Is Jon Jones Really the Next Ali?

Jon Jones steps into Toronto’s Air Canada Centre Saturday night to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight title at UFC 140 against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. Jones is riding a tidal wave of momentum, one that is driving comparisons between Jones and the boxer known simply as “The Greatest”, Muhammad Ali.

The comparison begins in their meteoric rise to the top, both becoming the youngest man in their respective sports to dethrone the reigning champion. Muhammad Ali shocked the world when he defeated Sonny Liston at age 22, and Jones sent waves throughout MMA with his systematic destruction of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at the tender age of 23.

The physical tools and fluidity of movement draw parallels. Both men usually enjoyed a reach advantage (Jones’ UFC record 84.5 inches) and relied on speed and elusiveness to open up their opponents for power shots. Both also used an unorthodox stance, with Jones seemingly changing his stance moment to moment and Ali’s tendency to leave his hands low rather than assume the traditional boxing stance.

Where the comparison gets really interesting is when you move from the physical to the personal. While Ali ended his career being near-universally beloved, there was a time when even the mention of his name would split the room into supporters and detractors. Some loved the man known as “The Louisville Lip” for his brash, cocky attitude and witticisms. Others found his talk too arrogant and disrespectful to his opponents, especially his racist attacks towards Joe Frazier. His opposition to the Vietnam War came at a time when the USA was itself split into two factions on the issue. Ali’s subsequent stripping of the heavyweight title for refusing induction into the army only served to fuel both his supporters and detractors to higher levels.

While Jones has never said anything as incendiary as Ali had, he is a polarizing figure among MMA fans. For everyone that is enthralled with tale of tackling a mugger on fight day and enjoy his humility on talk shows; there are those that question if his head is getting too big or if the “humble” persona he portrays in public is part of the Zuffa hype machine. Jones raised eyebrows before his fight with Shogun by signing pre-fight autographs “Jon Jones, Light Heavyweight Champion”. Some saw it as confidence, others as disrespectful to the current champion Rua.

The most controversy Jones has been involved with has been his dispute with former training partner Rashad Evans. The two former teammates have been rumoured to fight twice now, with both men pulling out due to injury before the bout could come to fruition. The situation has led to both fighters claiming the other is afraid of them, and MMA fans have lined up to choose sides. Some agree with Evans’ claims that Jones is “fake” and may try to falsify an injury to get out of a fight. Jones supporters subscribe to the theory that Evans has sour grapes from having his position usurped by Jones at Jackson’s MMA.

The comparison to Ali is not one that Jones finds displeasing. When Bruce Buffer made the comment earlier in the year that “[Jones] will become the Muhammad Ali of our organization”, Jones replied via twitter that he “believes it”. Again, the line between self-confidence and arrogance split the opinion of MMA fans.

The school of thought that Jones “could be” the next Ali has some merit, based on the physical tools he possesses, short run to the top of the mountain and his string of highlight reel victories. But Ali was something more than a fighter, more than the champion. He was unafraid to speak his mind and tackle the pressing cultural issues of the day. He would shout his views from the rooftops and didn’t care what anyone thought, so long as he believed he was right.

Jones seems much more careful in the media and has yet to craft a relationship the way Ali did with Howard Cosell. Beyond his back and forth with Evans, he seems almost rehearsed when giving interviews. It’s no secret that UFC has poured significant resources into making Jones the new “face” of the promotion, something Zuffa has been lacking since Chuck Liddell retired (all due respect to GSP, but the Quebecois accent has trouble penetrating mainstream America). The results thus far have been mixed, Jones has all the potential in the world but the hype has yet to translate into pay-per-view buys. Zuffa is playing the odds that Jones’ charisma eventually meets his talent and is quietly hoping that a grudge fight between Jones and Evans will push the champion’s marquee value to the next level.

In the end, no matter how good Jones is or may become, it is unfair to put his name in the shadow of “The Greatest”. It was also unfair to tag Eric Lindros with the mantle of “The Next One” and it is almost always unfair when fans or media of a particular sport tag an up-and-comer with the dreaded “next greatest ever” moniker. Especially when the comparison is to Ali, who was famous and revered for much more than his pugilistic prowess. Ali had a genuine charisma and a style of speaking that made people sit up and take notice. Jones has yet to find his voice in this regard.

Jones may very well be the man who transcends MMA the way Ali transcended boxing, especially with network television now behind the sport. But it’s unreasonable to lay such expectations on the man this early in his career. With just one title defense under his belt and yet to show how he handles adversity, it’s too soon to call him anything more than the next Vitor Belfort.