Jones is more like Floyd Mayweather in that sense. Best defensive fighter in mma.
Been hit very little throughout his career, in terms of clean strikes, and even sparred with the intention of not being hit.
He did it smart.
Penn is known to have fought in sparring during most of his camps. He never considered the long term repercussions of all those shots, a lot of fighters from that time didn't.
Eh, he has been hit cleanly in many fights. But his chin is perhaps the best among all fighter. Shavkat Rakhmonov had said it, that Jon Jones' chin, toughness is for him the best in UFC. Lyoto hit him with a very clean one two in the first round. That's when JJ's chin was tested and he even said in the post fight "I've shown that I've a really good chin"... Vs Gustafsson, he was hit a lot, and Gus in his prime was someone who'd maul his opponents, crazy power, and he'd almost hunt the opponents with pressure and picking shots that were brutal. JJ had his coach trying to call off the fight before the last round since Jones eyes were seriously bleeding and JJ begged him not to.
Vs Glover, who would back then KO guys with also huge striking power... JJ definitely got tagged hard in quite a few instance. Obviously he hit Glover way more, but Glover got him with a clean uppercut and some clean punches... He had that big KO power. JJ toughened it and won with strength in grappling and being better overall, dominating in the last 2 rounds...
Vs DC 1, he was also hit a lot of times in clinch situations... And some times in the distance as well. DC not as hard of a puncher but still is. Second DC fight he also definitely ate some big strikes as the fight was competitive, DC pressured and even got a clean overhand on JJ. The headkick was the destroyer when the fight seemed open.
Vs Gus 2, not hit as much, but got hit hard in the body many times, and had some not so clean but significant landed punches. Anthony Smith, JJ dominated, but he needed to basically eat a headlock Smith managed to land clean and keep his pressure of teeing off Smith. With Santos, another big KO power who was likely in his heyday when fighting JJ got some clean hits as well. Beginning of the fight, he landed an uppercut that took JJ's mouthpiece off. He waited for JJ to pick it.JJ seemed even to smile back when his mouth piece fell.
Vs Reyes, was hit a lot too, likely after Gustafsson, the one who hit him the most. JJ defense was good as he avoided many strikes, but Reyes landed a head strike that was little blocked by JJ and his signature uppercut that got its power even boosted as Jones was going towards a direction, falling in Reyes' bait... In slow motion, it could be seen his head shaking from the impact, and his eyes even turning around... He didn't even step back tho, he needed the third round to win the fight, so he kinda shut off a strike that basically was KO'ing all LHW Reyes had fought against. Not to mention, in all these fights, he was hit in ht in the body many, many times as well. Reyes spoke recently saying he thought it was over when he felt the uppercut got in so cleanly, after JJ had just "até" his headlocked. He was legit surprised and even Linda scared when JJ took the uppercut and kept on Reyes' tails pressuring and kicking, punching Reyes back again.
Vs Stipe, Stipe was in good shape physically... He said he had planned this type of weight to have a trilogy vs Ngannou. But Nagnnou left and fighting JJ, he said, likely was even bigger to him. Miocic would KO many HWs with basically a straight right. He got one clean at JJ when JJ punched his face... And JJ wasn't even back to his initial posture when getting hit cleanly by Stipe's powerful for HWs standards right hand. Stipe wasn't explosive which no fighter would be after that ground and pound for 3 minutes in the first round. If anything, he was faster than what should be expected after that first round.
And the thing too is that even if Stipe wouldn't rush with that explosive rush, he had a high level spatial awareness that he could get to JJ quickly... And even tho the first round took the speed he had before it, his punches were still well disguised. Stipe has a high level dangerous, and he showed his high ability of disguising punches behind feints... Second round, in one of the pressure rushes Stipe did, and JJ couldn't shut it down immediately by covering Stipe's eyes with his hands, it was visible that Stipe held well enough the punch he meant to deliver... He was feinting a straight left when pressuring JJ against the cage, which JJ instinctively tried to parry, but Jones quickly stopped right there as Stipe was aiming for a straight right, which JJ lowered his head while putting his guard up, dodging the straight right... And unlike vs Reyes, JJ would move away just enough and return to the center keeping the range on Stipe...
Third round too, first 20 seconds, Stipe likely pushed hard on his has tank and went for another pressure combo... Stipe was smart enough because he gave a little pause anticipating JJ would use his arms to cover his face... JJ didn't tho, and Stipe kept the pressure, but JJ dealt well enough, by lowering his head with a guard and avoiding any significant punch... Stipe still managed to get in a good position and was ready to deliver a pretty strong right hook... JJ hadn't much space as Stipe kept him close to the fence, nit was still space enough that JJ stretched his arms and jump backwards just enough that Stipe's right hook didn't get his chin, though it was close. Stipe had more success in quick feints rather than rushing it seems, now that I think about it. When he landed a good, very well place right hook on JJ's chin in the second round, it was quick... He set up a jab and quickly turned that into a right hook by rotating his body quickly. That was sharp and quick. But still, JJ's striking accuracy was 80% and he was better offense wise. His defense seemed to fear the blitzes but even when he couldn't stop them, he had a high enough distance management to avoid any of that...