TUF 10 Preview: Can Matt Hamill Stop the Undefeated Jon Jones?

In our final preview of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale, explosive Greco-Roman wrestler and unpredictable striker Jon "Bones" Jones (9-0, 3-0 UFC) will battle The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 contestant Matt Hamill (7-2, 6-2 UFC) in an outstanding clash of wrestling talent. Hamill enters the contest following a spectacular head kick knockout of wrestler Mark Munoz at UFC 96 while Jones is still riding an undefeated record following a win over Jake O'Brien at UFC 100.

Stylistically, both men have strong suits in the wrestling department. Hamill is a three-time NCAA Division III wrestling champion out of the Rochester Institute of Technology while Jones was a national Junior College champion at Iowa Central Community College where he trained with current fighters such as Cain Velasquez and Joe Soto. There has been a lot of debate as to which fighter will truly be able to win the wrestling war as Hamill has deceptive strength, but Jones has shown immense power in his Greco-Roman wrestling by using leverage to powerfully throw opponents around the cage.

The major difference comes in the striking department. Hamill has what many would call a "wading" style of boxing. He likes to wade into opponents with his hands and throw quick jabs to set up bigger punches. He doesn't really stand at a distance and explode, but rather lurks into his opponent's defense in order to tangle. It has worked at a limited capacity in some of his fights, but it has mostly been used to get close to a clinch and takedown scenario rather than actually punching opponents out.

Jones will bring a completely unorthodox style of striking to this fight, and he'll be very explosive and unpredictable. Spinning elbows, backfists, knees, and powerful clinch work will all come into play. Hamill has shown some explosiveness of his own with a head kick of Mark Munoz, but Munoz was fairly worn down and showed poor defense in that fight. Jones won't make the same mistake.

Hamill is definitely a threat on the ground from top control as he has the power to control guys and punish them, but Jones probably has more power and strength with a lengthier frame. He should be able to outwrestle Hamill, but I think the striking game is ultimately going to be where Jones succeeds and Hamill fails. Jones' immense reach advantage coupled with his ability to throw around Hamill will be Hamill's undoing in this fight. A lot of fans think Hamill has the chops to stop Jones from tossing him around, but does he have the striking game to stop Jones from peppering his chin? I don't think he does.

I'm going with the consensus favorite in this fight in Jon Jones. His length, reach, power, and strength all combine to make him something much better than anything Matt Hamill can muster up. Look for a finish by Jones in this one.