Jon Jones in ESPN Magazine Body Issue: UFC Champion's Body Photo

The phrase “Jon Jones bares all” now has a new meaning as the UFC champion has been featured, in the buff, in this month’s ESPN Magazine Body Issue.

This will be the third annual edition of the “Body issue,” the first of which was released in 2009 and has been highly anticipated as it highlights the physiques of some of the world’s most ripped athletes.

Jones joins fellow world-class athletes such as Gretchen Bleiler, Steven Jackson and Hope Solo in this year’s issue which is sure to turn heads with the running tagline, “Bodies We Want.”

The 24-year-old Jones won’t be the first MMA fighter to make it in the magazine, though, as he will be following in the footsteps of two Strikeforce competitors and a UFC Hall of Famer. Female fighter Gina Carano was the cover athlete in 2009 and Herschel Walker in 2010. Randy Couture and his infamous cauliflower ear also made it into the 2009 edition.

“Bones” recently defended his UFC light heavyweight title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and made waves through the media when he rewarded himself by purchasing a brand new Bentley this week. But it might be his pictures for ESPN that really keep him in the spotlight for the rest of October.

The appearance in the magazine continues to prove that mixed martial arts and specifically the UFC are becoming more mainstream with each passing day. Though the promotion has had its problems with ESPN in the past, the two sides have at least decided to put aside their differences in an effort to provide some very unique content to the fans.