Shouldering Fame’s Weight

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Jones claims that having the belt has increased his drive. Where he might have pulled back when fatigue set in during a workout in the past, he now pushes harder but not just for himself. He feels eyes of an entire team upon him.

“I hold myself to a different standard,” he says. “I realize that my teammates are looking at me as an example of what it’s supposed to be like as a champion.”

With the revamped work ethic comes heightened awareness. In each fight, Jones has shown improvement, whether it was battering Vladimir Matyushenko with elbows, outwrestling Ryan Bader or wearing down Rua. Jones has long been a fan of film study, taking bits and pieces from his favorite fighters and making them his own. Against Rampage, Jones expects to put an increased mental aptitude on display.

“Now I’m starting to learn combos and strategy and tactics -- setups. I’ve changed a lot,” he says. “I’m a lot stronger than I used to be because of the mental maturity.”

That newfound maturity could pay off against Rampage, who has been fighting professionally since Jones was 12 years old. Jackson has game planned against Rampage before, while cornering both Evans and Keith Jardine, and is well aware of the dangers the veteran presents.

“He understands how to psychologically attack you; he understands how to physically attack you,” the trainer says. “He’s a master of waiting and baiting you into opening up a little bit and really cracking you hard, so he’s got a lot of really great tricks.”

Since Rampage ended Liddell’s title reign with a thunderous right hand at UFC 71 in 2007, the light heavyweight division has seen a revolving door of champions. Rampage defended the belt once against Henderson before dropping a hotly contested decision to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. Griffin was promptly knocked out by Evans, who, in turn, had his lights dimmed by Machida five months later. Machida edged Rua once, only to be knocked out in their rematch. Jones captured the crown in Rua’s first defense, and, now, the bull’s eye is painted squarely on the former junior college wrestling national champion.

Such parity speaks to the depth of the division, but Winkeljohn believes his charge could enjoy an extended title run, not unlike that of Anderson Silva at middleweight.

“I think Jon can be that guy that takes the light heavyweight [title] and becomes a legend with it long-term,” Winkeljohn says. “Jon’s more well-rounded than Anderson. He’s just younger.”

Thick Skin

It has been a tumultuous few months since Jones first had the belt wrapped around his waist. Evans’ highly publicized split from Jackson’s MMA eventually escalated into a Twitter battle between the former teammates. A pending bout between the two was scratched when Jones announced he was going to undergo thumb surgery; eventually, he decided to forgo the procedure and defend his title. In the interim, thinking Jones was out of commission, Evans fought and defeated Tito Ortiz.

Most recently, Rampage alleged that Jones’ team had planted a spy in his training camp. In addition, there has been a growing sentiment that Jones is less genuine than his polished public persona suggests. Some followers of the sport perceive Jones confidence as arrogance and resent him for it. In person, Jones is polite, quick with a greeting and a handshake. He answers questions thoughtfully and appears to understand the impact of his words.

“A lot of people really, really love Jon and there’s some people out there that really dislike him, and it does hurt,” Stann says. “Jon’s a guy who likes to be liked. He genuinely is kind to people. If you come up to him on the street on a random occurrence, he will be very kind to anybody who does that. It’s very difficult when you’re 24 years old, you’re the champ of the world and 50 percent of your life is being filmed now. Anything the guy says is gonna offend somebody.”

When Jones has been hurt by criticism, he often turns to Jackson’s wisdom for inspiration. MMA’s Yoda has drawn plenty of praise as the face of one of the sport’s top fight teams, but the detractors can be quite vocal, as well. Watching and learning from Jackson has taught Jones that negative comments come with being at the pinnacle of one’s profession.

“While our critiques [of the team] aren’t founded, my point is that those critiques are easy [to refute],” Jackson says. “Where I’m more concerned about Jon is his personal critiques. [We are] just trying to have Jon do what [he] loves and [expletive] the rest. Don’t worry about all these little things.”

Jackson has had a significant impact on the young champion.

“Greg Jackson’s one of the best coaches in the world,” Jones says. “He’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. He’s a guy who’s never cheated and he tries to do everything he can to help, but people still criticize Greg and make him come off as if he’s a horrible person. He’s a great example for when you know someone’s a great person and you know someone’s doing the right things, but he’s hated at the same time.

“He’s a good example of what it’s like to be in the public eye,” he adds. “What he said to me one night was, ‘Once you make it towards the top, you hear a lot of chatter from the bottom, so that’s something that you need to embrace and become a little more thick-skinned about.’”

Still Growing

Jones arrived in New Mexico as a strong, athletic prospect with a world of talent and ambition. He lived with Kottenstette’s family for his first three camps, prior to facing Hamill, Vera and Matyushenko. Now, he has a place of his own in Albuquerque.

“At the time, he was really just an excellent fighter on the come. He wasn’t Jon Jones, UFC champion,” Kottenstette says. “He’s got kids and I have two boys so it was unique having another man in the house, but the boys loved it. He would play video games with the kids; he was a kid inside the house.”

Jones has come a long way since then. Stann bonded with him when they shared a fight card at UFC Live 2 in San Diego. Jones stopped Matyushenko in the first round that August night in 2010, while Stann submitted Mike Massenzio with a third-round triangle choke.

“He was 22 at the time; he’s changed a lot,” Stann says. “He’s changing every year. I think that’s pretty common. Men of that age -- I’ve been around plenty of them from my time in the military -- they do a lot of maturing from 21 to 24, 25 years old.”

Blockbuster moves have been the norm for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2011. From the purchase of Strikeforce to the landmark Fox television deal, the company is as much a developing commodity as Jones himself. The UFC’s three most recognizable stars -- St. Pierre, Silva and Brock Lesnar -- all have their 20s behind them. If he makes the right moves, Jones is the clear heir to the throne. It is a lot to handle for young man who grew up in Endicott, N.Y., a small town with a population of about 13,000. Jones wants to leave a lasting legacy for his hometown, as well as MMA.

“In the future, when you’re reading Vince Lombardi quotes,” he says, “I want there to be tons of Jon ‘Bones’ Jones quotes that could really change someone’s day.”

Some perceive such comments as hubris. Still, how many people can say they are the best in the world at their chosen profession, especially at 24? Right now, Jones can lay claim to the statement.

“I think a lot of people aren’t really used to the winning mindset while it’s happening, while it’s developing. To hear it live on Twitter or live from an interview that was just done yesterday, some people kind of have this attitude of, ‘Who does he think he is?’” Jones says. “That’s what they said about [Muhammad] Ali. If you’re not familiar with the winning frame of mind, maybe it can sound arrogant, maybe it can sound intimidating, but for the people who enjoy listening to the thoughts of a winner, [they are] the people I’m trying to keep it going for.”