UFC
At 1,262 days and counting, Jon Jones now officially the longest reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion ever
Sep 1, 2014 - 11:35:00 AM At 1,262 days and counting, Jon Jones now officially the longest reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion ever

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

From a strict title defense standpoint, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is already the longest-reigning Champion the division's ever had, but he took over the distinction in terms of time as well over the weekend.

Jones' reign has lasted 1,262 days as of today, besting the 1,260 days Tito Ortiz was Champion from 2000 to 2003. The 27-year-old Champion has defended the belt now in eight straight fights, two more than Ortiz had in his run as well.

However, Jones is still far off from the longest reign for a Champion in UFC history. That distinction goes to Anderson Silva, of course, who held the UFC Middleweight Championship for 2,456 days before losing to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 last summer. Georges St-Pierre has Jones beat as well, having held the UFC Welterweight Championship for 2,063 days.

If you count his run as WEC Champ, Jose Aldo also has a lengthier reign on top at 1,747 days and counting. Still, Jones is continuing to make history at 205 lbs., and his reign will run at least 1,385 days depending on the outcome of his January 3 matchup with Daniel Cormier.

Penick's Analysis: It's still amazing to see how long Silva and St-Pierre's reigns on top actually lasted, and if Jones opts to stay at 205 lbs. rather than move up to heavyweight, he's got a shot to get there himself. Jose Aldo as well is on his way, though his time as UFC Champ alone isn't quite as long. But this is impressive territory for Jones to join, and the fact that he got two more fights in than Ortiz during that time is a testament to him as well.

[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]