5 Reasons Jon Jones Should Be Ahead of GSP in the Pound-for Pound Rankings

With 2011 coming to a close, it's very clear who the fighter of the year is—Jon Jones.

Jones began the year with an impressive victory over fellow prospect Ryan Bader then parlayed that momentum into a title shot against Shogun Rua in which he battered the champ for two rounds before earning the belt with a third-round TKO stoppage.

Jones' continued his impressive year by easily dispatching of one of the biggest names in the division—Rampage Jackson.

Then came the most pivotal win of the year for Jones—an impressive victory over Lyoto Machida in which we saw Jones rally from the most trouble he's ever been in—which wasn't much.

With Jones' meteoric rise to the top, the question now comes up: Where does Jon Jones belong among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport?

Pound-for-pound rankings are always a point of contention and debate, however, they serve as a great way to compare fighters across weight divisions and get an idea of who the best fighters are regardless of weight.

For the longest time, Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre have battled for the top spot on the pound-for-pound lists across the sport.

With 2011 now coming to a close, it's now time to put Jon Jones firmly ahead of the welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

At this point Silva tops most lists—and with good reason. However, Jones has done enough to take GSP's spot in the pound-for-pound rankings for a couple reasons...

Jones' Busy Schedule

While it's tough to penalize a fighter for inactivity, Jones' was much more busy than GSP in 2011.

Jones' schedule was nothing short of amazing. Taking four fights in one year is a strain for any fighter, headlining three events against former champions back-to-back-to-back? That demands respect.

Few fighters were able to maintain the busy schedule that Jones did, and much of that can be attributed to his youth, but it's impressive nonetheless.

On the flip side, Georges St-Pierre fought one time this year.

Beyond that, he looked rather marginal in a winning effort. Jake Shields was a tough opponent, and it isn't necessarily St-Pierre's fault that he was only able to fight once in 2011, but relevancy must be considered when it comes to pound-for-pound rankings.

GSP's Inability To Finish Fights

"Inability" may not be the right word; it simply seems like St-Pierre rather refuses to go for the finish.

St-Pierre is a phenomenal fighter, otherwise he wouldn't be in the discussion of pound-for-pound at all. However, his lack of finishes in his recent fights has become a puzzling phenomenon.

One of GSP's strengths as a fighter is his impeccable ability to game plan for fights. St-Pierre is so versatile that he's able to not only formulate the best possible plan to dominate his opponents but to also dominate them while taking very little damage.

This trait allows GSP to dominate the competition, but lately, it has held him back from finishing opponents.

St-Pierre's last finish was in 2009 against B.J. Penn, and even then, it was a corner stoppage after the fourth round. You have to go all the way back to April 19, 2008, in a bout against Matt Serra to find GSP's last finish that occurred during the round.

Finishes aren't the only way to display dominance, but they certainly have to count for something. GSP has thoroughly dominated some fights in which he chose not to finish against obviously inferior competition.

While a win is a win still rings true, at the top of the pound-for-pound list, everyone wins, style points do become important after a while.

Jones Finishes Fights

In complete contrast to GSP, all Jones has done is finish fights.

Jones has secured a finish in his last seven victories. The last time Jones did not finish an opponent (not including his questionable disqualification loss to Matt Hamill) was in an early-2009 bout with Stephan Bonnar all the way back at UFC 94.

In short, Jon Jones has not only been winning while keeping a busy schedule, he has been winning convincingly.

GSP and Jon Jones actually have similar styles. They both pick opponents apart, systematically wearing them down and compiling damage. The only difference is that Jones inflicts enough damage to sink in a submission or force the referee to intervene and stop the fight.

Jones has been fairly diverse in how he finishes fights too. He has collected eight knockout victories and five wins by submission.

Jones' propensity for finishing fights has to put him in the conversation to be placed above GSP on pound-for-pound lists.

It Isn't a Lifetime Achievement Award

Much of the reason Jones hasn't passed up GSP on several pound-for-pound lists is that many people feel that GSP has done a lot to earn his way and has been dominating for a much longer time than the relatively new Jones.

No disrespect to all GSP has done in the sport—he's already one of the all-time greats, and his career is far from over.

However, this argument should not prevent Jones from overtaking GSP in the current pecking order. To award GSP for his longevity atop the list is to deny what Jones has done in the short time that he has had in the UFC.

Pound-for-pound rankings should focus on the fighters that are currently the most dominant fighters in the sport, not the most dominant fighters in the sport who have the most impressive winning streaks.

Jones has been far more relevant than GSP of late.

GSP's Injury

Perhaps, the most obvious reason Jon Jones should be ranked above GSP on pound-for-pound lists is the simple fact that GSP is in the middle of what could be a very long layoff.

Georges St-Pierre's ACL tear was not only a huge blow to the fighter, but also a huge blow to the organization. St-Pierre is one of the most recognizable stars in the sport, and with him missing a large portion of time, the UFC has lost one of its biggest draws.

Ready to take his place is Jon Jones.

St-Pierre's lengthy recovery coupled with his already long layoff (his last fight was in April) could keep the champ out of action for upwards of two years. While everyone hopes that he's able to return to action sooner than that, it's unclear how his recovery will go.

We do know GSP will certainly do all that he can to rehab his injury and come back in top shape, but everyone reacts differently to ACL reconstruction. A lot of mystery will surround exactly how good he will be upon his return.

With so many unknown factors surrounding GSP's health, he's very difficult to rank.

Jon Jones is healthy, on an absolute tear and the most relevant fighter in the UFC.

This is why Jon Jones should be ranked ahead of GSP on pound-for-pound lists.