Jon Jones: 6 Fighters Who Successfully Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Title
The UFC light heavyweight title is something of a poisoned chalice—vis-à-vis how many fighters have gone on to successfully defend the title. It’s one thing to win the title, but it’s a horse of a different colour when it comes to defending it.
If there was ever a phrase that was synonymous with the UFC light heavyweight title, it would be:
Of the 12 fighters who have reached the UFC summit and laid their hands on the Holy Grail that is the UFC light heavyweight title, only six of those combatants have been fortunate enough to make successful defenses of that title.
Here they are...
6.Frank Shamrock
1 of 7Frank “The Legend” Shamrock is credited with being the first ever UFC light heavyweight champion in its short history.
Initially, the light heavyweight division was called the middleweight division, but was changed thereupon to what it is now.
Shamrock, the adopted younger brother of UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, is also accredited with being the first WEC light heavyweight and Strikeforce middleweight champions.
Shamrock was also the first light heavyweight champion to successfully defend his title.
He defeated Kevin Jackson at UFC 14 via armbar to become the newly-crowned light heavyweight champion.
His first title defense would be a win over Igor Zinoviev via KO (slam). Shamrock would then go on to defeat the likes of Jeremy Horn via kneebar submission, John Lober via punches, and finally, he would give a brutal beat down to a rising young buck by the name of Tito Ortiz at UFC 22.
Shamrock relinquished the title, adducing lack of competition as his reason.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: Four.
5.Tito Ortiz
2 of 7Less than seven months after his loss to Frank Shamrock, the brash young fighter with the sobriquet—“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” wrestled the light heavyweight title from Wanderlei Silva’s grasp via unanimous decision at UFC 25.
His nickname was by no means a misnomer—it was a personification of who he was—loquacious, braggart, vociferous, abrasive and MMA’s own "Mr. Villain."
Ortiz went on to defend the light heavyweight title a record five times—that feat has not been achieved since.
His victims—Yuki Kondo via neck crank submission, Evan Tanner via KO (slam), Elvis Sinosic via TKO (punches and elbows), Vladimir Matyushenko via unanimous decision, and last but not least, Ken Shamrock via TKO (corner stoppage).
Ortiz would eventually lose his championship belt at UFC 44 to Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture via unanimous decision, and with that went his chances of recording a sixth straight title defense.
It was also the last time that Ortiz would hold the UFC light heavyweight title.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: Five.
4.Chuck Liddell
3 of 7Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was for all intents and purposes the UFC’s poster boy.
He was the UFC’s representative going into the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix tournament, where he knocked out Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem and lost to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via TKO (corner stoppage).
Liddell would get his shot a UFC glory when he defeated reigning light heavyweight champion Randy Couture via KO at UFC 52, and in doing so, exact sweet revenge for the TKO loss he had suffered at the hands of Couture almost two years earlier.
In Liddell’s first defense he defeated Jeremy Horn via submission (impaired vision)—the same man who had defeated Liddell via arm-triangle choke, in only Liddell’s third MMA fight.
His second defense would be against Couture—their trilogy. Liddell made short work of Couture—winning via KO in the second round.
Liddell successfully defended his title a further two times—Renato Sobral via TKO (punches) and finally his arch rival Tito Ortiz via TKO (punches).
Liddell lost the title to Rampage via KO (punches) at UFC 71. However, Liddell ties with Frank Shamrock in recording four title defenses.
After a spate of ignominious defeats, Liddell retired from the sport and is currently working as the UFC’s Vice President of Business Development.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: Four.
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3. Quinton Jackson
4 of 7Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has the honour of being the first fighter to unify both the UFC and Pride Championship belts.
Rampage first won the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 71 by defeating Chuck Liddell via KO (punches).
He then went on to defend the title in a UFC/Pride unification clash with Dan “H-Bomb” Henderson at UFC 75—his UFC title at stake and Henderson’s middleweight title on the line.
Rampage defended his title and dethroned Henderson as the Pride’s middleweight champion.
That would be Rampage’s first and last successful defense of his title—in his next fight he would lose a unanimous points decision to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
He last fought for the light heavyweight title at UFC 135, where he was defeated by Jon “Bones” Jones via rear-naked choke.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: One.
2. Lyoto Machida
5 of 7Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida was riding a 14-fight win streak in all competitions when he challenged Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title at UFC 98.
In the fight that ensued, Machida put a devastating clinic on Evans—knocking him out in the second round and thus handing Evans his first career loss.
Colour commentator Joe Rogan, amongst other things is famous for uttering the ill-fated words—“Welcome to the Machida Era.”
He was wrong.
At UFC 104, in Machida’s first defense, he barely lived up to the so-called Machida Era—Mauricio “Shogun” Rua gave Machida all he could ask for and more.
Machida scraped by with a unanimous decision win, even though some observers had Shogun winning the fight.
The stage was set for a rematch at UFC 113, but this time the decision wouldn’t be left to the judges. In his second defense, Machida suffered his first MMA career loss via KO (punches) due to Shoguns ruinous ground and pound assault.
The Machida era had come and gone within a twinkle of an eye.
Machida would go on to lose a unanimous points victory to Rampage Jackson. He would redeem himself of sorts when he knocked out Randy Couture via jumping front kick at UFC 129.
As of now, Machida’s chances of again vying for the title look bleak to say the least—his refusal to step in for injured prodigy Phil Davis at UFC 133, and at the behest of Dana White, went down like a lead balloon.
Ironically, Machida is presumably set to throw down with said Davis at UFC 140.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: One.
1.Jon Jones
6 of 7Since Jon “Bones” Jones burst onto the MMA scene in early April of 2008, he has been nothing less than phenomenal—hence the name “Phenom” being attached his name.
En-route to the apogee of the light heavyweight division—UFC gold, Jones left a bloodied path of crumbled combatants and disillusioned souls in his wake.
His most notable victories leading up to the light heavyweight title came against Stephan Bonnar via unanimous decision, Brandon Vera via TKO (vicious ground and pound), Vladimir Matyushenko via TKO (elbows) and rising light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader via submission (guillotine choke).
His sole loss up till then had been a disqualification for illegal downward elbows on his opponent, Matt Hamill.
When the time arrived for the young enigma to step-up to the plate, he didn’t disappoint. At UFC 128, Jones administered a brutal assault on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the likes that he’d never been party to before.
And in doing so, at age 23, became the youngest champion in UFC history.
In his first defense of the title at UFC 135, he proved once and for all that he most definitely was the real deal—defeating Rampage Jackson via submission (rear naked choke).
For now, Jones has cemented his place in the light heavyweight history books and also amongst the elite few who have achieved the goal of defending the UFC light heavyweight title.
Only time will tell whether Jones will go on to surpass the likes of Shamrock, Liddell and Ortiz, but for now, Jones reigns supreme over the realm of the light heavyweight division.
Successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses: One.
6 Who Didn’t Make the Cut
7 of 7These six former UFC light heavyweight champions made it to the summit, but failed in their quest to defend their titles.
Randy Couture
Won the title twice—defeating Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort. He lost the titles in his first defenses to Belfort and Chuck Liddell.
Vitor Belfort
He defeated Couture for the title and subsequently loss the title in a re-match with Couture.
Forrest Griffin
Defeated Rampage Jackson for the title but lost to Rashad Evans in his first fight as UFC light heavyweight champion.
Rashad Evans
Dispatched Griffin to win the title, and lost the first defense of the title in brutal fashion to Lyoto Machida.
Mauricio Rua
In winning the title he ended the “Machida era,” but his reign was short-lived when Jon Jones put a clinic on him in his first defense.
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