Have We Already Seen The Best Jon Jones?

It’s more than safe to say that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones entered the discussion of being the greatest MMA fighter of all time with his at-times dominant decision win over Daniel Cormier in the main event of last Saturday night’s (January 3, 2015) UFC 182 pay-per-view (PPV) event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In fact, many believe (myself included) that “Bones” did enough in beating Cormier to overtake Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, and Fedor Emelianenko as the greatest MMA fighter of all time despite being only 27 years old. With a 10-fight win streak and eight title defenses under his belt, Jones has beaten some of the sport’s most hallowed names, and perhaps most impressively, he’s done it by breaking down his opponents in their strong suit.

He outwrestled accomplished wrestlers like Cormier and Chael Sonnen, outstruck dangerous strikers like Alexander Gustafsson, “Rampage” Jackson, and Glover Teixeira, and even submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts like Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort. “Bones” is wholly well rounded, and while his detractors would have you believe that much, if not most, of his success is due to his massive size and reach advantage, his immense level of talent, skill, and accomplishment has undoubtedly made him one of the best fighters MMA has ever seen, if not the best.

Jones is fully deserving of his No. 1 spot on the pound-for-pound list; that much is not on trial. However, despite all of his dominance and even his continued improvement, there have been a couple of small signs that could lead to “Bones’” first loss in the octagon.

True, it’s tough to bash a fighter that has been dominating his opponents where they fight best, but every champion inevitably declines. You might think that now is not the time to discuss any semblance of pending doom for the decorated champion, and you could be right.

But even though Jones’ downfall may be quite a ways off, the groundwork for it may have been laid long before he even embarked on his grudge match with Cormier.

Let’s examine two key reasons why Jones may have peaked at UFC 182.

1.) Lack of Finishes/Change In Fighting Strategy:

This may seem like a meticulous gripe on the surface, but when the details of the situation become fleshed out, there are some aspects to consider here. After all, Jones has not finished a fight since he stopped Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 in April 2013. He also submitted Vitor Belfort in his prior fight at UFC 154 in October 2012, and those facts bring to light some major significance.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s because Jones’ most recent finishes were formerly marquee (and recycled) victims of Anderson Silva, the man most would directly compare Jones to when talking about whom is the greatest of all time. They also fought predominantly at middleweight.

That’s not to knock Jones’ level of competition, because it’s clear that his dominant run of 2011-2012 will most likely never be repeated. He finished Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, and Lyoto Machida before beating Rashad Evans by decision and finishing Belfort and Sonnen.

That was an historic run through some of the best fighters the UFC has ever seen, and it’s only natural that Jones lost some of the killer instinct that skyrocketed him to the top as an up-and-coming young fighter. It happens to everyone who’s ever been in his position, at least to some degree.

An increase in competition in recent bouts with Gustafsson and Cormier has made it tougher to finish his opponent, but it simply can’t be denied that Jones has tailored his strategy to a safer style that adapts his gameplan to his opponents’ weaknesses to pick up the win as efficiently (and perhaps safely) as possible.

Is it a smart strategy? Without a doubt. Could it one day lead to Jones losing his belt? Tough to say, but it is a definite possibility.

At the end of the day, Jones isn’t going for the emphatic victory that he once did. Too much is at stake. And for that reason, we may have seen the beginning of the end of Jones as a ruthless finisher.

2.) He’s Beginning To Lose Rounds:

Another chink in Jones’ armor, albeit a potentially small one, are the rounds he lost against Gustafsson and Cormier. It’s a minor complaint to be sure, but none of the illustrious fighters whom Jones decimated during his early days as champion even so much as had him in trouble.

Machida may have hit him with a clean shot, but the fact that that was such a big feat only served to show Jones’ dominance at the time.

He evolved to beat a fighter of his own massive size in Gustafsson and an Olympic wrestler in Cormier, but those wins were much more hard-fought than those of 2011-2012. Even his win over Cormier.

Yet the classic war with Gustafsson at UFC 165 in September 2013 is obviously the most glaring example. Accused of not taking “The Mauler” seriously, Jones was routinely picked apart on the feet and taken down for the first time ever. If not for a huge spinning back elbow in the fourth round, the judges could have easily awarded Gustafsson the decision win.

And it’s the fact that he almost lost for the first time of his career (we’ll discount his DQ loss to Matt Hamill here) when he fought an opponent of similar size and striking ability that should be most disconcerting for his fans.

He’ll potentially get a chance to prove all of the doubters wrong if Gustafsson can get past Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the main event of January 24’s UFC on FOX 14; if he cannot, then Jones will most likely square off with Rumble. Both fighters are huge, hungry, talented, and powerful light heavyweights who would still be substantial underdogs to the surging Jones.

Rightfully so, but either opponent will most likely bring a firefight that may not allow Jones to fight safe with his clinch game and takedowns. Of course, he could also smother them and use his reach and diverse striking to score a dominant decision over either one of them, and on paper, that’s a more probable outcome.

However, it’s also hard to argue that Gustafsson did not provide the blueprint to defeat Jones even in defeat, and he also took the champ’s aura of invincibility with him that night. That could be something that kickstarts the beginning of the end of Jones’ reign.

Jones simultaneously proved and re-affirmed that he is indeed the best by defeating Cormier at UFC 182, but the fact that a 5’11” fighter was having success in the striking department until he gassed should at least be a consideration for Jones supporters.

In summation, Jones is the best in the world, and quite possibly the best ever. But by no means does that signify that he cannot be beaten, and the seeds of his first-ever defeat may have even been planted in victory.

That’s not to say he can’t continue improving and run roughshod over his competition. He most certainly could, and picking him to lose any fight has become a foolish proposition. Jones is already an all time great, and that will never change. But the best of “Bones” may have already come and went.

Do you believe Jones will continue to improve, or is a decline pending for the dominant yet polarizing champ?

*Editor’s Note: This story first appeared today on FightOfTheNight.com

Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports