Dana White: Hurdles Must Be Cleared Before Anderson Silva-Jon Jones Superfight

Since Jon Jones' lighting-fast ascension to the top of the light heavyweight division, fans have been salivating over the possibility of a superfight between the 24-year-old champion and Anderson Silva.

"The Spider" has tested the waters of 205 pounds on a couple occasions in the UFC. A major reason for him not making the full move is due to teammate and close friend Lyoto Machida's status in the division as champion and title contender.

Still, there has never been a light heavyweight in the history of the sport quite like Jones.

While it would be foolish to write Machida off, one has to wonder if Silva would consider making the move to 205 if Jones makes his teammate look like an appetizer.

"You're not in your prime until you're 27, 28, 29 years old. He's only 24, and he's fighting Lyoto Machida; he's fighting all these guys who are legends," UFC president Dana White told MMAWeekly Wednesday. "You have to respect what this kid has been able to do at such a young age and how he's been able to do it."

In the past couple of years, Jones has decimated a multitude of world-class opposition including Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Ryan Bader, Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko.

The 205-pound division was once considered one of the most stacked weight classes in the sport, but Jones is slowly turning it into a barren wasteland.

"[Jones] has two fights ahead of him. Anderson is gonna continue to fight. He'll probably end up fighting Chael Sonnen," White said. "They've got a lot of tough guys in front of them."

If Jones gets past Machida in December, Rashad Evans could be next on his itinerary. As for Silva, a win over Sonnen would pretty much wipe out the marquee names in the middleweight division.

"I know everybody loves the idea of a superfight. But the thing you've got to understand, Jon is 24 years old. He's got some business to handle in the light heavyweight division without thinking about Anderson Silva right now," White said.

Fans will be keeping a close eye on the next couple of bouts involving these pound-for-pound icons. If things go accordingly, the MMA universe could be gearing up for one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.

Of course, Machida and Sonnen will have something to say about this proposed superfight.