LAS VEGAS — Even Jon Jones realizes any talk of his long-term UFC future is tempered by the fact he hasn’t been able to stay in the cage and out of trouble for any lengthy stretch in the past seven years.

But after two dominant wins in nine weeks, Jones (24-1) has settled back into his customary spot atop the light heavyweight division and his sport’s unofficial pound-for-pound standings.

After trouncing another overmatched 205-pound opponent Saturday night at UFC 235, Jones looked into his future and insisted he’s content to keep cleaning out his division instead of moving up to heavyweight.

“All these younger fighters should get their opportunity at a world title,” Jones said after controlling every round against Anthony Smith. “When you’re in my position, who am I to deny people?”

But Jones would make one big exception.

If Brock Lesnar wants another crack at mixed martial arts, Jones would bulk up to heavyweight to accommodate the professional wrestling star.

“I figure if you’re going to make the gamble, you might as well go extremely big,” Jones said. “Go big or go home. A Brock Lesnar fight (is) extremely high risk and extremely high reward. I don’t really see myself versus anyone that could bring in the numbers me and Brock could.”

Although that fight is among the biggest events the UFC could stage in the broader sports landscape, it won’t happen immediately, according to the group’s president, Dana White.

After Jones’ win over Smith, White affirmed his plan to match Lesnar with heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier whenever Lesnar decides to return to the sport, maybe later this year.

“I think that Brock and Cormier want that fight, so I owe Cormier a lot,” White said. “Cormier wants that fight and if he wants it, he’s going to get it.”

Jones has shown little interest in fighting any other heavyweight and repeated that preference after beating Smith. So if Jones stays at light heavyweight, his next fight is likely to be against Thiago Santos (21-6), the musclebound 35-year-old Brazilian who’s on a four-fight win streak after stopping Jan Blachowicz last month.

Jones’ victory over Smith was his career in microcosm: Jones was clearly superior yet nearly gave it all away with a mistake.

Late in the fourth round, Jones cracked Smith’s head with a knee that landed while Smith’s palm was on the canvas, technically making it an illegal strike – one that would have been legal in, say, California, but not in Nevada due to the sport’s geographically fractured rules.

The fight was stopped while referee Herb Dean reviewed the blow and allowed Smith to recover. Smith could have claimed he couldn’t continue fighting and likely would have been handed the title by disqualification.

“It was nerve-wracking,” said Jones.

The challenger decided to fight on after Dean deducted two points from Jones, and the champion cautiously finished off his win – after apologizing to Smith following the fourth-round bell.

“He showed the heart of a lion,” Jones said. “He could have done it the easy way.”