UFC 128 Results: Is Jon Jones Destined to Be the Greatest of All Time?

After his fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Jon Jones was dripping sweat. It caught my attention because it was the only thing to suggest he had been in a fight.

It was also the only thing to suggest he was human.

Rua (19-5) is one of the most fearsome fighters on planet Earth. He has a reputation for power, for aggression and for inflicting damage. So it was truly shocking to see him run up against a man at UFC 128 who was bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic and more conditioned. Oh, and a better fighter, both on the feet and on the ground.

At 23, Jon Jones is not yet old enough to rent a car. But after breaking Shogun over three dominant rounds to capture the UFC light heavyweight title, I don't anticipate that presenting much of a life obstacle for Jones, despite the fact that his already hectic travel schedule could be about to get a lot more crowded.

From literally the opening second, Jones attacked Rua the way he has attacked all his other opponents—with speed, with a flair for the dramatic, with unbridled aggression and with a skill level that is, quite simply, difficult to process.

Tired of flying knees? I'll just grab Shogun by the throat and throw him to the mat like a rag doll. Tired of grinding him into the mat?  I'll just spin around and go for a knee bar. In the unlikely event you were unimpressed with that perfectly placed spinning elbow to the jaw, I'll follow it up by using my 85-inch reach to perfectly place a jab to the incisors. Okay, I think I've proven my point. I'll go ahead and finish him now.

TKO, round three. New champion. But the same old story for Jones.

The question facing fans now is pretty straightforward: Is Jon Jones on a course to be the greatest fighter of all time? If you think the question is a little presumptuous or premature, let me take this opportunity to invite you to watch UFC 128. Go ahead, I'll wait.

All set? Great. Now, let's attack this thing head on. 

Go through all the fighters and champions—past and present—in the light heavyweight division. Who has or could have had a shot in their prime?  Chuck Liddell? Randy Couture? Rashad Evans? Rampage Jackson? Wanderlei Silva? Tito Ortiz? Phil Davis? Lyoto Machida? Who else? Name somebody.

Let's throw in the heavyweights, too. Fedor Emelianenko. Brock Lesnar. Cain Velasquez. Junior dos Santos. Cro Cop. Alistair Overeem. Do you think any of them could have beaten Jones last night? And that's not even rhetorical. I'm asking you.

Seriously...along the entire continuum of MMA history, can you think of any fighter—any fighter—who could have handled Jones last night?

What about measuring him against the great champions in other weight classes? Jones has the mat game of Georges St-Pierre, but with far more explosive stand-up to match. He has B.J. Penn's natural talent, but with the focus and humility to carry them into their fullest expression.

Based on last night's performance by Jones, the only fighter I can think of who could stand up to that incredible blend of physical gifts and ultra-polished skill (in a theoretical pound-for-pound way, at least) is Anderson Silva.

Suddenly, it doesn't seem far-fetched that a light heavyweight battle between Jones and Silva—not the long-hyped middleweight collision between Silva and St-Pierre—is the superfight more fans would pay to see.

Because really, if after last night you can find and put a ceiling on the UFC's newest belt-holder, you're seeing something I'm not.  Jones is heading up what would appear to be an unprecedentedly steep trajectory, and it would seem that no one, not even Jones, can see the top.

Closing thought: Jones took some flak last week for adding "Champion 2011" under his name when signing autographs. Before the fight, it seemed arrogant. Now, after thoroughly dissecting one of the best fighters this inferior human race has to offer, it seems downright Ali-esque. 

During the post-fight interview, I half-expected Jones to break into a round of "I must be the greatest! I must be the greatest!"

And, at this point, I'm not sure who could argue with him.

UFC 128: Shogun Rua vs. Jon Jones: Results, News and More