Dana White shares bleak update on Jon Jones’ DQ loss being removed from his record despite 12-6 elbow rule change
Jon Jones has famously only lost once in his career, a disqualification against Matt Hamill at 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 10 Finale in 2009. Bones was disqualified after using a striking technique that was deemed illegal at that time, the 12-6 elbow rule.
The rule stated that an elbow strike traveling vertically straight up to down would not be allowed. After repeatedly throwing the illegal strike against Hamill, Jones was disqualified.
The 38-year-old has previously admitted that he was not aware of the rule during the fight. The rationale behind the ruling has also been heavily criticized over the years by Joe Rogan and others, and the 12-6 elbow rule was recently abolished from the MMA ruleset.
This means that in Jones' upcoming fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 he will be permitted to use the strike that once saw him disqualified. The changing of the rule has led to questions about whether the two-division champion's lone defeat in MMA could be overturned.
But during yesterday's UFC 309 pre-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White shared a grim update on the New York native's DQ loss being changed.
White said this:
"At that point in time [in 2009] when that happened, we had the weakest commission ever in Nevada. And literally the worst referee of all time. I tried to get [the DQ loss] removed, I don't think it's possible. It's the thing that's going to stain [Jones'] record forever. The real fans know he didn't lose the fight."
Watch Dana White discuss Jon Jones' DQ loss below (21:15):
Jon Jones looks forward to using 12-6 elbow at UFC 309
Jon Jones is the most famous victim to succumb to the 12-6 elbow rule. But since the ruleset's alteration, 'Bones' is now eager to use the strike in devastating fashion.
He will face Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 for the heavyweight title, and ahead of the bout, the two-division champion was interviewed by ESPN MMA. He shared his plans to use the once-illegal strike against Miocic, saying this:
"The 12-6 elbow is legal, it's very exciting. To get that [loss] reversed would be very exciting. But now I'm embracing the 12-6 elbow, I train it constantly... It's kind of an interesting thing. I mean, if I can get a knockout with the 12-6 elbow, that would be really, really sweet."
Check out Jon Jones' comments below (13:40):