What Jon Jones could have been is a discussion that will forever be under the purview of the sport, and shall unquestionably put Jon Jones as one of the greatest MMA athelete of all time, who could have been more than that. There’s no doubt that Jones will go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, and at a relatively young age of 32, Jones’ record inside the octagon is a testimony to that. Jones became the youngest UFC fighter to win the championship belt, and despite all the criticism that has come his way, he remains undefeated, undisputed, and the longest reigning champion of the light heavyweight division.
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Jones has a remarkable track record with wins over several former champion including the likes of some of the greatest of all time. Jones has notable victories over Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and the list just goes on. Since he was young, Jones has fought champions of the sport, and continues to dominate the light heavyweight division despite the criticism that has come his way in the last two fights inside the octagon.
Dana White reveals what he thinks about Jon Jones
While it’s hard to decide whose side to take between Dana White and Jon Jones in the ongoing dispute, there’s something that White said in the post match conference after Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns, that we all can agree about.
“Jon Jones and I have always had this. I am always looking at what Jon Jones could have been, you know. He could have been the LeBron of the sport. He could have been literally that big.”
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It’s hard not to agree with Dana White, and given the situations that Jon Jones has found himself in the past, it’s right to say that Jones could have been an even bigger draw, if not for his troubled outside life.
Jones has had various cases of misdemeanors against him, the most recent being DUI during the coronavirus pandemic, where Jones was arrested. This was not the first time Jon Jones had found himself in a situation like this. Earlier misconducts involves rash driving, doping violations, arrest for DUI in 2012, arrest following misbehavior involving a cocktail waitress, negligent use of firearm, and for violating UFC’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy. Jon Jones has been on the news for all the wrong reasons, and while there’s no denying that he is an elite fighter, it’s hard to ignore the doping violations and his outside life.
Jones could have been the LeBron of the sport
Indeed, given Jones undefeated record, and wins over the best that UFC had to offer, puts him on the top of the UFC tier. Someone whose every fight should be a big event, considering it’s not just the title, but his undefeated streak at stake. However, it has been difficult for not just Jones, but UFC to push Jon Jones to that level, given his life outside the octagon that has tainted his respect among fights fans at some level.
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