Why a Jones-Lesnar superfight isn't as crazy as it sounds

Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner and holding a professional record of 23 wins and one loss. He stands 6-foot-4, weighing in at 205 pounds. Fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Presenting, Jon "Bones" Jones.

And in the red corner, holding a professional record of five wins, three losses, and one no contest. He stands 6-foot-3, weighing in at 265 pounds. Fighting out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Presenting, Brock Lesnar.

You can almost hear it now.

Two of the most polarising fighters in UFC history opened a can of curiosity Tuesday, both claiming they would be open to a bout against one another.

• Jon Jones 'would love to fight Brock Lesnar' if he returns
• Lesnar would fight Jones 'anytime, anywhere'

While Lesnar still has some obstacles to overcome before returning from his USADA suspension and Jones has a title fight Saturday, the possibility of a fight of this magnitude is too much to ignore. And at a time when superfights have almost become the expectation, no MMA bout would be bigger than Lesnar-Jones.

Lesnar has shown his smarts as a businessman between his UFC and WWE careers, using obvious drawing power to negotiate large-figure contracts without being required to take part in the usual number of media appearances. His allure is so great that even after a positive steroid test and a relatively unexciting match versus Mark Hunt at UFC 200, fans were quick to get excited when rumors of a potential return surfaced last week.

Like it or not, Lesnar sells - and so does Jones.

"Bones" has been fighting at a pace of one bout per year since 2014 due to legal issues and a USADA violation, but he's maintained his reputation as the UFC's best pound-for-pound fighter and is expected to do massive PPV numbers against Daniel Cormier later this week. With as much appeal as Lesnar presents, Jones was supposed to headline UFC 200 over the heavyweight before a failed drug test.

Jones' business sense may not be as savvy as Lesnar's, but the former light heavyweight champ has taken notice of the type of money he can earn if he can command the spotlight like a certain fighting Irishman.

"I really admire Conor McGregor a lot. He's done so much for our sport," Jones said on "Undisputed" this week. "He's shown me personally that those numbers that he's achieving are possible, so he's been a huge inspiration to me."

While Jones has been an almost unbeatable competitor who believes he is "already the greatest fighter of all time," his career earnings haven't matched his production - especially compared to "The Notorious."

(Earnings courtesy of The Sports Daily)

Make no mistake, McGregor (and the hundreds of millions he's about to make) is having an impact on the way fighters think about their earnings, particularly for stars like Jones and Lesnar.

The problem for Jones wanting to earn crazy figures is that if he defeats Cormier there's no obvious big-name opponent for him to move on to. If he loses Saturday, a trilogy fight with DC might spark interest - if Cormier would even be willing. Alexander Gustafsson would give Jones a quality tilt, but the two have already met in the Octagon and the Swede hasn't headlined a PPV since losing to Cormier in October 2015.

If Jones wants to make bank like McGregor, he may need to look at creative possibilities outside his division. Perhaps going for a second title against heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic would bring in the bucks, but if he doesn't want to make a habit out of fighting at a heavier class, a one-time bout versus Lesnar makes more sense. He also may want to avoid following directly in McGregor's "double champ" footsteps.

For Lesnar, the problem is a similar one. He never has to come back to the UFC if he doesn't want to, and there's not many heavyweight draws financially big enough to lure him back into the contact sports arena.

Logistically, things could get messy as there's a 60-pound gap between the two competitors' typical fighting weights. While Jones would have to drastically turn up his heft to get in Lesnar's range, the heavyweight did take a loss from Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 with a 20-pound advantage. Jones' athleticism would keep him from needing to gain an entire 40 pounds, but a weight jump will be required.

But at the end of the day, if there's enough money on the table, both of these electrifying athletes will do what's necessary and put on a show the fans would be frothing at the mouth to witness.