Jon Jones‘ legacy as one of MMA’s finest fighters has always included one asterisk: his DQ loss to Matt Hamill. But tonight, away from the UFC spotlight, Jones added a second “L” to his name, which he not only accepted but also laughed off. At a bare-knuckle event in Russia, Jones reunited with the man who once knocked him out in sparring, and there he playfully declared himself 0-2.

It all started as a simple guest appearance, with Jones introduced as the evening’s honored figure. But things changed when he was asked to return to the ring, this time to face Adlan Amagov, the former UFC welterweight who famously floored him years ago with a spinning back kick during training.

It’s a story that’s been passed down among fight fans for years, and it came full circle tonight. “Adlan’s the only man [to beat me],” Jones said, smiling as he addressed the crowd. “A beautiful human being, brother. I just love the way he’s so loved by his people.” When asked to square off for a staredown, he replied with a grin, “I don’t want no more.” The two then had a quick 10-second contact spar.

Jon Jones jokingly warned, “No spin kicks,” only to breach his own rule, resulting in a body lock. ‘Bones’ signaled to the crowd, who were laughing, that the score was now 2-0 in favor of Amagov. This was not the first time that the former heavyweight champion acknowledged the story.

In an old video posted by Home of Fight, he confirmed the claim in his own words: “Adlan Amagov KO’d me; very true story. Spinning back kick—boom, me down.” The kicker? Amagov was a welterweight, whereas Jones was already a dominant light heavyweight champion, weighing well over 205 pounds at the time.

However, this was not about size or records. It was about humility and humor, things that are rarely linked with the Jon Jones persona. But can we really say that ‘Bones’ gracefully accepted defeat and did not want the win in that 10-second sparring session? Well, the fans surely have their doubts about it.

Fans accuse Jon Jones of trying to cheat

Jones may have smiled and raised two fingers in mock defeat, but the internet was not sure he had completely lost his competitive edge. As the Russian ring video went viral online, viewers were skeptical of the “just playing around” vibe. Instead, they noticed something suspiciously familiar: Jon Jones reaching out with those notoriously dangerous fingers.

“Still trying to eye poke even in little fun 10-second fights 🤣,” joked one supporter. Another confirmed: “Still poking the eyes even in playing around 😭😭.” And of course, “Goes straight to the eye pokes and elbows to the back of the head,” someone wrote, as if Jones had muscle memory programmed to bend the rules in any situation.

It wasn’t just the finger placement that got fans riled up. The spin kick, intended to be a cheeky reference to the KO that started it all, became its own spectacle. It was awkward, off-balance, and, depending on who you ask, downright crazy. “What the hell was that zesty spin from Jones lmfao,” one fan joked.

“Tf was that move 💀,” another added, mirroring the general confusion. Another user commented, “Man threw a twerking knee,” as if they had just seen a failed TikTok challenge rather than a lighthearted exchange between two fighters. Then came the roast that summed up the entire performance: “F— is bro doing?”

Perhaps Jon Jones was just joking around, caught in a rare moment of self-deprecation. Or perhaps, even after 10 seconds of fun, the competitive beast inside couldn’t completely relax. In any case, it’s clear the internet saw the ‘rematch’ less as a friendly nod to the past and more as another classic, chaotic Jon Jones moment.