Jon Jones returns to No.1 on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings after first fight in three years

Jon Jones is once again the pound-for-pound king.

It only took one fight in three years to propel himself all the way to the top of the rankings.

The UFC released their updated pound-for-pound rankings in the wake of UFC 285 and Jon Jones' devastating win over Ciryl Gane.

Many had predicted a win over the Frenchman would ensure Jones placed right on top of the rankings despite being his only fight in the last few years.

And with such a convincing submission win inside one round, it left little doubt about who would be the new king of the UFC.

Despite his last win coming against Dominick Reyes in February 2020, ‘Bones’ still sat in 10th place on the rankings.

In fact, he was still ranked No. 1 until October 4, 2021, before Kamru Usman knocked him off the top spot.

Now as he jumps ahead of nine other fighters with a heavyweight championship win, he’s once again cemented his place at the GOAT.

It means that Alexander Volkanovski had finally been pipped of that prized spot that he held so tightly.

Imagine being Islam Makhachev and fighting to be crowned the pound-for-pound number one, only to now be ranked No. 3 on the list.

Rounding out the top five were Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman who are on a collision course for the welterweight title at UFC 286.

Jones gave his own opinion on whether he was the greatest of all time in perhaps one of the best post-fight interview moments ever.

Signing off his chat with Joe Rogan, he said: “Just one more thing, baaaaaaah!”

The GOAT indeed.

His heavyweight championship win means he is just the eighth fighter to win a UFC championship in two different weight divisions.

He joins an elite list of fighters that includes Conor McGregor and rival Daniel Cormier.

It seems Miocic isn’t just content with a championship either as he expressed his desire for heavyweight domination.

He challenged two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic for his next defence.

He said: “Stipe Miocic, I hope you're training.

“You're the greatest heavyweight of all time and I want you. I want you real bad.”

Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy. Px Images / Alamy.

Topics: Jon Jones, UFC, MMA

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.