Dana White tried to wipe out UFC fighter's single defeat that will 'tarnish him forever'

Dana White is losing faith in his ongoing attempts to remove the lone defeat from the record of UFC's heavyweight champion, who defended the title at UFC 309. The knockout win in the main event at Madison Square Garden broke the record for the most successful title defences of any UFC fighter but a disqualification in Las Vegas in 2009 takes the shine off an otherwise perfect record in the octagon.

The UFC CEO told media that he tried to expunge the only defeat suffered by Jon Jones, who beat Stipe Miocic by knockout in the Garden to defend his belt at UFC 309, but admitted that he no longer believes it to be possible.

Jones was disqualified against Matt Hamill in December 2009, sustaining his first defeat in his tenth bout. Referee Steve Mazzagatti threw him out of the fight when he hit Hamill with a series of 12-6 elbow strikes, outlawed at the time of the disqualification but now permitted after a rule change earlier this month.

White, no fan of Mazzagatti, tried to rectify what he believes to be an injustice.

"When Jones' disqualification occurred in 2009, we had the weakest commission in Nevada. And literally the worst referee of all time was in that game," he said. "I tried to remove that loss from Jones' CV, but I don't think that's possible anymore. This is something that will tarnish Jones' record forever. But true fans know he didn't lose this fight."

Dana White is often outspoken about his admiration for Jon Jones, labelling him as the greatest of all time and number one current pound for pound fighter. (Image: Getty)

The fighter, who was reportedly contemplating retirement before stopping Miocic and looking towards a future fight either on Earth or on Mars, told the New York Post he was "devastated" by his disqualification against Hamill.

"Today, seeing how far I’ve gone undefeated I do know that it would have helped me market myself for my after-MMA life,” he said before his title defence in New York City.

Jon Jones celebrates winning the UFC heavyweight title. (Image: Getty)

"I feel like the Matt Hamill fight should have been stopped way before the 12-6 elbows occurred, so my fingers are just crossed but if it doesn’t happen, I’m okay," added the heavyweight champion.

His defeat of Miocic was the twelfth successful title defence of his career, a UFC record, and was the 28th win of his controversial but now legendary career.