What’s next for UFC super prospect Jon Jones?
After dominating the more experienced Vladimir Matyushenko, one has to wonder, what’s next for the extremely talented Jon Jones?
In every fight, including the disqualification loss against Matt Hamill, the light-heavyweight prodigy shows the world what the hype is all about and it is getting more evident that the 23-year-old fighter is ready to go against the big dogs of UFC’s light-heavyweight division.
With that being said, his handlers at Greg Jackson’s camp still want to take it slow and as much as possible, take small and calculated steps at a time. Understandably, Jones is a very young and bankable athlete. The UFC organization acknowledges this fact and there is less to gain matching him against elite fighters. Losing will greatly diminish Jones’ aura of dominance as well as his and organization’s money-making opportunities.
Nevertheless, Jones and especially the fans have become restless. The demand for Jones versus a top fighter is so overwhelming that the UFC’s president, Dana White, was forced to promise to match Jones against someone in the top eight. Consequently, the anticipation for the next opponent is tremendous.
To name some of the top fighters in the light-heavyweight division, we have:
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4)
Lyoto Machida (16-1)
Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
Quinton Jackson (30-8)
Forrest Griffin (17-6)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3)
Thiago Silva (14-2)
Ryan Bader (11-0)
Vitor Belfort (19-8)
Rich Franklin (28-5)
Injuries and high profile matches: Jones is left waiting for the dust to settle
An immediate shot at Shogun Rua’s title is rather unlikely. The Brazilian light-heavyweight champion is out on an injury for now and besides, Shogun is set to battle Jones’ stable-mate, Sugar Rashad Evans, on the spring of next year. Lyoto Machida and Rampage Jackson are also out of the picture as the two former champions are also expected to meet inside the octagon later this year.
Forrest Griffin is busy with his book promotion and charitable activities. Coming off from a shoulder injury, it is not certain if he is healthy enough to fight against a strong competition like Jones. However, a Griffin versus Jones showdown still remains a strong possibility.
A clash with Vitor Belfort is potential fireworks but the Brazilian punching speed demon has already settled on 185 lb and waiting for his chance on a shot at Anderson Silva’s title. Rich Franklin would have fulfilled the role of another gatekeeper for Jon Jones but he is still recovering from an injured arm which he broke in a match against hall-of-famer, Chuck Liddell.
All these expected fights and injuries have Jon Jones waiting at the sideline. If the top fighters mentioned were only healthy or not set to fight someone else, there is a huge chance for a Jon Jones breakout fight against a very big name.
This leaves fans with three very probable matches for Jon Jones: against his fellow American prospect, Ryan Bader or one of the Brazilians, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rogerio “Lil Nog” Nogueira. These three fighters are not that big of a name but they are definitely not pushovers. Each fighter presents considerable threats to Jones’ aura of invincibility.
Ryan Bader will face Lil’ Nog in the upcoming UFC 119. The winner of the bout will probably fight Jones next. If Lil’ Nog wins, Jones will have to contend with ultra high-level Jiu-Jitsu and sound boxing. If Bader wins, Jones will face a very good wrestler with knockout power. Bader is also young, physically strong, and explosive.
But perhaps, out of the three, the one that will truly test Jon Jones is the perennial contender in Thiago Silva. Despite Silva’s losses against Machida (by KO) and Evans (by UD), the ex-Chute Boxe member is still seen as a fighter that is more than capable to end the Jon Jones hype train.
No matter what happens, the super prospect Jon “Bones” Jones should expect to have a challenging fight ahead of him and fans all over will now determine if the young fighter is for real, or just for now.
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