by John Ibizugbe-
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has unearthed a new connection to his heritage, with a recent DNA test revealing that he is 42% Nigerian.
Jones, who successfully defended his title at UFC 309 with a third-round TKO victory over 42-year-old Stipe Miocic, expressed excitement over the discovery, which sheds light on his African ancestry.
According to ESPN, the test results showed that Jones is 96% African, with his roots spread across several regions: 42% Nigerian, 24% from Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu, 18% Mali, and 5% Benin and Togo. The remaining 4% of his ancestry traces back to England, Wales, and Northwestern Europe.
“I’m proud of my roots, and learning this just makes me feel even more connected to Africa,” Jones reportedly said.
While the results highlighted his Nigerian heritage, they did not specify his ethnic group, leaving questions about whether he hails from one of Nigeria’s major ethnicities, such as the Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo, or a smaller group among the country’s diverse cultural landscape.
Jones was born in Rochester, New York, to Pastor Arthur and Camille Jones, and this discovery adds a new chapter to his family story.
The heavyweight champion is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, and now, with his newly uncovered Nigerian roots, his legacy takes on a broader cultural dimension.
