Before beginning his MMA career, Jones was a stand-out high school wrestler and state champion at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, New York. He also played football as a defensive lineman; due to his slight frame, his coach nicknamed him "Bones".

The 29-year-old Jones was born in Rochester, New York, but became a standout at Union-Endicott high school. That is where he earned the nickname "Bones" and first made his name on a wrestling mat. Bones' earliest success came in Fargo, where he placed fifth in Cadet Greco at 189 pounds in 2003.

In reality, though, wrestling was the first martial art that 'Bones' was introduced to on his journey of becoming one of the greatest fighters in the UFC. Jones was an exceptional high school wrestler and later became state champion at Union-Endicott High School in New York.

Jones' father had been a wrestler and fostered this path amongst his boys, who often wrestled and scrapped with one another. Jones later attended Union-Endicott High School, where he managed a 2005 state wrestling championship as a senior.

Jones left wrestling behind to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, but uses the skills acquired in high school and Iowa Central well in the octagon. He’s regarded as one of the light heavyweight division’s best wrestlers.