Jon Jones is arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history.

At UFC 309 on Saturday night, Jones can cement his GOAT status with a win over legend Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title fight for the ages.

4

‘Bones’ enters the historic fight with a 27-1 record and one no-contest in 29 career fights, with the only blemish on his record being a controversial disqualification loss.

That lone defeat came to Matt Hamill in The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in 2009.

Jones dominated in what was only his third UFC appearance, controlling Hamill, dislocating his shoulder on a takedown and hammering him with ground and pound.

However, the future two-time light heavyweight champion was disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti after landing a series of illegal ’12-6′ elbows to Hamill’s face.

A 12-6 elbow is an MMA attack in which a fighter lifts their elbow as high as possible from a 12 o’clock position and drives it straight down to six o’clock with maximum force.

It was originally introduced to protect fighters from these types of shots to the back of the head or spine. However, it was only enforced by whoever officiated a fight during the early years of the UFC, meaning that a final decision was always subjective in terms of the trajectory of the downward elbow.

Mazzagatti originally took a point from Jones, but stopped the fight after being unable to get a response from Hamill, who had blood in his eyes and was born deaf. It was ultimately declared a disqualification victory for Hamill and Jones suffered his first and only career loss.

“He certainly didn’t lose this fight, and I certainly didn’t win, but I think the rules are there for a reason,” Hamill said at the time.

“It is what it is. I went into this fight feeling like my record was actually 9-1, so with this so-called win I now consider my record to be 9-2.”

According to UFC CEO Dana White, it was an outcome that “shouldn’t have happened.”

4

4

“It shouldn’t have happened like that. He shouldn’t have to suffer a loss, so it’s a shame,” White told media at the time.

“It was a drop elbow, you get a point,” White added. “Hamill couldn’t continue because his shoulder was messed up. It had nothing to do with the elbow.”

“Why the fight was stopped had nothing to do with the elbow,” White said.

“If he had been cut open and the fight couldn’t continue, or had his nose broken and couldn’t continue – something to do with his face or something to do with an illegal attack – then I would understand. But that didn’t happen. ‘t. He couldn’t continue because of his shoulder. That should never have been the decision.”

Mazzagatti was eventually removed from the regular rotation of UFC referees. White said he still considers Jones an undefeated fighter.

“I mean realistically, if you look at all the people he’s fought, he’s never lost a fight,” White said on The Jim Rome Show. “It hurts me that that one (loss) is on his record. 26-1.

“You have to understand for the people who don’t know, this was at a time when the Nevada State Athletic Commission was very weak and there was a referee who stopped the fight and called Jones the loser in that fight. A fight he dominated and should have been stopped. Instead of disqualifying Jones, they should have stopped the fight. Jones should actually be 27-0.”

4

The UFC chief also admitted that he tried but failed to convince the Nevada Athletic Commission to change Jones’ record.

“I fought hard to take that off his record, but I wasn’t able to do it,” White revealed.

“It’s terrible. It’s a referee that I’ve said a million times shouldn’t even be in the octagon (referee). But what are you going to do?”

The 12-6 elbow is no longer banned in the UFC. If Jones vs Hamill had gone down today, ‘Bones’ wouldn’t have received the DQ.

The ban on movement was lifted ahead of UFC Fight Night 246, which took place in early November in Edmonton, Canada.

Jones has been seen practicing the one move that cost him his undefeated record ahead of his heavyweight title defense against Miocic this weekend.

Both fighters have hinted that they will retire after the fight.

It would be quite a story if Jones’ latest UFC win came via a move that once cost him a perfect MMA record.