Regarding Jon Jones--I was talking with my friends about this maybe two months back when we were discussing the talent levels in boxing vs. MMA. I made the argument--and I believe someone on ESPN radio actually said the exact same thing about a week later--that the overall raw level of talent in boxing (or any of the other major, well-established sports) is higher right now than in MMA simply because of the longer history. It's getting harder to "make it" in the UFC now, definitely more difficult than it was just five years ago; however, "making it" in boxing is much more difficult because, as sports age, the cream continually rises to the top so to speak. Each new generation of athletes continues to self-select its way to increased raw, natural ability coupled with increased coaching and training acumen.
Jones, in my opinion, represents the "next step," or next generation, of fighters in the UFC. In five or ten more years, most fighters will have his same level of raw ability. But until then, he stands out because he's just so much more naturally gifted than most of the other people he's fighting.
That, and yeah, his wingspan is just freakish.