletic commission to implement the change.
After learning of the rule change, Jones was quick to share his thoughts on social media, pleading with UFC CEO Dana White to clear his record of the loss.
“Undefeated then, undefeated now,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “@danawhite we need to erase that loss from history.”
Jones had already appealed the result of the Hamill fight shortly after the bout, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission decided not to hear Jones' argument at the time.
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