Current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, still has a few challenges left in the division he's terrorized for the past couple of years, but, that hasn't stopped the young phenom from settings his sights on a bigger prize:
The UFC"s heavyweight title.
Recently, "Bones" revealed he would be making the jump up to the 265-pound weight class as early as next year, barring any setbacks of course, like losing to Chael Sonnen, whom he is scheduled to face in April of next year for his 205-pound strap.
Not one to set limits, Jones has some rather ambitious goals laid out for himself in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Randy Couture and claim titles in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
From his conversation with USA Today:
"Because things have been going so well, right now it's about not putting limits on anything and realizing the sky is the limit. Really, I want everything, and I've said that since day one. I want to be the best. I want to be a record-holder in everything. I want to be a heavyweight champion and a light heavyweight champion. I want it all."
Not lacking confidence, Jones expects to come out on top against whoever the title holder at 265 is, though he realizes when the time comes, for the first time in a long time, he will more than likely be the undersized fighter:
"I respect the champions and the top-ranked guys in the heavyweight division. I realize that me, at my current size, the odds would be majorly against me, so it would be about doing it right, doing it with a lot of passion, and having fun with the game. I'll do it right when that time comes, I'll give it my all, and I'll expect to be a winner."
Should Jones defeat Sonnen, he still has Dan Henderson and Alexander Gustafsson waiting in the wings, not to mention Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua would love another crack at him, as well.
If things go as planned, and the move becomes a reality, current division champion Junior dos Santos is more than willing to tango, if indeed he is still the ruler in the land of the giants, and prove he is the baddest man on the planet.
How about it Maniacs, looking into your crystal ball, how do match ups between Jones and the likes of Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez and the aforementioned Dos Santos play out?
Can "Bones" claim the heavyweight title facing much bigger opponents?