The Doggy Bag: Helluva Drug Edition

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By the time Jon Jones was supposed to fight Dan Henderson at UFC 151, I was convinced he would soon overtake guys like Fedor Emelianenko, Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva as the best of all time. During UFC 182, I told all my friends I was watching with that a win over Cormier would make him the best fighter ever in my eyes. I was actually hoping that post-182 discussion would center on whether Jones was now the greatest of all time. It was going in that direction until his positive cocaine test came out. How do you think Jones' drug issues will impact his legacy and what would he have to do, in your mind, to be the best ever? -- Pat from Omaha

TJ De Santis, Sherdog Radio Network program director: I, for one, feel that Jon Jones is the greatest fighter of all time already. I stated that on Saturday night's live broadcast of “Beatdown After The Bell” immediately following UFC 182, and now, over a week later, I still feel the same way.

Does Jon Jones' positive cocaine test change his legacy as the sports' greatest fighter of all time? No. Why should it?

For the most part, fighters are not admired for their actions outside of the ring or the cage. Sure, there are icons, inspirations and humanitarians throughout combat sports history, but they're the rare ones. They're only in positions to be role models because they can beat the hell out of other people. We shouldn't ignore their actions outside of fights, positive or negative, as they reveal things to us about the sorts of people these athletes are. However, if we're talking about being the greatest fighter, it's about who you beat and how you beat them.

Love him or hate him as a person, Jon Jones is a rare work of art. He is a masterpiece of technique, athleticism and improvisation. He strikes fear in the hearts of his peers. The only serious flaw in the near-perfect fighter are his actions outside of the cage and how he handles himself as a professional. Even then, a lot of sheltered 27-year-olds might struggle being the best fighter on Earth, nevermind the greatest of all time.

I am not saying Jones should be forgiven for his indiscretions, but if you're talking about whether or not he's the greatest fighter of all time, look at his work inside the cage, not outside of it. If you exclude Jones' personal shortcomings and the narratives surrounding him outside of competition, he's the greatest fighter of all time, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

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