Jon Jones could be the greatest talent MMA has ever seen.
At only 24 years of age, the UFC light heavyweight champion has destroyed all comers in a way that is rarely seen in combat sports.
Well, there was that Mike Tyson guy who took the boxing world by storm in the late eighties.
Is Jon Jones the Mike Tyson of MMA?
There are certainly some similarities between the two. Both were ahead of their time in ascending to the top of their sport.
While Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at age 23, Tyson remains the youngest boxer ever to capture the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, doing so at age 20.
Like Tyson, Jones instills fear in his opponents. Most of his foes lose the fight before they even step into the Octagon. This isn’t because he rambles on about beating his opponents to death or eating their children.
Jones and Tyson don’t have to have the same personalities to draw up the same aura of invincibility.
With only three successful title defenses under his belt, some are already calling Jones the greatest of all time. As an opponent, it’s hard to ignore what your eyes see and your ears hear.
Clearly, Jones is a special talent that comes along once in a lifetime. The hype train pushing Jones is unlike anything ever seen. It’s amazing how a 24-year-old fighter can go from winning the light heavyweight title one year to being compared with the best heavyweights the next.
A plethora of personal issues plagued Tyson down the line in his career, but along with being under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, Jones has a good head on his shoulders.
People tend to root against him due to his excessive confidence, but as cliché as it sounds, the sky truly is the limit for Jon Jones.
Years from now, we could be watching UFC President Dana White wrap the heavyweight title around his waist.
Whether it’s Tyson or Muhammad Ali, Jones has to be thrilled about being compared with some of the greatest fighters the world has ever known.
Some people may not like it, but Jones is looking to craft his own legacy. He seeks a legacy that stands alone from every athlete who ever put on a pair of gloves. Every fighter feels the same way, but Jones is one of the few brave enough to say it and capable enough to prove it.
Sometimes, it’s best not to waste your time hating when success appears inevitable.
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