Jon Jones: 5 Reasons Why Building the UFC Franchise Around Him Is Brilliant

Jon Jones is the light heavyweight champion of the UFC and the first one to defend the belt more than once in over five years.

He had arguably the greatest year in MMA history, going 4-0 by defeating Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

It looks as though Jon Jones is unstoppable and the UFC is looking to capitalize on that.

Let's take a look at five reasons why building the UFC franchise around Jon Jones is brilliant for all involved.

He's Young

Jon Jones is a mere 24 years of age.

The other two best fighters in the world, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva, are 30 and 36, respectively.

Jones has a lot of time to grow, develop and become even more dominant.

Anderson Silva has 14 UFC wins in a row—how many could Jones have when all is said and done?

He's Talented

For being so young, Jones is also incredibly talented.

He's 15-1 in his career, his lone loss a bogus DQ thanks to Steve Mazagatti.

He has some of the best Greco-Roman wrestling in the UFC, some of the most unorthodox and creative striking and his huge range gives him an advantage over almost everyone in the stand up.

Not to mention he trains at Greg Jackson's camp, where he gets perhaps the highest quality MMA training you can find today.

He Could Be the First to Hold 2 Belts

Jones is a big light heavyweight.

He's 6'4", taller than a majority of the heavyweights currently on the UFC roster. He also has an 84.5" reach, the largest on the roster.

The next closest in reach is the 6'11" Stefan Struve, who has a reach of 84".

Should Jones move up to heavyweight, he is an immediate title contender with a very real chance of being the first UFC fighter to ever hold two belts simultaneously.

He's Likable

There are people on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to opinions of Jon Jones.

Some out there think Jones is incredibly cocky, arrogant and obnoxious.

However, there are others who see Jones as humble, respectful and a generally likable guy.

I would have to say the majority of people find Jones to be likable, which is certainly how the casual fans view Jones.

Because the casual fan finds Jones to be likable...

He's a Great Ambassador for MMA

Jon Jones is a classy and well-respected guy. He is well-spoken and knows what he is talking about.

He has appeared on Sportscenter, UFC on Fox 2 as a guest analyst and on many other TV and radio programs.

He is a great ambassador for the sport of MMA; we'll likely be seeing him for a long time.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter @TimMcTiernan.