Jon Jones’ rise to the top has been unprecedented but as Spencer Kyte of HeavyMMA.com writes, he could become one of the true mainstream athletes from the world of mixed martial arts.

The future of mixed martial arts began on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey, as Jon Jones outclassed one of the best fighters in the sport, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, dominating him from the word “go” and claiming the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Winning the belt alone is a major accomplishment, but it’s the way that Jones made Rua look like he had no business being in the cage with him that truly signals the dawning of a new era. I know that has been said many times before, and very famously in this division just two years ago, but this is different and very real.

Three years ago, Jones was a 23-year-old kid who turned to fighting professionally as a way to support his impending family. Three years later, he’s a world champion, in addition to being a proud and dedicated family man.

His rise to the top of the sport is unparalleled.

While announcers and media are often too quick to start building statues in honor of the fighter of the moment, Jones appears to be worthy of the work in stone, having completely broken one of the best light heavyweights of all-time and doing so with ease.

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