Jon Jones is a part of sporting royalty.
‘Bones’ is the former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight champion and reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion set to defend his crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Saturday night.
The 37-year-old is widely recognised the UFC GOAT, even though he might not be the most talented athlete in his own family.
Jon, older brother Arthur, and younger brother Chandler were born and raised in Rochester, New York, to parents Arthur Jr. and Camille Jones.
All three have excelled in their own sports, with Arthur and Chandler making their mark in the NFL by each winning the Super Bowl.
Arthur played college football at Syracuse University and was picked in the fifth round (157th) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
The former defensive tackle played three seasons in Baltimore and won Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the 2012 season.
He later played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2014-2016 and the Washington Commanders in 2017 before retiring from the sport, having made almost $22 million during his pro football career.
Younger brother Chandler was even more accomplished in the National Football League.
The defensive end also played college football Syracuse and was selected by the New England Patriots with the 21st overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
He starred alongside legendary quarterback Tom Brady during the Patriots’ 28–24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
The four-time Pro Bowler then signed a massive five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016.
The two-time first-team All-Pro joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and was released in September 2023. He is currently a free agent.
The younger Jones accumulated a substantial fortune playing football. According to Sportrac, the 34-year-old made over $131 million in the NFL, meaning the Jones brothers combined to make a cool $152 million in pro football earnings.
That blows Jones’ career earnings out the water, despite his virtually unrivaled greatness.
Per Front Office Sports, Jones has made $7.3 million in career earnings and is the highest-earning UFC heavyweight of all time.
That’s around 21 times less than what his brothers combined to make in the NFL.
Not that he will care. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of his respective sport while Arthur and Chandler are nowhere near the NFL GOAT discussion.
At 23, Jones became the youngest UFC champion ever — a record that still stands today — when he beat former 205lb king Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua.
He’s been at the top of the fight game ever since, holding the light-heavyweight records for most title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak.
Jones has never been stopped or outscored, and his only ‘loss’ was a controversial disqualification for a once banned move that many don’t even count as a defeat.
After a three-year hiatus, the 37-year-old stepped up to heavyweight last year at UFC 285 and submitted Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant heavyweight strap.
He became one of only nine fighters to have ever won belts in multiple divisions.
Now, he’s set to take on heavyweight legend Miocic in a bout that was initially booked for UFC 295 in November 2023.
However, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle in training, postponing the fight by almost a full year.
Jones and Miocic’s legacy-defining bout finally goes down on Saturday night, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
