PORTLAND, Ore. -- The cold rain cast a sheet of glass over the brick-covered streets that carried long into the darkness just beyond where the pavement gave way to the Willamette River. 

A swirl of gold and green neon reflected off the asphalt below, and the red stoplight hovering on the corner of 5th Street stamped an official feel of the holiday season. There were still three weeks to pass before Christmas arrived in a city where weird is the norm, and exactly what UFC superstar Jon Jones was doing in Portland was a common topic of conversation.

During the time it would take to make three amber pints of Logger Lager disappear, I overheard several patrons at Kelly's Olympian talking about the man widely recognized as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time competing in the PDX. A collection of burly and bearded types sat several feet away talking about a fight with Dan Henderson, but that misconception faded by the time their first round of drinks were diminished.

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"I don't think it's a fight at all," came the clarification from a latecomer who arrived to join his friends at the downtown outpost. "It's a grappling match or something."

The influx of new information caused a stir of groans and murmurs from the group as images of Jones' signature style of violence began to fade from their minds, but a slender man in the tan work boots wasn't quite finished.

"Come on man," he urged. "It's still Jon f*****g Jones right?"

And this was something they could all agree upon.

As I thanked the bartender for his recommendation on the establishment's region-famous grilled cheese sandwich and made my way out into the cold Portland night, the weight of it all perched solid on my shoulders. In less than 24 hours, the former king of the UFC's light heavyweight division would enter the cage at Submission Underground 2, and I wasn't quite sure what any of it meant for the most dominant mixed martial artist in the history of the sport.

Jones had certainly appeared to be in good spirits when our paths crossed several weeks prior in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he confirmed his refocused state of mind. MMA wouldn't be an option for another six months, therefore Jones had decided to compete in a grappling event.

The uncertainty of it all cut through the brick-faced buildings in Portland's downtown corridor as I made my way back to the hotel that night, and I found a strange comfort in not knowing. The only thing set in stone was that the answer would reveal itself in a short amount of time, and as a fan of all things chaos, that was enough to keep the excitement running at a strong clip.

MMA's embattled king was about to make his return to competition and what it meant to him was the only thing I wanted to know. My mind bounced curious for the rest of the night until the patter of the ever-present Pacific Northwest rain put me to sleep.

****

"These guys dressed appropriate for the weather."

Chael Sonnen greeted the crew from FloSports with his usual charm and mixed in a few more jokes as grapplers piled in from the back entrance. The gangster with the gift of gab was less than an hour out from hosting the second installment of his Submission Underground series, and the Roseland Theater was already brimming with anticipation.

The line outside wrapped around the block and a quick scan revealed a host of MMA fans ready to see whatever action unfolded. I'd covered the sport for close to a decade, and even though the scale of the venue was far less than the MGM grand in Las Vegas, the amount of energy pulsing around the vicinity of the ballroom was incredible.

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Three hours later and the card was in full swing, but business was picking up around the shipping dock. Henderson, an MMA legend and main-event participant, had just arrived with his squad of friends and coaches, and the former Strikeforce and Pride champion wasted no time interacting with fans in a viewing area just off the main room.

Several moments later, Jones entered the room through the same entry way, and this kicked the fans into a full blown frenzy. Where Henderson's presence was special in its own right, the arrival of the 29-year-old phenom was simply a different story. Fans gazed with admiration and some were straight up awestruck as Jones stopped for handshakes and pictures with those fortunate enough to step out into the side room.

There stood one of the biggest names in a hugely popular sport, and he strolled about completely at ease. Granted, Jones would not be testing himself against the power of Henderson's notorious 'H-Bomb,' but there would still be a tremendous amount of pride and pressure put on the evening's main event.

Jones is a man who has cherished his achievements and ability to claim a flawless resume in competition. Being undefeated meant the world to him and walking out of the Roseland Theater with a victory was the only option he'd given himself.

That said, in the two hours before his match would arrive, there were no signs of the fierce competitor who ran roughshod over a collection of former champions and certified contenders to cement his legacy. But that would all change in the moments before the bright lights set upon him and bring about a familiar transformation.


Dec 11, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; During the Chael Sonnen Presents Submission Underground 2 at Roseland Theater. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

First came the roar as it blasted out of the back hallway leading up to the stage door.

An elderly woman who was charged with checking wristbands suddenly popped around the corner with a look of terror on her face. It wasn't clear exactly what or who she'd encountered in the dusty gray-painted hallway, but it was evident whatever it was terrified her.

A few moments later, the door swung open, and Jones emerged with full intensity. He paced back and forth in the small space and continued to rev himself up as Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye battled for dominant position in the SUG cage 100 feet away.

Jones looked up in several small flashes before turning his back to the action and further pushing himself into the zone. He slapped at his chest and shoulders with several hard thuds before pouring water over his face and bracing himself against a railing to center his frame. Less than 10 feet away, Henderson stood looking on, and the legend's signature nonchalant demeanor seemed to tweak a bit.



With Jones stalking in the background, the reality of the situation came front and center, and Henderson's eyes narrowed before turning back to the crowd. Henderson rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet a bit before shaking out his hands and rolling his head clockwise around his shoulders to loosen up.

In the leadup to the main event at SUG 2, the one hovering criticism seemed to be the lack of their collision being an actual fight, but standing five feet away from the two competitors it became abundantly clear neither was taking anything about the situation lightly.

Tate would take the victory in overtime, and when asked for her prediction in the post-fight interview, the former UFC champion gave the nod to Jones in the upcoming main event. Jones didn't smile or look around, instead gave a quick nod in acknowledgement as his eyes remained down on the floor below.


Dec 11, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; During the Chael Sonnen Presents Submission Underground 2 at Roseland Theater. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Henderson made the walk first and entered the cage to a sea of cheers as he made a few turns to acknowledge the crowd. Next came Jones, and as the former champion made his way to the cage, the capacity crowd at the Roseland exploded. He was who they'd stood in the cold to see. He was who they had paid to watch compete, and as Jones began to crawl up the steps and hit his signature pre-fight cartwheel, it all became crystal clear.

Whether fighting or competing in a grappling match, watching the greatest of all time set about his work was a truly special moment in time. I'd seen Jones compete in the biggest fights of his career, captivate massive audiences in the biggest arenas the fight world had to offer, yet, the small scope of the Roseland Theater felt a thousand times more intense.

The layout of the venue put the fans right on top of the action, and in doing so, had the capacity crowd what felt like at arm's length from a once-in-a-lifetime combat sports athlete.

In the fading moments before his match with Henderson took place, the answer to half the question took hold. Although Jones had certainly endured his fair share of issues and a roller-coaster relationship with the MMA fanbase, the love and awe he inspired was absolutely visible.

People simply wanted to see Jones compete in any form, and as it would turn out, the youngest champion in UFC history did not come to Portland to disappoint.

****

Twenty minutes after the conclusion of the main event, the Roseland was cleared out except for a crowd gathered in the basement beneath the stage.

A small crowd milled about gathering up their belongings as Jones stood to the right of a staircase and addressed the media in attendance. The smile plastered across his face provided the proof of a job well done as he talked about defeating Henderson with an arm triangle choke.

In those moments Jones wasn't thinking about past controversies or who he'd face in his inevitable return to the Octagon in the summer of 2017, only his ability to rise to the occasion in the weirdest intersection of his storied career.

Defeating Henderson in a grappling match wasn't going to register as the equivalent of winning or defending a UFC title, but it did serve as the first step back toward something he'd lost along the way. By taking a venture in the SUG cage, Jones found the love for competition and fun of going live under the bright lights in a time when such things were supposed to be kept from him.

During our previous interview for FloCombat, Jones shared something telling about his larger view of the road ahead.

"I've always demanded the most of myself, and somewhere along the way I stopped. It's time to get back to that, but it truly has to be one step at a time."

Watching his transition from man to beast in the backstage gave a clear look into the mind and heart of the competitor he has within. For all intents and purposes, SUG 2 was a much smaller scale than anything he'd seen since his arrival to the UFC, but for Jones it didn't appear that way.



He showed up to Portland to compete, and if Jones is going to lend his time to anything in the competitive realm, that situation is going to get the most of what he has to offer.

When asked about his future and the pressing things ahead, Jones casually dismissed talk of future opponents or title fights that were sure to come. Instead, he kept his focus on the here and now, because battling through his personal adversity had taught him just how special and crucial living in the moment can be.

Jones is a man with greatness pulsing through him in tremendous quantity, and finding a balance between ambition and responsibility has been that monster waiting in the abyss. And while only time will tell just how well that monster can be tamed, in the moments following his victory at SUG 2 Jones was at peace with himself.

Once his interview had wrapped up, he turned to give a knowing thumbs up in my direction, which only further solidified in my mind that my assumption was correct.

Jones is coming back to recapture everything that was taken from him. He's going to return to the UFC cage and do so hell-bent on reclaiming the title that once meant everything, but most importantly, he's going to make that comeback with a comfortable lead on the greatest opposition he's ever known…himself.

While Jones may be one of the most complex characters to ever compete in the MMA realm, his work toward solving that puzzle is in full swing. And from the confidence, kindness, and intensity he displayed in the events surrounding SUG 2, the young lion appears to be well on his way to finally figuring out just how great he can be.

Those were the thoughts that carried through my mind as I once again hit the rain-soaked Portland streets, and I returned to the neon sea knowing I had seen something special.

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