While the UFC’s youngest titleholder Jon “Bones” Jones has conquered everything thrown his way, he still has more to prove in order to establish his place as the best fighter of all-time.The good news for Jones is that he’s on his way to achieving just that.
His upcoming fight against Rashad Evans at UFC 145 on April 21 will be a proving ground for this, as many consider Evans—Jones’ ex-training partner—to be one of the most formidable opponents he will meet in the ring.
In Jones’ short career, however, proving his dominance hasn’t been a problem. In fact, it has revealed a unique career that can easily place him as the best the sport has seen.
When Jones first began his MMA career, his unique fighting style was a trademark that seemed doomed to fail. He was a junior college national champion wrestler and a standout Greco-Roman All-American in high school, but in the MMA arena this decorated wrestler displayed a striking style that appeared unorthodox, arcane and completely natural. As unpredictable as the product was, it worked.
Since his UFC debut in 2008, Jones has been tested against whatever strength the organization can offer. He met Stephan Bonnar, a notorious striker himself, and Jones controlled the fight with his wrestling without sacrificing the effectiveness of his strikes, even as he noticeably tired by the final round.
In the end, this composite style won Jones the fight by unanimous decision. He went on to defeat Vladimir Matyushenko, a Soviet national wrestling champion, by TKO after wrestling Matyushenko to the ground and pummeling him with elbows.
Jones had made it clear that he was adaptable, and he continues proving that he can meld his own strengths and those of his opponents to maintain a singular fighting style. Not only has he been able to understand his opponents’ tactics, but he appears to learn them best during a fight. The result is a fighter who evolves with every passing instant of a bout.
His next fights proved this again and again as he defeated some of the UFC’s top names, including Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson. That random style began to seem more calculated with each fight.
Jones demonstrated increased physical and stylistic comfort in the ring, which was unavoidably reminiscent of Anderson Silva. In all of these fights, Jones wrestled well, struck well, and exercised a high degree of creativity.
Jones’ latest victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 evinced something more. Machida understood early on that a fighter who could get inside Jones’ reach and pursue him during a retreat will take the advantage. What’s more is that Machida’s method worked, and in the first round, Jones took a hit—likely the most powerful he’d taken in his last few fights.
After that, it took only one round for Jones to decipher the mechanics of the fight. Midway through Round 2, Jones got inside, wrestled Machida to the ground and struck with his elbow. By the end of the round, he caught Machida with a left hook as he moved in and finished the fight with a guillotine.
Afterward, Jones admitted the aggregate challenge of the fight: “He’s just smart, man. He kicked really hard. He knew his range. He has great tactics, and he was definitely a very tough puzzle.”
The fight against Machida cemented an assumption of many: Jones’ aptitude for fighting will allow him to be as great as he desires.
While he has proven his fighting is effective, Jones continues to deal with the greater psychological element of being a revered fighter. He has successfully defended his championship twice against veteran light heavyweights. His upcoming fight with Evans is no different.
As Ryan McGee points out, the UFC has been producing some dramatic fights by allowing competition between fighters who openly display indignation based on their past relationships. This tension isn’t new in sport and, it can be argued, adds a certain seductive element for both the close and fringe communities of each sport.
But the fighter like Jones who transcends this all-too-human component, who understands and reacts only to the most fundamental architecture of the sport itself, will be the athlete who can become the best. Arguably, this is where Jones shines.
In numerous interviews, tweets and blogs, including some of the latest from Jones and Evans, there is a sense that the anxiety is unequal. While Evans is looking to get back at Jones or teach him a lesson, Jones is looking to conquer the sport.
On the other side of that talk is the praise he receives. Recently, Anderson Silva said that no Brazilian could beat Jones. Silva, Jones’ fellow in debates about the best current pound-for-pound fighter, has also expressed persistent disinterest in fighting the light heavyweight champion.
But Jones knows, like all fighters, that he’s not unbeatable. There are also a number of fighters in the division to challenge him, largely because he’s not been in the game long and any of them will welcome a rematch.
Jones lost the charm of an underdog long ago; now we simply wait to see how far he can take it and when he’ll fall. The community set against him is simply further evidence that he is becoming the best.
His introduction to the UFC community and its lasting impression means his record won’t immediately affect his presence in the ring. Therefore, the complete game plan since the beginning hasn’t changed and doesn’t have to. He only needs to remain adaptable, adroit and true to his goal to achieve the highest eminence as a fighter.
The end of his career will reveal this constant evolution that is well-founded on his early dominance and continuously manifests itself with each fight. When that day comes, Jones is likely to be the best fighter we’ve seen.
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