UFC on Versus Preview: Jon Jones Plans to Be Faster and Smarter Than Brandon Vera

I’ll definitely be rooting for Bones, but I’m worried he’s in a bit over his head with an experienced guy like Vera.

vera at +210 is almost a joke. he’s a notch above in every bones does, except bones is “explosive”

“While both guys choose to use their tools a bit differently”

You mean like how Bones will use them at any time in any situation while Vera chooses to not use them at all?

This is a big step up in competition for jones, but I think he will still handle Vera quite easily.

I thought Matt Hamill was going to be Jones’ toughest test but I’m sure Brandon Vera will be a serious test for him.

is how the Greco will play out between these two.

is that when Jones had Hamil mounted he couldnt KO him, and almost looked like he ran out of ideas to finish him off. Boes did dominate Hamil for sure, but he couldnt put him away and was even looking for the ref to stop the fight even tho Hamil was still protecting him self. That there makes me doubt Bones Jones.

I’ve never taken a fight that I thought I was going to lose, so I feel good.

Why the hell are you the only person thinking Vera has a good shot at winning this? I’m totally with you. Vera has fantastic wrestling, particularly his defense. His jiujitsu is solid, and his ability to get off the mat is second much only to prime Chuck. And if Bones can’t get this to the mat, I think his wildness and inexperience striking will be his undoing. Yeah, Anderson Silva makes things like the back elbow thing from Ong Bak, capoeira movement to a flurry, leg punches, and that weird skipping behind the back wrap around kick work, but that’s because his experience and fundamentals are outstanding and always there to keep people off guard. Jones doesn’t have those tools yet. He doens’t have the head movement to avoid getting tagged. He’s never fought somebody who can comfortably switch their stances in the middle of an exchange. He’s never had to defend against heavy leg kicks, and Vera probably has the nastiest low kicks at LHW after Shogun. Off the top of my head, I don’t think we’ve really seen his chin tested. His attitude is great and upbeat but we don’t know if that will hold when he faced adversity in the ring. He might be easily frustrated, we don’t know. I love watching him develop and think he’s one of the most entertaining prospects in MMA right now, but I’m not sold on the hype yet.

pdl prediction: Vera staying back and having a boring feel out process for a round while gradually chopping away at his legs. In round 2, Jones gets frustrated and presses forward too much and Vera circles out working the jab from a southpaw stance and cutting out his legs some more. Round 3, we see how Bones has improved his gas tank since his debut. Vera gets more aggressive late, but is unable to finish. The Truth by UD.

Vera is going to get his shit ruined.

I will be watching, eating popcorn, and living vicariously through Jones.