10 MMA Fights That Were The Beginning Of The End For Legends

3. Jon Jones Vs. Daniel Cormier - UFC 182

Is there a more frustrating fighter in the history of MMA than Jon Jones? No. No, there isn't.

When talking about the all-time greats, Jonny Bones is a name who is instantly in the conversation. Even if you don't think of Jones as the greatest, there's no doubting he's one of the scarce few who can lay a genuine claim to being the absolute best. The thing is, Jon Jones is his own worst enemy.

Due to the plentiful misdemeanours that have become commonplace in Jones' life over the past few years, the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion isn't quite as popular as he once was amongst fight fans. And the key turning point for a lot of fans was Bones' UFC 182 fight with Daniel Cormier.

Up until that point, most fans could put up with Jon Jones' brash comments, cocky fighting style, and genuinely dickish behaviour, but UFC 182 saw a shift in momentum amongst much of the MMA fanbase.

It didn't help Jones' popularity that he was going up against the beloved DC, yet it was the post-fight shenanigans of Jon that really hammered home a change in the fighter's career. Directly after that UFC 182 fight - which Jones won by unanimous decision - Bones tested positive for cocaine. Just three months later, Jones would be involved in a hit-and-run from which he fled the scene.

Jon Jones' fighting career may continue to see him amass impressive W after impressive W, but the fallout from UFC 182 saw a major pendulum shift in the career and status of Jones amongst fans. Is he still one of the all-time best? For sure. Is Jon Jones viewed as a true legend of the sport? These days, not so much, for his personal problems have started to tarnish his stunning MMA career.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.