Before Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history, he cut his teeth on the wrestling mats where he won an NJCAA national title at Iowa Central Community college. Jones transitioned to MMA in 2008 where he made his professional debut for FFP.

Jones was born on July 19th 1987 and grew up in Rochester, New York with his three brothers and two sisters. He began practicing wrestling at a young age, eventually becoming an All-State wrestler in high school. After graduating from Endicott College with a degree in criminal justice, he decided to pursue a career in MMA.

Jones began training in MMA when he found out that his high school sweetheart girlfriend, Jessie, was pregnant with their daughter Leah. He realized that he wasn't making enough as a bouncer to support his family, and so he walked into the BombSquad training facility with the idea of making money as an MMA fighter.