Upon Jon Jones' most recent elbow exclamation, it will be hard for the UFC to temper the excitement surrounding the escalation of the promotion's most impressive youngster.

It's only getting more difficult to suppress the high-voltage vibe he sends out with each scary strike, inventive takedown and outlandish performance.

But Dana White is trying. Or at least he says he is. For reasons I don't fully understand.

Disregard the verbal slobbering White did Sunday night after Jones' first-round TKO over Brandon Vera at UFC on Versus 1. Forget all the "awesomes" and all the "amazings" that were tossed about with effervescence, again, regarding this 22-year-old phenom.

White reportedly says he doesn't want Jones facing title-contending competition for another year. Even though Jones aced his test against the veteran Vera, who was supposed to provide his sternest to date, White wants to maintain a slow, gradual burn with this particular ball of fire.

But it won't stop fans like me from screaming for White to lose the governor already.

And it won't stop fans like me from asking, with frustration, what's the point in the hold up?

Let's make no "Bones" about it here: Jones is ready for his close-up, or else why was he plunked down in the main event of the promotion's latest edition on a network TV broadcast?

I understand that Jones is a rising star who has enormous room for growth. I understand the desire to protect that upside for what could be an eventual reign. I understand that his level of competition to this point hasn't been intimidating as he has built a 10-1 mark (4-1 in the UFC, the lone defeat being a disqualification for illegal elbows against Matt Hamill). And I understand that the longer Jones is built up with mid-level foes, the more money the UFC can rake in on his climb to the top.

But judging from his brief yet emphatic Octagon career, it seems like the only people the UFC are trying to protect by continuing Jones' deliberate advancement are the poor fellas who have to step into the cage with him.

After all, it's not like the once-loaded light heavyweight division is still brimming with talent. As for stars, or pay-per view cash cows, or former champions who have fallen on inconsistency for one reason or another, yes, they are aplenty at 205 pounds. The list includes Couture, Jackson, Evans, Liddell, Franklin, Griffin, Ortiz.

But other than undefeated champion Lyoto Machida, recent challenger Mauricio Rua and the moonlighting (or is he moving up permanently?) Anderson Silva, there aren't many UFC light heavies who can match the surge that Jones in enjoying against even mediocre competition.
Jones hasn't been hurt and has rarely even appeared to be in danger during his bouts. And for a novice who's only trained for two years, that's a big statement to make in the world's top MMA organization.

The kid already possesses a unique frame (6-foot-4 with a LeBron-esque wing-span that makes his elbow strikes more dangerous than many fighters' punches). He has a solid junior college wrestling background, studies Judo in his spare time and has shown an uncanny aptitude for the standup game.

I'm no trainer and I don't have an MMA background, but I have a hard time believing that Jones would be overwhelmed against any of the aforementioned men despite his early stage of development.

If White and his cohorts are concerned that a bad defeat might derail this young...