A student of the legendary wrestling mats at Iowa Central Community College, Jon Jones has really come a long way. From collegiate standout to consensus MMA GOAT, ‘Bones’ has honed his skills with surgical precision throughout his life. The stage is set for his upcoming battle against the legacy Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, which is rumored to be the duo’s last rodeo.

With Jones, a wrestler, and Miocic, a striker, facing off in the octagon this weekend, oddsmakers and analysts are heavily favoring ‘Bones.’ With over 16 years of dominance in the cage, it seems no one has ever been able to surpass his wrestling skills. However, this is not entirely true. While Jones has been dominant, he is not completely immune to failure. In fact, he has suffered two wrestling losses in his career – and both were to the same person. So let’s take a closer look at his overall wrestling career, and what it means for Jones’ upcoming fight.

Jon Jones’ wrestling career: What weight did he wrestle in high school?

Growing up with athletic brothers, Jon Jones may not have been destined to become an American football player, but those formative years helped him become the formidable MMA fighter he is today. His Greco-Roman wrestling in particular became a nightmare for the divisions he competed in. Before Jones made a name for himself in the UFC, he was already a force in wrestling despite his limited frame.

Jon Jones‘ journey began at 189 pounds in high school at Union-Endicott, and he later competed at 197 pounds, leading his team at Iowa Central Community College to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) wrestling championships. Reflecting on his brother’s journey, Jon’s older brother, Arthur Jones, said Jon was not naturally gifted, but his hard work made the difference. He said, “In football he wasn’t the best player. He couldn’t catch a cold. They tried to find a position for him to play.”

Arthur added, “In his senior year, he was awarded the team’s Most Improved Player. He played defense right next to me, and it was cool to be there with him. He was finally allowed to start his senior year. He was always ready to prove someone wrong.Despite his success in college wrestling, Jones dominated the sport, just as he does now in MMA. However, his seemingly smooth journey became strained in high school.

Who did Jon Jones lose to in high school wrestling?

These days in the MMA scene, it’s hard for anyone to match the wrestling skills of Jon Jones, which even top Olympians and former UFC heavyweight champions like Daniel Cormier have struggled to match. However, the mainstream media has spread the false narrative that Jon Jones was overpowered by a former WWE star.

Jon Jones recently came out to clear up the misconception, stating that he actually faced Jack Sullivan in high school, not Matt Riddle. Unfortunately he was defeated and came 3rd. Jones wrote on X, “Some of these guys will say anything for influence. If you actually did your homework, you would realize that I never wrestled Matt Riddle. I wrestled Jack Sullivan in the semi-finals (04) and lost.”

Sullivan and Riddle battled for the top spot, but the following year Jones avenged his loss to Sullivan. Jones later added: “He then beat Jack our senior year and won the New York State high school wrestling championships like a boss. Fast Lane, champ, all the way back to high school.

Now all eyes are on the highly anticipated showdown in New York UFC309Where Stipe Miocic will rely on his offense to outwork Jon Jones. The question remains: Can Miocic withstand Jones’ dominant wrestling, or will he fall like those before him? Post your prediction below: Jones or Miocic?