Feb 8, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Dominick Reyes (not pictured) during UFC 247 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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Jones Jones Acknowledges Newly Crowned (Chama)pion Alex Pereira’s Emotional Tribute To His Late Brother Arthur Jones

Feb 8, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Dominick Reyes (not pictured) during UFC 247 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Championship moments usually belong to the victor alone. The lights shine brightest on the fighter who just conquered their opponent. Cameras flash as they hoist the belt high above their head. But sometimes a champion uses that platform for something bigger than themselves. Alex Pereira just did that at UFC 320.

‘Poatan’ had just reclaimed his light heavyweight title in stunning fashion at UFC 320. He knocked out Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds. The Brazilian destroyer had his championship back and the T-Mobile Arena crowd roaring. Everyone expected the typical post-fight celebration. Instead, Pereira delivered one of the most touching moments in recent UFC history.

Alex Pereira Uses His Moment To Pay Respect To Arthur Jones

Pereira stood in the octagon with Joe Rogan and made an unexpected request. He had prepared a whole speech for his victory, but recent tragic news changed his plans. Jon Jones recently lost his brother, Arthur Jones unexpectedly. Pereira asked everyone in the arena and watching at home to observe a moment of silence.

“I had a whole speech prepared tonight. I talked to my team over it, but we got some news recently. Something’s happened, so I want to give my respect to Jon Jones and his whole family, and I want to ask everyone here and everyone at home to take a moment of silence for his brother.”

Alex Pereira asked the crowd to take a moment of silence for Jon Jones' late brother, Arthur Jones after his win. pic.twitter.com/7vTXjRjLLR
— ESPN (@espn) October 5, 2025

The entire crowd at T-Mobile Arena went silent as Pereira paid his respects. He expressed condolences to Jon Jones and his entire family during what should have been his own celebration.

Jon Jones Responds to Alex Pereira’s Gesture

Jon Jones acknowledged the newly crowned champion’s emotional tribute to his late brother Arthur Jones, creating a powerful moment that transcended sport. On social media, Jones responded with simple but powerful words. He posted:

“Wow Alex”

Wow Alex 🙏🏾
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) October 5, 2025

The respect between these two fighters runs deep despite never sharing the octagon. Pereira could have used those precious post-fight interview minutes to call out opponents or celebrate himself. Instead, he chose compassion and solidarity with a fellow fighter going through pain. Arthur Jones had passed away Friday morning, and circumstances around his death remained unclear.

Pereira’s gesture carried extra weight given his history with Jon Jones. Fight fans have long speculated about a potential super-fight between the two. Pereira moved up from middleweight to light heavyweight and immediately dominated the division. Jon Jones moved up to UFC heavyweight and captured that title as well. The two have traded subtle verbal jabs through media appearances and social media. But when tragedy struck, all of that competitive posturing vanished instantly. Pereira recognized that some things matter more than fighting and championships.

(Image Credit: Thomas Shea – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Arthur Jones

Jon Jones

Magomed Ankalaev

UFC 320

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!