Jon Jones and 4 other UFC champions who vacated their title
In the UFC, all fighters dream of climbing to the top of their respective divisions to capture the title and enthrone themselves as world champions. And once they become champions, fighters do everything in their power to keep their newly minted titles in their grasp.
It is why some fighters develop overly cautious fighting styles to increase their chances of winning, or more specifically, reduce their chances of losing by lowering the amount of risks they take during their bouts. So it makes sense that the last thing that any fighter wants to do is relinquish their belt.
But, it's happened before. Whether due to injury, a positive PED test or a simply choice due to a change in ambitions and priorities, some fighters voluntarily vacate their championships, and this list covers five of them.
#5. Georges St-Pierre, former UFC welterweight/middleweight champion
Georges St-Pierre holds the distinction of being one of the few fighters to ever capture undisputed titles across different weight class, and he is also among the few to have vacated more than one championship. The last bout 'GSP' took part in during his legendary welterweight title reign was against Johny Hendricks.
After a five-round war that seemed to take more out of him than Hendricks, despite his win, the Canadian great stunned the MMA world by announcing his intention of taking some time away from the sport. Despite Dana White's objections, 'GSP' committed to his sabbatical and vacated his welterweight title.
Years later, he defeated Michael Bisping for middleweight gold on his triumphant octagon return, but proceeded to vacate his new title after contracting ulcerative colitis.
#4. T.J. Dillashaw, former UFC bantamweight champion
T.J. Dillashaw's legacy as a fighter has been forever tarnished by his positive PED test, which revealed his use of EPO to facilitate his weight cut ahead of a flyweight title fight with Henry Cejudo. At the time, T.J. Dillashaw was the UFC bantamweight champion, and had his eye on two-division championship status.
Unfortunately, after failing to dethrone Cejudo for the flyweight crown and the subsequent revelation of his positive PED test, Dillashaw voluntarily vacated his bantamweight title as a means of owning up to his deceit. However, this did nothing to repair the damage done to his legacy.
Upon his return to MMA after serving a mandatory USADA suspension, he was frequently labeled a steroid user and cheat by his peers, marking him as one of the most disgraced titleholders in the promotion's history.
#3. Henry Cejudo, former UFC bantamweight/flyweight champion
Like Georges St-Pierre, Henry Cejudo is one of the few fighters to vacate two different titles. The Olympic gold medalist captured the flyweight title against potential GOAT Demetrious Johnson in a closely-contested affair, before defending his newly minted title against T.J. Dillashaw, thwarting his foe's ambitions.
After Dillashaw relinquished his bantamweight championship due to testing positive for EPO, Henry Cejudo faced Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight title, defeating him via third-round TKO. After becoming a two-division champion, Cejudo vacated his flyweight title.
And after defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz, he vacated his 135-pound strap as well, announcing his retirement from the sport, as he had intentions of starting a family. But as fate would have it, 'Triple C' returned to competition three years later.
#2. Jamahal Hill, former UFC light heavyweight champion
Jamahal Hill is the first fighter to emerge from Dana White's Contender Series, who managed to capture undisputed gold in the UFC. Sean O'Malley is, of course, the second after his recent bantamweight title triumph over Aljamain Sterling. Meanwhile, 'Sweet Dreams' faced Glover Teixeira for the vacant 205-pound strap.
The pair had a thrilling bout at UFC 283, with Hill ultimately prevailing over the former champion to fulfill his dreams of becoming the light heavyweight kingpin. Unfortunately, months after becoming the champion and anticipating a potential clash with former champion Jiří Procházka, he was bitten by the injury bug.
Last month, Jamahal Hill announced to the world that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon playing basketball, and had made the decision to vacate the light heavyweight title so as not to hold up the division while he nurses his injury and works his way back into competition.
#1. Jon Jones, reigning UFC heavyweight champion/former light heavyweight champion
Three years ago, Jon Jones made the decision to end the 'Bones' era of the light heavyweight division by voluntarily vacating his title in favor of committing to a full-time run at heavyweight. He felt he'd need extended time to bulk up properly to a 265-pound frame, and would no longer be able to cut down to 205 pounds.
Thus, he relinquished his belt and spent the following three years packing on the necessary weight to compete at heavyweight. He initially eyed a matchup with then heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, but after 'The Predator' and the UFC failed to agree on terms when renegotiating his contract, the bout fell through.
Ngannou signed with the PFL, and Jones made his debut against former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for the vacant title. 'Bones' stunned everyone in attendance with an impressive performance, submitting 'Bon Gamin' within two minutes to become the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.