"My personal GOAT" - Jon Jones pens heartfelt reaction to almost touching one of Anderson Silva's most impressive UFC records
Jon Jones was overwhelmed with emotions knowing he was close to matching Anderson Silva's record for most finishes in UFC title fights. The UFC 309 TKO win over Stipe Miocic was Jones' eighth title fight finish. Meanwhile, Silva won nine title fights by finishes.
Jones recently took to X and shared his thoughts on achieving a similar level of dominance as Silva. In a heartfelt reaction, he wrote:
"From idolizing Anderson Silva as a young man to now being tied with him for the most finishes in title fights - it’s surreal. I grew up watching his greatness, dreaming of one day achieving even a fraction of what he’s done. To now share this honor with someone I’ve admired so deeply is beyond words. Respect and gratitude always to my personal GOAT. #TheSpider."
Jones would have matched Silva's record at UFC 309. However, his UFC 214 KO win over Daniel Cormier was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Jones captured the light heavyweight title when Silva was reigning over the middleweight division. During the peak of their activity levels, there were talks of a potential superfight between the two. However, it did not materialize.
Jon Jones created several other records with his UFC 309 win over Stipe Miocic
While Jon Jones is still a couple of finishes away from breaking Anderson Silva's record for most finishes in title fights, the 37-year-old added one more win to his record for most title fight victories with a win over Stipe Miocic. He now has 16 UFC title fight victories.
Georges St-Pierre (13), Demetrious Johnson (12), Anderson Silva (11) and Amanda Nunes (11) follow him in the list.
Furthermore, Jones became only the fourth fighter in UFC history to defend the title in two weight classes. Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo are the only other fighters to do so before Jones.
Interestingly, the 37-year-old is also the only fighter to secure title defenses in three separate title reigns. Jones defended the light heavyweight title eight times in his first light heavyweight title reign (2011-2015) and three times in his second tenure as champion in the division (2018-2020). The win over Miocic was his first heavyweight title defense after capturing the title in March 2023.