Jon Jones’ only defeat was a controversial disqualification for an illegal move, which Dana White attempted to overturn

Jon Jones is arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history.

At UFC 309 on Saturday night, Jones can cement his GOAT status with a victory over legend Stipe Miocic in an all-time heavyweight title showdown.

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‘Bones’ enters the old fight with a record of 27-1 and a no contest in 29 career fights, with the one blemish on his record being a controversial disqualification loss.

The lone loss came to Matt Hamill in The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in 2009.

Jones dominated in what was just his third UFC appearance, controlling Hamill, dislocating his shoulder with a takedown and hammering him with ground and pound.

However, the future two-time light heavyweight champion was disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti after landing a series of illegal ’12-6′ elbows to Hamill’s face.

A 12-6 elbow is an MMA strike where a fighter raises his elbow as high as possible from a 12 o’clock position and drives it straight down into the six o’clock position with maximum force.

It was originally put in place to protect fighters from taking that kind of shot to the back of the head or spine. However, it was only enforced by the referee in the UFC’s early years, meaning that a final decision was always subjective to the trajectory of the downward elbow.

Mazzagatti initially took a point from Jones, but called off the fight after he couldn’t get an answer from Hamill, who had blood in his eyes and was born deaf. It was eventually ruled a disqualification victory for Hamill, and Jones suffered his first and only career loss.

“He certainly didn’t lose this fight and I certainly didn’t win, but I think the rules are there for a reason,” Hamill said at the time.

“It is what it is. I went into this fight feeling like my record was actually 9-1, so with this so-called win I’m now going to consider my record 9-2.”

According to UFC CEO Dana White, it was a result that “shouldn’t have happened.”

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“It shouldn’t have happened that way. He shouldn’t have a loss, so it’s unfortunate,” White told the media at the time.

“It was a downward elbow, you take a point,” White added. “Hamill couldn’t go on because his shoulder was messed up. It had nothing to do with the elbow.”

“Why the fight was stopped had nothing to do with the elbow,” White said.

“If he had been masted and the fight couldn’t go on, or broke his nose and couldn’t go on — something to do with the face or something to do with an illegal strike — I’d get it. But it did. ‘t .He couldn’t continue because of his shoulder It should never have been the call.

Mazzagatti was eventually removed from the regular rotation of UFC referees. White said he still considers Jones an undefeated fighter.

“I mean realistically — if you look at all the people he’s fought, he’s never lost a fight,” White said on The Jim Rome Show. “It kills me that one (loss) is on his record. 26-1.

“You have to understand for people who don’t know, it was at a time when the Nevada State Athletic Commission was very weak and there was a referee in there who stopped the fight and called Jones the loser of that fight. A fight he dominated and should have been done Instead of disqualifying Jones they should have stopped the fight Jones really should have been 27-0.

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The UFC head honcho also admitted he tried to get the decision overturned but was unsuccessful in convincing the Nevada Athletic Commission to change Jones’ record.

“I fought hard to get it removed from his record, but I haven’t been able to get it done,” White revealed.

“It’s terrible. This is a referee who I said a million times shouldn’t even be in the octagon (referee). But what are you going to do?”

The 12-6 elbow is no longer banned in the UFC. If Jones vs Hamill went down today, ‘Bones’ wouldn’t have received the DQ.

The ban on the move was lifted ahead of UFC Fight Night 246, which took place in Edmonton, Canada, in early November.

Jones has been spotted practicing the one move that cost him his unbeaten record ahead of his heavyweight title defense against Miocic at the weekend.

Both fighters have hinted at retirement after the fight.

It would be history if Jones’ last UFC win came via a move that once cost him a perfect MMA record.