5 UFC Fighters Jon Jones Could Face in 2013

Jon Jones let everyone know exactly how good he is this past Saturday at UFC 145 against Rashad Evans.

He's by far the most unstoppable force in the UFC today, demonstrating an ungodly reach that frequently supplements his dangerous striking that seems to drastically improve every time he sets foot inside the cage.

Following his recent destruction of Evans, who many people considered the only contender who possessed the chance to knock off the 24-year-old, Jones is now set to fight Dan Henderson sometime later this year.

Considering the UFC has Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit already hashed out—as well as needing a date for Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber—the next time we see "Bones" in the Octagon may not be until four or five months from now, subsequently making it his last bout in 2012.

If Jones defeats the aging Henderson, he'll arguably become the most decorated light heavyweight champion in UFC history, making potential fight matchups in 2013 that more interesting.

Here are the top five fighters we could see Jon Jones face off with next year.

Alexander Gustafsson

After Dan Henderson, Alexander Gustafsson is the only relevant light heavyweight contender left that Jon Jones has not already beat.

Sure, you could make a case for a rematch with Lyoto Machida or Shogun Rua, but Gustafsson has rattled off a string of impressive victories that more or less make him the next guy in line.

For Gustafsson, one of the more unique strikers in the division, he'll prove to be a better match for Jones than many people may give him credit. 

He's only one year older, he's one inch taller and he has won the majority of his UFC fights via early stoppage, whether by TKO or submission.

Gustafsson may not possess the same striking qualities as Jones, but the 25-year-old brings a lot to the table.  He'd diminish Jones' unordinary reach with his bigger frame, and he's very aggressive in the standup game, which should provide the killer instinct to swarm Jones if he happens to catch him.

For the UFC, building Gustafsson's public image before this fight should be priority No. 1.  Outside of loyal UFC fans, not too many people know who Gustafsson is.  Before a fight with Jones, he'll probably have to beat another top contender, such as Machida or Rua.

If that happens, this fight is on like Donkey Kong.

Brendan Schaub

It's hard to make a case for Brendan Schaub considering he just got his clock cleaned for the second straight fight, but the 29-year-old still possesses a lot of potential.

As one of the smaller heavyweights in the UFC, Schaub's size alone makes him a good draw to face Jon Jones if he takes his talents to a heavier division.

He may not be as established as other fighters on this list, but considering the UFC probably won't throw Jones a top-five heavyweight in his divisional debut, Schaub makes a lot of sense.

Think about when Anderson Silva fought James Irvin.  Granted he destroyed him, but that was Silva's first light heavyweight fight.  Irvin wasn't a top contender, but he was an established striker who had some serious hands, similar to what Schaub brings.

With solid boxing and a lengthy frame, Schaub could pose some serious threats to Jones.  His chin is obviously suspect, but his core strength should make up for that against a slightly smaller opponent.

Cain Velasquez

If Cain Velasquez wins his next fight, he'll for sure get an opportunity to regain the UFC heavyweight title by the end of the year.

But if Velasquez loses his next bout at UFC 146 against Antonio Silva, who replaced Frank Mir after Mir moved up to fight titleholder Junior dos Santos following Alistair Overeem's failed drug test, the 29-year-old will encounter some serious career questions.

As one of the smaller heavyweights, albeit a championship contender, Velasquez may actually perform better if he dropped down to 205 lbs.  He currently checks in around 240, so the cut wouldn't be too crazy and shouldn't effect his world-class cardio.

Regardless, whether the former champ moves down or Jon Jones moves up, the two elite talents could meet at the center of the Octagon sometime in 2013.

For Jones, it would be a serious jump in competition compared to some other top fighters he has recently dominated.  Velasquez's wrestling and round-by-round pace would certainly give the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world a run for his money.

For Velasquez, who's still one of the most well-rounded athletes in the sport today, a showdown with Jones would no doubt be his biggest test of his young career.  No disrespect to dos Santos, but Jones incorporates a one-of-a-kind striking arsenal that has rarely been seen in the heavyweight division.

It may sound far-fetched, but if the UFC wants to mix things up, isn't Velasquez one of the best options from the heavyweight crop to shed a few pounds and meet Jones somewhere in the middle?

I think he is.  And what a fight it would be.  I got Jones in three.

Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort may be aging, but you have to believe he'll still be relevant for one or two more years.

With one of the best natural skill sets ever seen inside the Octagon, Belfort has the ability to beat any fighter on any given day.

While his trouble with Anderson Silva at UFC 126 could translate into a similar outcome against Jon Jones, Belfort is no cake walk. 

He has fought at 205 lbs. before and has looked good while doing so.  He is smaller than Jones, but who isn't? 

That height differential could be settled by Belfort's powerful hands, similar to what Dan Henderson will bring to the cage when he fights Jones later this year.

Granted the jump to light heavyweight may take some gusto away from Belfort's punches, but he's a professional fighter at the end of the day and sometimes you have to do what's asked of you.

Jones would surely have his work cut out for him but more or less could keep his distance as he usually does.  It may not be the headliner everyone wants to see, but someone has to move up or move down to light heavyweight when there's no competition left for Jones.

Belfort may be that guy.  Of course, he has to keep his winning streak alive.

Anderson Silva

For the UFC, pinning the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport against each other doesn't do much good.

Jon Jones and Anderson Silva are the rightful kings to their respective thrones.  If they were to meet inside the Octagon, the UFC would ultimately lose one or the other when it comes to promotional ability and overall mass appeal.

By keeping them two separate entities, albeit legendary ones at that, the UFC can ultimately reap benefits from two different directions.  But how long can they deny the fight world exactly what they want to see?

A matchup between the two UFC champions would be outrageously historical.  There's no doubt a fight between the two would produce the highest grossing pay-per-view event in UFC history, one that's only suitable for a venue like New York City (hopefully).

I'm not going to discuss who will win and why because that's better left for another day, but I will leave you with this.  Based on how good these two guys truly are, being unbeatable champions and what not, there's only one way they'll meet inside the Octagon in 2013.

That being the possibility that Silva starts to slip.  The second he loses, whether to Chael Sonnen in June or someone later in 2012, the UFC is going to make a move to promote him heavily before his age catches up to him.  A fight with Jones following a key loss by Silva would be very doable.

However, I guess it could still happen if Silva destroys Sonnen and Jones destroys Henderson, then Gustafsson.  Because at the end of the day, besides the few guys on this list, who's left for Jones to fight?

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