UFC champ Jon Jones eyes heavyweight division next

• Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones beaten five former UFC champions in the last 20 months
• Jones is currently coaching against Chael Sonnen on "The Ultimate Fighter"
• He's up to a 9-1 favorite to defeat Sonnen when they meet on April 27

LAS VEGAS -- At 25 years old, Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is already among the greatest fighters to have competed for the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion.

He's beaten five former UFC champions in the last 20 months, and recently signed a deal to become the global MMA face for Nike.

But Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) believes those accomplishments are the beginning. Plenty of records are left to be broken, and there also may be another belt in his future: the UFC heavyweight title.

"Because things have been going so well, right now it's about not putting limits on anything and realizing the sky is the limit," Jones told USA TODAY Sports in an exclusive interview. "Really, I want everything, and I've said that since day one. I want to be the best. I want to be a record-holder in everything. I want to be a heavyweight champion and a light-heavyweight champion. I want it all."

Jones is currently in Las Vegas to film the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which debuts in January on FX. Jones serves as a head coach on the show opposite perennial villain Chael Sonnen (27-12-1, 6-5), who also challenges "Bones" for his light heavyweight title on April 27.

Oddsmakers consider the champ up to a 9-to-1 favorite against Sonnen, and while Dan Henderson and Alexander Gustafsson still lurk in the light heavyweight rankings, many believe the 6-4 Jones won't really get a true challenge until he moves up to heavyweight.

Jones thinks that time is coming, perhaps as soon as the end of 2013.

"I respect the champions and the top-ranked guys in the heavyweight division," Jones said. "I realize that me, at my current size, the odds would be majorly against me, so it would be about doing it right, doing it with a lot of passion, and having fun with the game. I'll do it right when that time comes, I'll give it my all, and I'll expect to be a winner."

The UFC's heavyweight title next will be contested on Dec. 29 when current champion Junior Dos Santos rematches ex-champ Cain Velasquez at UFC 155. Whether or not Jones sets his sights on one of those men remains to be seen. But the 205-pounder believes he is still growing and that someday earning a heavyweight belt is realistic.

"I just think there's a lot more room for improvement and a lot more room to grow, and I'm excited to grow," Jones said. "I'm excited to grow into manhood as a father, as a husband, as an athlete, as a role model, as myself. There's a lot of growing to do. I'm excited to realize that."

John Morgan writes for MMAJunkie.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media property.