Jon Jones talks "embracing" 12-6 elbow strike, wants KO victory at UFC 309 using previously illegal move: "That'd be really, really sweet"
Jon Jones has famously only "lost" one fight in his career, a disqualification against Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. The two-division champion was disqualified after using a striking technique known as a 12-6 elbow strike.
The 12-6 elbow strike is a reference to the elbow's movement straight up-and-down, like the numbers 12 and 6 on a clock face. The strike was deemed illegal during MMA's initial inception as a legalized sport, and 'Bones' suffered the consequence of a rule deemed unnecessary by many pundits and fighters.
But with the 12-6 elbow rule having been changed, fighters were able to begin using the striking technique as of Nov. 1.
With Jones scheduled to face Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 309 on Nov. 16, he recently discussed his intention to use the technique against his upcoming opponent. He said:
"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. I'm excited to possibly be one of the first athletes to use it in the arena now that it's legal, and be one of the few athletes to lose to it. 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."
Catch Jon Jones' comments below (13:40):
Jon Jones looks for "legacy" fight with Alex Pereira over Tom Aspinall clash
Jon Jones was originally set to fight Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023. But he suffered a torn pectoral tendon several weeks before the event and was ruled out for a year.
Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepped up to replace the duo on a short-notice for an interim title, which the Mancunian won via KO in Round 1. Since then, Aspinall has called for a unification bout with 'Bones'.
But Jones is not interested, and instead is eager to face Alex Pereira next, should he defeat Miocic at UFC 309.
The 37-year-old was recently interviewed by Kevin Iole, where he discussed his potential next fight, saying:
"I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don't want to say 'nobody' but he just hasn't proven anything... I'm not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me... If there were to be a fight [with] a guy that's still on the UFC roster that would be, not only financially worth it, but 'legacy' worth it, it would be Alex Pereira."
Catch Jon Jones' comments below (7:55):