Jon Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, has had a storied career in the UFC, punctuated by numerous title fights and iconic moments. Beyond his remarkable skill set, fans have noticed that Jones often switches between two types of fight shorts: the high-cut gladiator shorts and the more streamlined vale tudo shorts. Each style has its own characteristics, with the gladiator shorts featuring a high side slit for flexibility, while the vale tudo shorts are tight-fitting and provide maximum mobility.
Below is a chronological breakdown of Jon Jones' UFC fights starting with UFC 126, focusing on his choice of shorts for each bout.
UFC Fights Chronologically with Jon Jones' Shorts
UFC 126 vs. Ryan "Darth" Bader (February 5, 2011)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Submission (guillotine choke)
- Notes: Submission of the Night
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC 128 vs. Maurício "Shogun" Rua (March 19, 2011)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: TKO (punches and knees)
- Notes: Won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Newark, New Jersey, United States
UFC 135 vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (September 24, 2011)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Submission (rear-naked choke)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Fight of the Night
- Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
UFC 140 vs. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (December 10, 2011)
- Shorts: Black & Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Technical Submission (guillotine choke)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Fight of the Night
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UFC 145 vs. Rashad "Suga" Evans (April 21, 2012)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
UFC 152 vs. Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (September 22, 2012)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Submission (keylock)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Submission of the Night
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UFC 159 vs. Chael Sonnen (April 27, 2013)
- Shorts: Black Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: TKO (elbows and punches)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Newark, New Jersey, United States
UFC 165 vs. Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson (September 21, 2013)
- Shorts: Black Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Fight of the Night; Fight of the Year (2013)
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UFC 172 vs. Glover Teixeira (April 26, 2014)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
UFC 182 vs. Daniel "DC" Cormier (January 3, 2015)
- Shorts: Red Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Fight of the Night
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC 197 vs. Ovince "OSP" Saint Preux (April 23, 2016)
- Shorts: Black & White Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Won the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC 214 vs. Daniel "DC" Cormier (July 29, 2017)
- Shorts: White Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: NC (overturned by CSAC)
- Notes: Originally a KO win; overturned due to a positive drug test
- Location: Anaheim, California, United States
UFC 232 vs. Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson (December 29, 2018)
- Shorts: Gray Vale Tudo Shorts
- Outcome: KO (punches)
- Notes: Won the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Inglewood, California, United States
UFC 235 vs. Anthony "Lionheart" Smith (March 2, 2019)
- Shorts: Black Vale Tudo Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC 239 vs. Thiago "Marreta" Santos (July 6, 2019)
- Shorts: Black Vale Tudo Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (split)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC 247 vs. Dominick "The Devastator" Reyes (February 8, 2020)
- Shorts: Black Vale Tudo Shorts
- Outcome: Decision (unanimous)
- Notes: Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; later vacated the title
- Location: Houston, Texas, United States
UFC 285 vs. Ciryl "Bon Gamin" Gane (March 4, 2023)
- Shorts: Black Gladiator Shorts
- Outcome: Submission (guillotine choke)
- Notes: Heavyweight debut; Won the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Analysis of Jon Jones' Shorts
Jon Jones' choice of fight shorts throughout his career has been a blend of practicality and personal style. His gladiator shorts, with their distinctive high-cut design have become iconic in the octagon, with some even calling them "Jon Jones shorts". Some people have even speculated that Jon Jones' gladiator shorts may even give him a fighting advantage, which would not be surprising given how the shorts allow for a wider range of movement in a game of mere inches.
Meanwhile, his more recent switch to vale tudo shorts demonstrates a new era for Jones as his more recent fights have been more hard-fought and some even controversial. As Jones continues to build on his legendary career, his fight attire will remain an interesting aspect of his ever-evolving strategy in the UFC.
