Fourteen years ago today, a prominent UFC legend`s substantial investment in his fight camp proved futile against Jon Jones. Jon Jones is widely recognized as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time (GOAT), having shattered multiple records throughout his distinguished 30-fight career.
Apart from a controversial disqualification loss, the Rochester native remains undefeated, with many top light heavyweight contenders failing to overcome `Bones`. Among these was a former champion whose costly endeavor to defeat Jones amounted to over a million dollars, yet ended in failure.
Jon Jones Choked Out Rampage Jackson at UFC 135 to Kick Off Historic Reign
The date was September 24, 2011, when UFC 135 was held at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The main event featured a highly anticipated grudge match, with Jones defending his title against Quinton `Rampage` Jackson.
This bout was Jones` first title defense after becoming the youngest champion in UFC history by defeating Mauricio `Shogun` Rua. Determined to cut Jones` reign short, the highly motivated former Pride star invested a significant sum into his UFC 135 training camp.
Jackson expressed his intense motivation, stating, “For recent fights, it has been hard to work 100 percent, but no-one has needed to try to motivate me for this fight. I want my belt back.” He further revealed the immense financial commitment, “Between me, my Wolf’s Lair team and the guys at the MusclePharm gym here in Denver, we’ve spent over $1 million on this camp.” Jackson confidently predicted, “You’ll see the best Rampage since I fought Wanderlei Silva (in December 2008).”
However, despite the considerable financial outlay, these preparations did little to prevent Jones from thoroughly dominating Jackson throughout the fight. Maintaining absolute control for the majority of the encounter, Jones ultimately submitted `Rampage` via a rear-naked choke just 74 seconds into the fourth round.
Though Jackson was the inaugural challenger to fail in dethroning Jones, he was certainly not the last. Jones, a strong GOAT contender, proceeded to achieve a record-breaking 12 successful title defenses within the promotion, notably including one at heavyweight.
Jon Jones Was Accused of Having a ‘Spy’ in Rampage Jackson’s Camp
The rivalry between Jones and Jackson intensified significantly, particularly after a controversial accusation made by Jackson’s team. Leading up to UFC 135, Jones faced allegations of having a mole within Jackson`s training camp. Although the reigning champion vehemently denied these claims, his rival remained unconvinced.
Jackson asserted, “I know what I know. Someone in his camp was spying on my camp. I don’t care. He could have a live feed to my gym 24-7 for all I give a damn.”
The controversy ignited when a fan alerted Jackson via social media about a potential spy. To verify the tip, `Rampage` deliberately spread news of an `injury` within his gym. Mere hours later, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva contacted Jackson’s camp, inquiring about rumors of a problem. When pressed for the source of his information, Silva disclosed that he had received a phone call from Malki Kawa, Jon Jones’ manager.
