Just how good is Jon Jones? Are we in fact seeing the GOAT in his early days?

I think he could very well be the GOAT. The Machida fight convinced me. He was in with a brilliant, brilliant fighter, and overcame a bit of adversity to win in style. I'm a believer now.

 

Jones could be the GOAT but his level of skill across martial arts has to become the standard. Guys like Silva, GSP are creating guys like Edgar, Henderson, Jones who in turn will push the next generation like Rory McDonald to keep furthering their game in all areas.

 

not really a fan but the guy is a nut. i see him top 5 atg in the end

 

He's got the greatest invincibility aura since Fedor I think. I know Anderson and GSP have been on longer streaks but I at least think someone could beat them if they have a great night. I dont see how any current lhw even threatens Jones.

 

Jones physical attributes are what make him so devastating imo. Hes 6'5 has an INSANE reach advantage, and to top it off hes BLACK. the guy is an automatic athlete.

 

The thing I love the most about Jones is that the bad parts of his fighting career can be measured minutes or seconds. The adversity he faced the other night is that he may have lost a close round (I actually think they said in that Greg Jackson interview that 2 of the judges gave it to him), or the few seconds where Shogun almost completed a sweep. Or his second fight in the UFC where he dropped a round to Bonnar.

Jones will be the GOAT, I've known he'd be champion since Bonnar, and I'd known he'd be top five ATG since Hamill and Vera. The performance we've seen this year is the early career run of the future GOAT.

The things is, he's not even in his prime yet. He potentially won't hit his peak for another 5-8 years. His first pro fight was less than 4 years ago, and the dude is only 24 years old. Can you imagine what a 29 year old, 6'4", 235-240lb Jones is going to do to the heavyweight division?

 

Yep, he is being analysed like a prime [Roy] Jones. People saying he is beatable, not flawless etc but they are struggling to find fight time that doesn't leave you in awe.

 

There's a lot of people going on about Machida winning the first round a bit too much. He landed like two flush punches on him, and then proceeded to get choked out in the second. The evidence against Jon Jones so far is hardly damning.

 

Look at his 2011. 4 fights. 1 against an unbeaten prospect, the other 3 against top guys, all champs at 205. He got hit about 3 times, never was in a bad position and finished them all. These were live opponants, not bums 24 years old and only been doing MMA for a few years. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes i wouldn't ****ing belive it.

 

:deal

 

Yeah, the people who keep ranting about how Jones was "made to look ordinary" in the first round are completely ignoring the fact that he managed to adjust to Machida's style and is only the second guy not to get totally embarrassed by Lyoto standing. The first half of the the second round looked nothing like the second half of the first round. Jones avoided most of Machida's strikes by strategically clinching and using head movement. He landed a flush overhand right on Machida's chin before he took him down and dropped him with a left hook to set up the choke. Besides Mousasi, I don't think that there's anybody else at 205 who's technical enough to give Jones those kind of problems standing.

Then there's the fact that Jones has been training boxing and Muay Thai for all of three and a half years. He's only going to get better.

 

He is a bum who fights even worse cans