Jim Jones Brawls with Two Men on Airport Escalator, Claims Self-Defense

Jim Jones got into a wild fight at the airport, taking on two men at once in unbelievable footage ... and, he's claiming he was just trying to defend himself.

New video, obtained by TMZ captures the fight ... which kicks off as Jim and two others are reaching the bottom of an escalator at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It's unclear what set off the encounter, but it escalates quickly.

While JJ throws punches at the two individuals, they seem to land on an older man's leg, and he's clearly in a lot of pain when he hits the floor at the bottom of the escalator.

A woman rushes to turn off the escalator, but the fight continues despite protests from others hoping to get away from the violent scene.

Finally, a pair of officers break up the fight ... with Jim letting go of the man he's holding pretty quick -- who appears to be gushing blood BTW. He protests, yelling, "It's two of them against me," but he allows the officer to lead him away and sit him in a chair.

One of the other individuals isn't quite so calm ... trying to pull out of a sheriff's deputy's grasp -- though more officers arrive on the scene and stop him from going any further.

We reached out to Jim who tells TMZ Hip Hop ... "I was minding my business and defended myself. They got what they were looking for.'