Why Jon Jones Isn't as Good as We Think He Is

The Jon Jones Bandwagon is currently full, but there's still room for plenty of other fans to hop aboard. Before you punch your ticket to stardom, there's reason for you to reconsider.

This isn't your typical "I hate Jon Jones" piece. I don't care for the guy, but I do respect his talent and ability. There's no doubt the kid is talented and has the potential to be one of the greatest MMA fighters.

But the people who want to call Jones the greatest fighter of all time right now need to slow their roll.

Even though Jones has accomplished a lot at such a young age , the people who say he's unbeatable should prepare themselves for the inevitable—Jones is human and can be defeated.

Jones' Height Allows Him to Get Away with a Lot on the Feet

Take a glance at Jones' footwork earlier this year against Ryan Bader.

The above picture is a perfect example of showing how Jones' footwork isn't pretty and notice his hands at his waist.

Another issue with Jones' footwork in this fight was his tendency to lead with his back foot.

Jones' height allows him to get away with flaws like imperfect footwork because he has so much distance between his opponent's limbs and his face, it allows him to evade much in the way he did so against "Rampage" Jackson.

Jones will need to continue to work on his footwork and base because eventually, he will fight someone of similar physical traits or with good enough technique to get inside his long reach.

Jones' Opponents Have Big Names but Little Game (Pat I)

Let's examine Jones' opponents in the year 2011.

He got the year started off on the right foot with a win over Ryan Bader but look at how Bader was coming into that bout.

He was coming off an ugly decision against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and a desperation KO of UFC-reject Keith Jardine.

Next, Jones took on the reigning champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Although "Shogun" looked good against Lyoto Machida, you have to consider the fact Rua was coming off major knee surgery along with a long layoff.

Just look at the previous times Rua returned from a layoff or fought with knee issues, and you'll see his ability was dramatically reduced.

Jones' Opponents Have Big Names but Little Game (Part II)

After winning the title from an anemic "Shogun" Rua, Jon Jones' first title defense came against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Prior to this matchup being made, most MMA fans considered "Rampage" to be in the twilight of his career and too one-dimensional to be relevant in the 205-pound division. Apparently two unimpressive decision victories over Matt Hamill and Lyoto Machida were enough to change people's minds.

Lyoto Machida, perhaps, gave Jones his toughest challenge of recent memory, but if you were to look at Machida's record heading into the bout, there was no question Machida didn't deserve to be in the Octagon that night.

A 1-2 record in his past three bouts with the only win coming against a retiring Randy Couture isn't exactly the best resume for a title challenger, but I suppose Machida benefited from the current state of the 205-pound division.

Jones Can Be the Bully, but How Will He Respond?

Jon Jones has been a dominant force during his run through the 205-pound division. Fighting is easy when you're the bully and aren't facing any offense in return to your own.

But what happens when Jones has to go on the defensive?

I give him credit for responding to the tough shot that Lyoto Machida landed on him, but eventually, he will be faced with more than one punch or one kick at a time.

We've yet to see Jones fight off his back as none of his opponents have been able to take him to the canvas thus far in his career. To his credit, Jones has admitted his jiu-jitsu game is his biggest weakness and is working on it.

The measure of a true champion is how they respond to adversity, and Jones has faced very little of that in his career thus far.

Conclusion: Hold Up on the Hype Train

Jon Jones is a great fighter, there's no denying that. He's defended his title against the two most credible, available challengers but hasn't fought the No. 2 light heavyweight yet.

Rashad Evans isn't the solution to saying Jones is the greatest of all time. Greatness is defined by performing at a high level for an extended period of time.

But a victory over Evans (sorry Mr. Davis but I'm picking "Suga" over you) would give Jones a win against the best fighter at his weight class other than himself.

If he gets passed Evans look for Jones to move to the heavyweight division where he will face "someone his own size," we may see the Jones riddle solved before our eyes.

Just remember that there have been numerous fighters who've looked unbeatable in their careers, and more of those careers have sputtered out than shined.