There is nothing quite like watching superstars come into their own.
It’s thrilling to see them revel in their abilities, usually at the expense of their opponents. They push the envelope of their own preconceptions about their limitations, and the really great ones surprise even themselves with their daring and execution.
They make hay while the sun shines, and in the case of fighters, that means they fight often, taking on whoever is in front of them, destroying them with an ease that almost seems scripted.
They leave the viewing public, and even their opponents, in awe of their skills and abilities.
Jon Jones has done all of this, and in the last year, he has been the candle that burns twice as bright as any other in the UFC stable.
But as he continues to impress in excess, the powers that be in the UFC would do well to remember that candles that burn so brightly can sometimes burn half as long.
In short, there is a difference between making a wish upon a shooting star and hitching your wagon to it.
The fight game is more like Algebra than simple math. Dana White is always talking about how something unexpected and bad happens every day in his line of work. This is because in a sport full of variables that explode like landmines between the gym and the cage, there is no such thing as a sure thing.
The writing that proves this true is on the wall.