Following a stellar year, most would assume that Jon Jones is set to reign over the light heavyweight division for the foreseeable future.
The UFC light heavyweight champion defeated three former UFC champions in the span of nine months, while successfully defending the 205-pound title twice in 11 weeks.
However, his role as champion will only continue to become harder as more challengers await.
Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson are two potential opponents for the 24-year-old, as well as light heavyweight prospects Phill Davis and Alexsander Gustaffson.
But Jones’ trainer and striking coach Mike Winklejohn doesn’t see any future opponents, including Henderson and Evans, giving the champion many problems.
“They all present different challenges,” Winklejohn said while making an appearance on Sherdog Radio. “Dan’s big right hand is always a big challenge. [He’s] somebody that could be able to close that gap and find a hole and try to get to Jon’s chin. I think Rashad Evans is probably capable of closing the gap, if he wants to, faster than anybody out there in trying to strike with Jon.
But I think [against] all of them, Jon’s got the ability to just pick them apart from long range like he has with all of his other fights and break them down and then finish the fight when it’s time.”
Jones has looked virtually unstoppable against the competition so far, having finished Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida respectively.
Jones is expected to meet either Evans or Henderson in his next bout, which has drawn a lot of interest from fans and critics alike.
Evans and Jones are former teammates, and despite having had the opportunity to train both of them, Winklejohn isn’t concerned.
“I think he’s prepared to fight Rashad,” he said. “He believes in his heart that he can beat Rashad. So no matter what Rashad says, it becomes posturing…I think Jon sees that and I’m not worried about it.”
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