Syracuse Orange: The end is here for the UFC GOAT, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones

Our Paul A. Esden Sr says the end is here for the UFC GOAT, Jon Jones. Here’s why it’s all over and what that means for the future of the sport.

All good things must come to an end. The origin of this mantra came from English author Geoffrey Chaucer in his poem Troilus and Criseyde.

I am not sure that when he wrote this proverb in the 14th century he intended for it to be used to outline the end of an era but here we are.

Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, a CNY native, the greatest UFC fighter of all time (GOAT) with a record of 25-1 (and the lone loss was a questionable disqualification) has started his decline and it was on display for all to see during his victory in UFC 239.

Alright, I hear you; Paul must have bumped his head. You are talking about a fighter in his prime who just completed an unprecedented three fights in 189 days against the light-heavyweight division’s best fighters.

Let’s break that down a little:

• The highlight of those past three fights was December 29, 2018, soundly defeating Alexander Gustafsson, the lone fight on Jones’ resume that some questioned the decision. Jon knocked out Alexander in the middle of round 3 cementing his return.
• Next up was Anthony Smith who proved to be no match for the GOAT. Jon landed an eye-popping 82.9 percent of his strikes (75% of his significant strikes), taking down Anthony three times. Despite the decision going to the judge’s scorecards, this bout was never in real question. (all three judges had the contest 48-44 with no rounds going to Smith)

The night of July 6th will be known as the night where Bones hit the wall.

His heavy-handed opponent did not stand out any more than the previous 24 (despite the fact that he is appropriately tattooed with a sledgehammer on his chest).

As millions of fans watched Thiago Santos landed wrong on his leg early in the fight everyone thought it was only a matter of time before the GOAT dismantled him.

Thiago Santos suffered three torn knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, and PCL), a torn meniscus, and a fractured tibia during his fight at UFC 239 vs Jon Jones.

"“After four hours of surgery, the doctors say everything is fixed,” Santos wrote via his Instagram. “Now my focus is on a full recovery so I can get back in there better and stronger!”"

Instead of a dominant Jones with flying knees and spinning elbows, we saw a cautious champion trying to outpoint his opponent instead of finishing his damaged prey.

In the end, it came down to a split decision almost costing the Champ his belt.

Jones at the top of his game would have finished Thiago or at the very least punished him as opposed to keeping his distance and not engaging.

Time will tell if this is the start of the end for the champion. With ‘Bones’ Jones committed to another fight by the end of 2019, all we have to do is wait.

Is there a rip in Superman’s cape? Or perhaps there’s some kryptonite in the water and now Jon Jones is a mortal UFC fighter at the end of a Hall of Fame career.