Jon Jones is teetering on the brink of megastardom after dissecting Rampage Jackson at UFC 135, but he’s not there just yet.
Jones was dominant the entire fight and handled a well-prepared Jackson with ease. He chopped down Rampage with leg kicks and was simply too quick for Rampage. At times, he made Jackson look silly as he maneuvered the Octagon with veteran prowess.
One would think this masterful win over Rampage, a known megastar in the sports world, would catapult him towards the top of the UFC and the sports world.
Not so fast.
Jones still has his greatest test to date coming up—an epic showdown with Rashad Evans.
Like Jackson, Evans is a bad, bad man.
The fellow New York native has been obliterating just about everyone in his path. He was supposed to battle Jones in August, but injury forced Evans to take care of superstar and aging fighter Tito Ortiz.
Evans, as most expected, knocked out Ortiz to earn his title shot against Jones.
Jones may have been successful in his first title defense, but he is by no means a lock to toy with Evans like he did Rampage.
Jackson may decimate most men on this planet, but he is now perceived as a fighter/actor. Jones beating him doesn’t carry the same weight anymore.
It’s now up to Jones to put Evans down convincingly if he wants to reach the upper echelon of UFC fighters. He needs to defend his title against Rashad, who is a legitimate day-to-day fighter.
Only then will Jones vault to the top of the UFC as Dana White’s next megastar. Whenever these two men meet, it will surely be a classic bout. Evans is the top test for Jones right now in his career and we’ll see if he truly has what it takes to make the leap to elite.