On March 19, 2011, Jon Jones erased all doubt about his place among the mixed martial arts (MMA) elite when he became the new UFC light heavyweight champion after destroying Mauricio Rua in the third round of their UFC 128 title fight in Newark, NJ.
"Bones" was the favorite and fresh off a win just six weeks prior against then-undefeated Ryan Bader and he continued his ascension into the halls of Valhalla by becoming the youngest champion in UFC history at the ripe old age of 23.
And now that "Shogun" failed to stop him, is there anyone in his weight class who can?
After the jump, we'll take a closer look at five UFC fighters who have the best chance of dethroning the seemingly invincible Jones.
1. UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
The most dominant champion in UFC history with eight consecutive title defenses dating back to 2007 has done nothing but destroy his opposition. The champion has obliterated Rich Franklin (twice), Chris Leben, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort and James Irvin.
He's beaten every top contender at 185-pounds in addition to defeating Griffin, a former UFC light heavyweight champion in what may be his Picasso of Violence back at UFC 101.
The champion did have some poor performances due to either lack of talent or boredom with his own success. The spark under his fire may have been re-lit as Silva may have recently overcome his two biggest challenges against Vitor Blefort and Chael Sonnen.
He choked out Sonnen at UFC 117 after being badly abused for almost five full rounds. His resiliency was amazing and the defining moment in his legacy up until that point. At UFC 126, Anderson Silva faced a major threat in the "Phenom," but proved all the doubters wrong with a beautiful front kick sending his fellow Brazilian crashing to the mat.
His two trips to 205-pounds were nothing short of amazing as he first destroyed rising star James Irvin by catching an errant kick and landing a straight right down the pipe, knocking out Irvin instantly. At UFC 101, he would face former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin in the co-main event.
What we saw was Anderson Silva rising to the moment by ducking and sliding everything Griffin had to offer. Silva landed what appeared to be a lazy jab, sending his foe down hard to earn the knockout victory.
After UFC 128 concluded, Zuffa boss Lorenzo Fertitta asked via twitter "Bones vs. Silva? Who wants it?"
Well, it seems a lot of people do. Jones is the more muscular built fighter of the two but Anderson has beaten everyone before him. He destroyed Forrest Griffin with ease and Griffin was the bigger of the two physically.
I could see Anderson Silva beating Jon Jones but at this point I can't see either man tasting defeat -- even in these super-fights circulating in my head (and yours).
2. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans
A lot of people will see the first major display of "teammate vs. teammate" as it's now official that Jones will face former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans later this year. Both studied under famed trainer Greg Jackson but Evans has left the camp in order to properly prepare for his next fight.
A proud product of the The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Evans has only lost once (Lyoto Machida UFC 98) and has one draw (UFC 73 against Tito Ortiz). Those two blemishes should not take away from a stellar career thus far that includes wins over "Rampage "Jackson, Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell and Thiago Silva.
Evans has used his grappling as of late and is said to have a stellar jiu-jitsu game that we haven't seen yet. He's a powerful striker that has some nasty hooks waiting to be laid on an unfortunate opponent at anytime. The big moment hasn't been a distraction for Evans as he, like Jones, rose to the occasion.
At UFC 88 he knocked out Chuck Liddell after being a heavy underdog and at UFC 92 he beat Forrest Griffin to win his first and only title thus far. At UFC 114 he beat his biggest rival in Rampage Jackson and survived a Jackson flurry.
I know Evans trained with Jones at Jackson's MMA and maybe he taught Jones a lot and even discovered the holes in "Bones" game along the way. "Suga" didn't seem too concerned and may have a gameplan put in place to shock the world again -- like he has before.
3. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
He's capable of violence like no other fighter and can be a destructive force when he engages both mentally and from the heart and the former UFC light heavyweight champion is getting closer and closer to regaining his belt. Originally scheduled to face Brazilian striker Thiago Silva, Jackson now faces Ohio-born wrestler Matt Hamill.
Rampage can do whatever he wants if he can apply himself fully and this has been shown in previous fights. His training methods for the longest time were not getting the desired result. He was using raw power and talent to forge his legacy in the stacked 205-pound division.
With wins over Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Ricardo Arona, Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson his resume is a stellar one. The real test is where his heart is and if he's willing to fight what could very well be his biggest challenge ever. Rampage would have to utilize every single tool in his belt to beat Jones.
I believe a motivated and well-minded Rampage could very well be the guy to beat Jon Jones but i ain't placing money on it!
4. NCAA Wrestling Champion Phil Davis
The young product from AKA is 8-0 so far in his young MMA career and has been on a tear against respectable talent. His biggest test comes at UFC Fight Night 24: "Nogueira vs. Davis" this Saturday night (March 26) in Seattle.
Davis' reach is a respectable 79" -- almost closing in on Jones' record of 84" and helping close the gap at five inches. His key wins were against Tim Boetsch, Brian Stann and Alexander Gustafsson and he's starting to get tougher opponents.
In his last four fights he has two victories via submission and two by unanimous decision.
Like Rashad Evans, Phil has trained with Jon Jones in the past along with Dominic Cruz. That may give him an edge but, Evans spent a lot more time working with "Bones."
I haven't seen enough out of Davis to anoint him the "next one" but, I have faith he will make short work out of Lil' Nog and start gaining a bigger name while closing in on the 205-pound top contender spot.
5. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
I believe the man who just lost to Jones still has the tools to beat him. The first fight was an awful way to come at such a challenge following a long layoff and knee surgery.
The list of 205-pounders he's laid to waste is something amazing when you consider their win/loss records. He won the PRIDE 2005 middleweight grand prix and UFC light heavyweight title and defeated Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Mark Coleman.
It's true that Jones landed 87 strikes to Rua's 13, but I still saw some stuff that Rua could build upon to maybe exact revenge. His toughness and heart is something no one can deny because we've seen softer men crumble under less.
The biggest thing he needs to do is get healthy and build from there. It sucks that he returns into the lion's den against a man of Jones' toughness and ability but I suspect we see Shogun rise to the top and slay Bones in his way to a UFC title once again.
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