Move over GSP and Silva, Jon Jones Chasing Top Pound-for-Pound Spot

Jon Jones may be the greatest talent MMA has ever seen.

In only three years, Jones has ascended to the apex of his career in the light heavyweight division.

His unorthodox style and well-rounded skills has propelled him over world-class names like Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Ryan Bader, Vladimir Matyushenko, Brandon Vera and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Jones defeated Rampage over the weekend at UFC 135, which took place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. While Rampage impressed with incredible head movement and takedown defense, the 24-year-old champ's Reed Richards-like reach and world-class grappling skills proved to be too much.

Jones took Rampage's back in the fourth round and finished the MMA legend with a rear naked choke.

The win over Rampage was Jones' first ever UFC title defense, but the massive aura surrounding the Rochester native trumps what some call a lack of experience in comparison to the most elite fighters in the game.

Regardless of personal opinion, Jones' otherworldly abilities and shear dominance of some of the greatest fighters the sport has ever known warrants him a spot in the pound-for-pound discussion.

However, personal opinion plays a huge part in deciding where to place him. Does Jones slide into the fourth spot behind Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Jose Aldo? What about the third spot? Is Jones ready to overtake Silva and St-Pierre for the top spot?

While some are surely ready to hand over the pound-for-pound reigns to the young lion, Jones is not quite ready to overtake his otherworldly peers.

Silva and St-Pierre have been doing exactly what Jones is doing in their respective divisions for years. It's going to take more than one title defense and a couple of wins over upper-echelon names to surpass the accomplishments of Silva and St-Pierre.

Now, things do get interesting when comparing Jones to Aldo, who comes in at No. 3 on most pound-for-pound rankings.

While both fighters have secured only one UFC title defense, Jones' last outing was much more impressive than Aldo's, and this will prompt some to push Jones ahead of the Brazilian.

Still, it's easy to overlook the featherweight division, since it's only been apart of the UFC for a few months. Aldo may only have one UFC title defense on his record, but that number could easily be changed to three if his WEC defenses are included.

Outside of new featherweights Kenny Florian and Tyson Griffin, the UFC 145-pound division has virtually the same roster as the WEC. When considering pound-for-pound rankings, all of Aldo's defenses should be weighed evenly.

Jones has the potential to be the greatest fighter this sport have ever known, but it's important that fans give him the time to achieve that legacy. After seeing such an extraordinary performance, it's easy to become a prisoner of the moment and anoint a new pound-for-pound king.

The same thing would happen if Aldo makes road kill out of Florian at UFC 136.

There are important up and coming bouts including Jones, St-Pierre, Aldo and possibly even Silva, if Chael Sonnen manages to get past Brian Stann.

There has never been a better time to be a fan of MMA. It's rare in combat sports to see all-time greatness exude from so many individuals.

Grab some popcorn. The pound-for-pound race is just heating up.