As he walked away, Mike Winkeljohn knew he was taking a risk.
The veteran mixed martial arts coach was facing down a kid with the cocksure attitude of someone holding pocket aces, and he was hoping he hadn't made the mistake of a lifetime.
Jon Jones was still years away from becoming the most dominant champion in UFC history, nearly a decade before spending more time in courtrooms than the cage. But he was most definitely the sport's top prospect—and he knew it.
The then-22-year-old wunderkind had already demolished three UFC veterans, including Stephan Bonnar of The Ultimate Fighter fame.