Jon 'Bones' Jones still No. 1 pound-for-pound, but challengers await

You'll note that the two paragraphs directly above have ended with quips about the Diaz brothers. Too bad Nick and Nate don't have a 145-pound brother,

Jeff Wagenheim | Apr 1, 2014

Jon 'Bones' Jones still No. 1 pound-for-pound, but challengers await /

Ever since Jon Jones' hard-fought victory over Alexander Gustafsson (left) in September, there's been uncertainty atop the pound-for-pound MMA rankings. — Ever since Jon Jones' hard-fought victory over Alexander Gustafsson (left) in September, there's been uncertainty atop the pound-for-pound MMA rankings :: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

You'll note that the two paragraphs directly above have ended with quips about the Diaz brothers. Too bad Nick and Nate don't have a 145-pound brother, because this division could use some spicing up. Mendes would appear to be next in line, and as tough as he is inside the cage, he's too much of a gentleman at promotional events to play the role of Aldo's foil and generate some buzz for the rematch. Hype aside, next time Chad presumably will bring more than he did to his first-round KO loss to José in 2012. Mendes has won five straight since then, with four KOs. Maybe that'll be enough.

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Published Apr 1, 2014

JEFF WAGENHEIM

Paradoxically, Jeff Wagenheim considers himself a pacifist (except when driving in traffic) but nonetheless writes about mixed martial arts, the world's most combative sport (other than driving in traffic). As a veteran of three decades in magazines and newspapers, he's a bit grayer than most who attend UFC fights, even along press row. (A fan watching an MMA media panel show recently referred to him as "that crazy hippie uncle," to which Jeff responds, "Groovy, man!") Wagenheim also has tackled pro football for SI.com, and writes about sports and the arts for The Boston Globe. When he's not on the road chasing the UFC, Jeff spends Sunday afternoons spinning Sleepy LaBeef and Boozoo Chavis records for a popular (but not pop) radio show in western Massachusetts.