Jon Jones Plans To Fight 4 Times In 2012
by Matthew Roth on Jan 5, 2012 12:03 PM EST
in UFC News
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Following his successful title defense at UFC 140 against Lyoto Machida, Jon Jones stated he wanted to take five months off. Dana White echoed this in post-fight interviews adding that the champ deserved the time off after his epic 2011. Well it appears that Jones has changed his mind regarding his plans for 2012. Jones recently appeared on Josh Gross' podcast for ESPN.com to discuss what has been described as 'the single most impressive year in MMA history' and what he hopes to accomplish in 2012. From the discussion with Josh Gross:
Yeah, you know my goal is to finish every fight in 2012. It's a goal of mine. I may do that and then things just naturally fall in line. Just to finish every opponent. Fight to finish the fight. And been thinking recently to try and compete four times again in 2012. I grew so much as a person doing that and trying to do that again will make me an even better athlete and put me in a pretty awesome spot in the sport. I was saying recently that I was going to take off four to five months but I'm starting to reconsider and come back sooner. Try and get three to four fights in this year.
This is great news for the UFC. After Jon's breakout year and the retirement of Brock Lesnar, they are desperate for a champion to carry the promotion. With hugely marketable fights awaiting with both Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, Jones has the opportunity to cement himself as the PPV draw for the UFC, especially with Georges St. Pierre reportedly out for the majority of the year.
In 2011 he defeated the likes of Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson, and Lyoto Machida, a literal who's who of the division. Should Jones continue his run through the light heavyweight division, it will be very difficult for his detractors to not acknowledge that he's the best fighter of all time. The only question is can the rest of the division keep up or will they be left in the proverbial dust.
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No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
by IKiIIed007 on Jan 5, 2012 12:06 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Puffy sleeves? Really?
Our date is canceled.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 5, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
But I don't wanna be a pirate!
I told him that Marquardt was greasing. - The Voices In Paul Harris' Head, BECW2
"So even though it’s the gayest sport ever, MMA is still the best sport ever. I love my gay sport." - Wrestling Uber Alles
by alicks on Jan 5, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions 7 recs
Seinfeld is great
I was way too young to appreciate it when it was in full swing, but I’ve been digging the show here in there over the past few years.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
There's no way Jones fights four times in 2012
The UFC just doesn’t schedule its highest-profile fighters that way — they need at least three months’ turnaround time to fully promote a fight, produce the Countdown show, bring the fighter to the city when tickets go on sale, etc. Three times is the absolute most Jones could fight in 2012. I do love the fact that he wants to stay that active, though.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 12:06 PM EST reply actions
He fought 4 times in 2011
Once for a title and two defenses, he could definitely fight 4 times. Especially with Anderson being out for a while, GSP being out for probably the year and Brock Lesnar retiring… they would love for him to fight 4+ times
That was mainly down to the quick turnaround after the Bader fight, though. I don’t exactly see him getting offered last-minute replacement fights as the LHW champ.
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by wonderfulspam on Jan 5, 2012 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
Right, and Donald Cerrone fought five times last year
That doesn’t mean Frankie Edgar is going to fight five times this year. The UFC just doesn’t schedule their champions that way, and Jones wasn’t a champion when they scheduled his first two fights.
Think about it: The earliest Jones could possibly fight this year would be UFC 145 on March 24. By March 24 last year he had already fought twice. There’s no way he’s going to keep pace with what he did in 2011.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC needs him to fight multiple times though
Anderson has prolonged his career by fighting twice a year and then having an ‘injury’ that needs to heal up. GSP is out fo 2012. Edgar/Aldo/Cruz don’t move the needle at all. And JDS’ first PPV defense will be following knee surgery. This is Jones’ year to shine if he can and the UFC needs him to.
What do you think a realistic schedule for him would be?
About when do you think his first, second, third and fourth fights of 2012 will be?
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 1:21 PM EST up reply actions
early March, early June, early October, late December
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
Wrong.
He’s not fighting in early March.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
he said “I was saying recently that I was going to take off four to five months but I’m starting to reconsider and come back sooner. Try and get three to four fights in this year.” which would track him to early March……..read the article.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:05 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC's event in early March is already booked
They’ve already announced the fights for UFC on FX 2 in Australia. If you seriously believe that they’re going to suddenly throw Jon Jones onto that card less than two months out, you don’t understand how the UFC books its fights.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
i'm fairly certain no one truly understands how the UFC books fights
except for those in the UFC who schedules and books the fights, so get over yourself.
you can amend my post to late March, late June, mid October and the end of the year/late Dec or NYE fights. all of which are perfectly feasible
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:16 PM EST up reply actions
UFC 145 on March 24th needs a headliner. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dana called Jones to ask him if he’s ready to go for that card.
I agree, UFC 145 on March 24 makes sense
But there’s no way he fights three more times in 2012 after that. That’s just not how the UFC does things.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
no GSP. no Brock. no Anderson for??? Edgar, Cruz, and Aldo do not draw flies. they can change the game if it helps them make money. the one thing that makes the Zuffa brass change it’s philosophy is the almighty dollar.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
This is also going to be a year of big changes
Maybe they could modify the way that they do things.
In real life everything I utter is original and poignant.
by Andy Anderson on Jan 5, 2012 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
how the heck will UFC find him 4 match ups?
1. Hendo
2. Rashad
Gustaf and Phil still need to grow into threats and besides I am listing Rashad as 2. because i expect him to dominate Phil, and Gustaf needs to beat a big name
That leaves Gegard, who is the most frustrating fighter since he doesnt utilize training.
Sorry Jones, looks like you will be clearing the division in two fights.
I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.
Jones chews Wrestlers
Like Arnold has Green Berets for breakfast
I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.
by elmojo on Jan 5, 2012 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Oh, and maybe Silva comes back
Thiago could work his way in maybe, no?
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
probably lot but i hope he can
Writing things on occasion @ Head Kick Legend.
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by Earl Montclair on Jan 5, 2012 12:14 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Gustaf vs Thiago
book it now Joe.
I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.
by elmojo on Jan 5, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That would be a pretty BA fight
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 5, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
Mauler vs. Lil Nog
Thiago ain’t Top 10 after his shelved year, and Alex deserves a top 10 guy.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
I'd pick Thiago against Nog.
After Silva’s “recent” performances, i’d say a win over him would be more impressive than a win over Rogerio.
Recent like...
a year ago? I hear you though, it would just be hard to assess the quality of that win without knowing what kind of Thiago we’re getting back from his layoff.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Recent was in quotation marks for a reason.
Judging from Ghengis Khan’s Vlogs he has been putting work in at ATT. Layoffs are always unpredictable though.
The Mauler vs the winner of Bader/Rampage
There fight is in Feb. The Swedish card is in April. It’s a bit close but if the winner of Bader/Jackson comes out pretty unscathed I think it’d be perfect for him.
That's what bums me out
these guys are stuck in Strikeforce. Mo presents an interesting match up with his power wrestling and Gegard with his all around style.
by Matthew Roth on Jan 5, 2012 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
But Gegard trains for shit. One full training camp at this stage won't help the guy.
And Mo is older than Jones, and not as well defined all around, that we have seen.
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by Unabomberman on Jan 5, 2012 12:10 PM EST up reply actions
With King Mo's
wrestling he is a problem for anyone at 205
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
I truly believe
that if that fight happened again that King Mo has learned enough to not make the same silly mistakes and would ground and pound his ass through the ring
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Every wrestler who loses by TKO to a striker should learn that lesson
that being said, he still got knocked out.
by polevaultking on Jan 5, 2012 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
wasn't he down to one working knee in that fight too?
This is an oule.
by some schmuck in texas on Jan 5, 2012 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
he was seriously injured and if healthy he would smash Rafael
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 1:11 PM EST up reply actions
You're reaching now bro
Jones eats wrestlers for breakfast, easy match up for Jones
by Mohammedini Hussein on Jan 6, 2012 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
Anderson Silva?
That is if he gets past Rashad.
"That wasn't just winning. I mean, that was just demolishment."
if they will put jones is a super fight
i would like it to be against a HW, because it would be interesting to see the odds against Jones.
Jones vs Cain
Jones vs Mir
Jones vs Kongo
id settle for anything
I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.
Good call on Kongo
I don’t think they’d risk a higher profile HW like Mir or Cain against Jones. Kongo, on the other hand, is worth the risk like when they pitted Silva vs. Irvin or even Forrest.
by LikeTheWhiskey on Jan 5, 2012 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think they're going to do this,
while still trying to establish Jon as a draw and PPV buy. They also need him badly this year at LHW to drive the PPV’s, rather than risking him on a superfight at HW. If it was against Anderson that’d be one thing, but I really don’t think the Spider wants Jon at this point in his career. Jon will get to HW eventually, but this year is really rushing it IMO. HW may actually do pretty well, as the SF guys coming in should shake things up and make it a decent year for the division even without Brock.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Jan 5, 2012 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
Also
Maybe Jones could take an experimental HW fight this year — maybe against Kongo or Nelson or some upper-mid-tier gate-keeper type.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
Aside from a few of us hanging on them...
We’ve never seen Jones’ nuts tested. Maybe a fight at HW against Kongo would be a good idea for one of those 4 fights.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
by IKiIIed007 on Jan 5, 2012 12:16 PM EST up reply actions 7 recs
with Kongo's knees on the horizon...
would you let go of Jones’ nuts for that fight?
BE CW Season 2 - Cecil Peoples Champs
by lmaginary Enemy on Jan 5, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
In seriousness...
I think Kongo would be a huge challenge for Jones. Maybe his toughest fight to date.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
Feed him the Reem
and his dreams of fighting at heavyweight should die pretty quick
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
you don't think he could put AO on his back?
I do.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
nope i truly think
Demolition Man would stop most of his takedowns and just fucking murder him on the feet
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
how many takedowns defended...
until AO gasses? I would love to see it, only because I want to see Jones in a fight in which he does not have every physical advantage.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
It would be a really cool fight to watch
fuck i miss Pride the place where pretty much anything could happen lol
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:46 PM EST up reply actions
I think the UFC ought to give guys fights when they're ready to fight
If Jones blasts Hendo and Rashad, just figure out whoever’s next in line, and make the fight. Even if Davis hasn’t built up quite the quality of resume you’d like to see in a challenger at that point, if he’s ready and the best option, make the fight happen.
by Damnatio Memoriae on Jan 5, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions
Yes this is exactly right.
There is one way of marketing a champion that is very easy to do. It may not be the best way, but it sure comes naturally to the UFC.
Market him as an unstoppable, dominating machine. If Jones runs out of top-tier challengers, who cares. Let him thrash whoever is next.
by Lauren J Darkbloom on Jan 5, 2012 12:29 PM EST up reply actions
I can see them giving Machida another shot at the end of the year
if he can string together two impressive wins. (Which I’m sure he can.) With Lyoto’s success in the first round against Jones, you already know the marketing angle.
all i see as a possibility is
Rashad or Davis
Hendo
Thiago Silva or Gus late in the year if either can win convincingly (Thiago needs two wins and Gus needs one against a top 5 or 10)
having said that i think Zuffa can “manufacture” another contender if Jones is willing to fight.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
I’d like to see Jones give a try to HW somewhere in there… someone suggested Kongo above, that’d be a fun fight to watch, and would tell us how much Jones could handle the bigger guys at HW.
too soon
let him grow. literally and figuratively. the man should bask in his own successes. he is going to help the UFC out by fighting more than he initially thought he would. oh and he feels this will make him a better fighter/athlete as well.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:11 PM EST up reply actions
Sure, that’s fine, but I just don’t see 4 viable contenders for him at LHW at this very moment. They could ask him to take a shot at HW against a gatekeeper up there…
nothing in the UFC’s history makes me think they can not manufacture a contender if needed. they did it w/ Machida after 1 win…..against Randy.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
Oh ok, manufacture in that sense. I missed the quotes you put around it. Well, yeah, definitely, the UFC is really good at “manufacturing” challengers.
Between Rashad, Davis, Hendo, Thiago Silva and Gustafsson, there’s at least 3 good fights for Jones in 2012. I just hope we don’t get another Shogun or Machida in a title fight anytime soon… these two need to learn a few skills before they fight Jones again.
It will be Rashad AND Phil Davis
No matter who wins, the loser will get two fights and then the title-shot.
"A belt only covers two inches of your ****and the rest you need to back up on your own." Royce Gracie (allegedly...I just read it somewhere and thought it was cool for my sig!)
Damn you Jon Jones!
Stop trying to do the right things to make me like you! I see your plan, you are just trying to get some fans, huh? HUH?!
The Internets: Where there are no girls and men become children.
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Draft #: 69--The magic number.
Is this all it takes for you to start liking him? Sheesh, jump off the Jon Jones hate wagon, we need room for new recruits.
"Referees, be sure to step in and stop the fight on time tomorrow, because I might get carried away in the moment and my many punches may end up destroying my opponent." - Tatsuya "CRUSHER" Kawajiri
HAHAHAHA!
I am sorry I do not fill the requirements for the full-on rage mode club. My time going forward shall be so, so, so lonely and shameful.
The Internets: Where there are no girls and men become children.
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by Unabomberman on Jan 5, 2012 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
he might as well
He has taken virtually zero damage over the course of his career. He is young and has serious natural advantages. I bet he fights 3 times this year though, which is still very good.
Writing things on occasion @ Head Kick Legend.
Team Captain for Ruining Your Special Night. That's what we do.
by Earl Montclair on Jan 5, 2012 12:13 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
Barring any medical suspensions, I think 4 fights is about right
12 week training camp, fight, take a week off, repeat.
by Damnatio Memoriae on Jan 5, 2012 12:14 PM EST reply actions
Even under your extremely optimistic timeframe
That would only be three fights in 2012. If the UFC announced today that he’s taking a fight 12 weeks from now, then gave him another fight 13 weeks after that and another 13 weeks after that, his third fight would be less than 13 weeks before 1/1/13. Four fights this year is just not going to happen.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
Okay, well maybe not 4 fights in calender year 2012
But roughly a fight ever 3 months. If he has 3 fights in 2012 and another in early 2013, that’s just as good in my mind. I just like to see champions stay busy rather than sitting around waiting for challengers to emerge, or “#1 contenders” who get injured, etc.
by Damnatio Memoriae on Jan 5, 2012 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
Totally agree with you there
Obviously, if a guy is injured he should take the time he needs to recover. But if a guy is healthy he should stay as active as possible. I’d love to see Jones stay on a schedule of regularly fighting every 3-4 months, especially while he’s young and his body recuperates quickly.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Jan 5, 2012 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
It *was* a super impressive year...
…but calling him “the best fighter of all time” may be slightly premature.
Like super premature
Talking week 2 miscarriage here.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 5, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
Rec'd for making a joke I'd hesitate to make.
Ballsy but funny.
Conductor of the Trainyard Sleepers! WHOO WHOOOOOO!
by Paulo Filho's Psychiatrist on Jan 5, 2012 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
My wife just had one recently (oh shit getting personal here)
And we joke about our trauma because that’s our style.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
I respect the fuck outta that shit.
"Computer being attacked by virus contracted from watching illegal japanese schoold girl porn. Bare with me." - Our Bovine Public
Captain of The Bus Feeders, Bloody Elbow Civil War, Season Two
I always joked that if I got my woman pregnant
It was helmet, elbow and knee pads, and a long trip down the stairs the hard way; then she got pregnant and for some reason I didn’t go through with it.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
by IKiIIed007 on Jan 5, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Cojones muy grande.
Conductor of the Trainyard Sleepers! WHOO WHOOOOOO!
by Paulo Filho's Psychiatrist on Jan 5, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
And my condolences and prayers to both of you.
OH SHIZZ I SAID THE P-WORD SOMEONE LIGHT THE FAGANSIGNAL
Conductor of the Trainyard Sleepers! WHOO WHOOOOOO!
by Paulo Filho's Psychiatrist on Jan 5, 2012 3:31 PM EST up reply actions
...
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:05 PM EST up reply actions
LOL I loved that line, you knew he just threw that in there to get the haters worked up into a froth
I think he was saying if he finished 4 more people this year
Then it would be hard to say he isn’t LHW GoaT since he would have basically cleaned out the division and finished everyone.
Good hustle, Bones!
If you wanna throw down in fisticuffs, fine! I've got Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary waitin' for ya...right here!
Jones vs Hendo next, please
Strike while the iron is hot.
by Lauren J Darkbloom on Jan 5, 2012 12:30 PM EST reply actions
fuck the squash match.
Bones would roll through Hendo… we need to see him vs. Rashad ASAP.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
I want to see both fights
but i would not go as far as saying that Hendo has no chance in hell
by Mark Colemans Takedown coach on Jan 5, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
just don't see how a MW...
gets to the biggest LHW’s chin. And Hendo can still be wrestled up- Shogun took him down.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
hells yeah
I totally agree. Hendo is great, but he’s old and slow… his game has no chance against Jones… just a punchers chance at the very best. Rashad vs Jones would be GREAT to see soon.
clearly Bones is dodging Rashad
He now wants to fight quickly because he is scared
obviously….
Duh….
by troyd on Jan 5, 2012 12:32 PM EST via mobile reply actions
smash Rashad..
get yourself some fans!
If you wanna throw down in fisticuffs, fine! I've got Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary waitin' for ya...right here!
by ODBasyoucansee on Jan 5, 2012 12:36 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Wouldn’t count out Davis just yet. Evans has been rocked in alot of his fights. His fights with Machida (who finished him off), Rampage and Thiago Silva. If Davis can find that right combo or throw a punch at the right time he can defeat Evans. Then it would be Hendo and Davis in line for a title shot while Evans works his way back up. By the end of the year it could be Jones vs. Evans finally.
Machida, Rampage, Thiago Silva, Phil Davis
which one of these does not belong?
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 5, 2012 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
Phil Davis' striking blows
I mean I can’t think of a single time he hurt any opponent. Did he hurt Gustafsson to set up the choke win? Because that’s the only thing I can think of.
Read my tweets or whatever - @SSReporters
Is offensive striking isn't to good yet
But his defensive striking is pretty great. Dude rarely ever gets hit.
by discoandherpes on Jan 5, 2012 12:58 PM EST up reply actions
As a fan of Hendo, the last thing I want is for him to fight Jones. He literally has a punchers chance and that’s it, and were that fight to happen I would bank on Jones via annihilation. I want Dan to fight Anderson because I think it would be somewhat less of a brutal beatdown. Rashad has no chance as far as I’m concerned, and I’m still skeptical as to whether he can get past Davis. Either way, Jones will clear out the division by the end of this year.
If anyone can take Jon Jones down
I think it’s Rashad. Rashad knows how to set up his takedowns with his strikes pretty fantastically.
That said, we’re assuming he can deal with Jon’s length.
by discoandherpes on Jan 5, 2012 12:59 PM EST up reply actions
Rashad has always had shitty top control, and he can be susceptible to being taken down himself. Also, he’s gonna have to deal with the reach and distance of Jones if he hopes to get inside and land a double, which is something I don’t think he’ll be able to do. I’m somewhat intrigued by the match up but not enough so to give Rashad any realistic chance of winning
Even if it's just three fights
in 2012, I would be perfectly happy with that. Having watched boxing for years and hoping a title holder would get into the ring just once or twice in a single year, knowing Jones is physically capable and mentally willing to face that many challengers and go down like catalina wine mixer is awesome
yup
Quietly leading Cecil Peoples Champs to victory and beyond.
All in the game yo, all in the game
by Our Bovine Public on Jan 5, 2012 1:51 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Robbie Lawler vs Nick Diaz UFC 47
Rogan: (after Diaz throws a looping left kick) Look at this Karate Kid stuff right here
Goldie: Daniel Miyagi has arrived in the OCTAGON.
by HeadKickOfDoom on Jan 5, 2012 4:44 PM EST up reply actions
Fuckin catalina wine mixer
by Matt Hamill's Ears on Jan 5, 2012 2:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It's a smart move on his part.
Considering Brock is gone, GSP is out for most of the year, Anderson is gone til June at the earliest, & Dos Santos vs Overeem won’t happen til around June also. The opportunity is ripe for him to come in, keep smashing fools in amazing fashion, & keep making his name.
If all these other main event fighters are on the shelf til at least the halfway point of the year, a healthy Bones could probably be pushed to the moon, once the public realizes this kid is amazing in a Michael Jordan “holy shit, you gotta see this guy!” kinda way.
by The Hamburger Pimp on Jan 5, 2012 1:25 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, you know my goal is to finish every fight in 2012.
What an arrogant ass, setting goals and all. HOW DARE HE!!!!!!
- Rashad
- Hendo
- Davis
- Lil Nog
Keep Firing, Assholes!
Pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.
By the 3rd or 4th fight, I can see Gustaffson challenging
as long as he keeps winning as well. If Davis loses to Rashad, he’ll move back a few fights and may be a 4th/5th fight for Jones.
Of course, this all assumes Jones keeps winning and doesn’t take too much damage in the fights and doesn’t injure himself in training. Still, for business and marketing reasons, I really see Jones only fighting 3 times this year.
Who do you see Lil Nog beating to get a title shot in 2012? He can’t be fighting Tito all the time, you know…
I call it the Thales Leites effect. Jones will have butchered most of the LHW top 10 at that point. The UFC will need someone who:
- can be relied upon to fight for a title without shitting the bed,
- hasn’t lost recently,
- has a highlight reel of him knocking people silly.
I don’t expect Gustafsson to fight Jones in 2012. He will probably be in a kick ass fight for title contention by late fall 2012 and challenge in 2013.
Keep Firing, Assholes!
Pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.
Hendo and winner of Rashad/Davis are the only two legitimate guys to put in there against Jones at the moment. I suppose they could do Gustafsson vs Lil Nog and have the winner fight Jones later in the year… but it’d be pretty sad to see Lil Nog in there considering how bad he looked against Brilz, Bader and Davis not too long ago.
Good for him
The top guys just aren’t fighting enough. 2 fights a year for pretty much everyone is BS.
If Jon Jones fights 4 times this year
there will be no one left for him to fight the next year.
I don't know
I think people should back away from this reasoning. Someone always emerges. It’s the natural order of these things.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
Yeah, like this year where we’ve seen Jones against former champions mostly on their way down… Please. Jones is emptying the LHW division twice as fast as GSP did in the WW division.
Marginalizing great fighters is one way to look at it
A terrible way, but a way nonetheless. Never mind the cadre of challengers that have seemingly appeared out of the ether for GSP. Or the not-at-all-stretching scenario that would pose Jones against a Rashad-Hendo-Mousasi-Mo-(rematch)-Gustaffson series of challengers over the next 18-24 months. Maybe pepper in Anderson. Or Feijao. Or any other number of fighters that could get hot, since someone inevitably will (Lil Nog, Bader, Rampage, et al).
Please, indeed.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
Didn’t Mousasi sign a 7 fight contract with SF just before his fight with King Mo? He’s got at least 3, if not 4, fights left in SF. As for Mo, no clue, but before he fights a few known guys in the UFC, we just don’t know how good he is.
But we’re talking about finding 4 suitable opponents for Jones within the next 12 months… most of those you listed can’t happen in 2012. That leaves Rashad/Davis, Hendo and possibly someone like Gustafsson, Lil Nog or Thiago Silva, who aren’t ready right now, but might be towards the end of the year, who knows.
And when I said former champions mostly on their way down, I meant Rampage who clearly doesn’t like fighting anymore, and to a lesser extent Machida who hasn’t shown a glimpse of used to make him great since beating Evans like 3 years ago.
I guess we'll see
I am of the opinion that LHW is more self-replenishing than many divisions that, themselves, wouldn’t have a problem manufacturing challengers if need be. I think they can do four just fine. Not today, but in six months— the world doesn’t stand still and these guys will be out there whacking away at each other, no matter what Jon Jones is doing.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
The problem will be
if the former champions can still beat the up and comers, then we’ll be faced with uninteresting rematches for Jones. What if Machida wins his next 3 fights, and takes out away the momentum of would-be challengers? Or Rampage, or Shogun? Fresh contenders may not make it to the top for awhile. Right now, to get to Jones, a future contender would have to get through a few of those guys, and may very well lose. What then? Plus, since none of us want to see those rematches, who will the next 4 guys be? There’s hopefully Rashad and Hendo, or Phil Davis, but either Rashad or Davis will lose on January 28, so there’s one option eliminated. So that’s 2 fights, who would the other two be against? Who will a fresh contender prove themselves against? Will someone be able to take out Machida, Rampage, or Shogun in a more impressive fashion to legitimize their shot? I doubt it.
You wouldn't want to see a re-tooled Machida against Jones again??
I know he ended him in stunning fashion, but Machida looked great in that first round. I definitely want them to fight again in the future.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
I think Jones will have the answer the second time around.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
A man after my own heart
Nothing I love more than a fighter that gets after it. I even took a shine to Kos when he fought five times in a year. It’s gonna be hard to hate Jones if he keeps fighting at this pace.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
If Davis beats Rashad, who does Jones fight first… Hendo or Davis? I say Hendo. He’s getting old by the minute and needs to get in there before he’s got absolutely nothing left.
absolutely Hendo
age and entitlement. all he has to do is reming Dana he beat Fedor.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
Fedor… hmm… what if they brought him in to fight Jones at a catchweight of 220 lbs? That’d be a fun fight!
i would love that in an ironic sort of way. especially if Fedor took an arm home w/ him….ha
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 5, 2012 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
Hendo
Evans
King Mo
Gustafsson
Easy.
"Computer being attacked by virus contracted from watching illegal japanese schoold girl porn. Bare with me." - Our Bovine Public
Captain of The Bus Feeders, Bloody Elbow Civil War, Season Two
You do know that King Mo isn’t signed to the UFC, right?
If Davis wins, does he get a shot at Jones? And what happens if Davis wins? And who does Gustafsson beat while Jones goes through the others on your list?
Also, if Evans wins, do you still think Hendo fights Jones before him?
I’m aware Mo isn’t in the UFC, but I think his contract with SF is up after his next(?) fight, and I really think we need to get over that shit anyway, we’ve seen HOW many fighters get poached from SF to the UFC. It is a non-factor, if they want him, they’ll have him.
I’m assuming Evans beats Davis, if Davis wins, he gets Evans’ slot. Gustafsson beats Thiago Silva and Little Nog in some order.
If Evans wins, depending on damage, I think Hendo gets Jones first, due to his age and standing with the UFC.
"Computer being attacked by virus contracted from watching illegal japanese schoold girl porn. Bare with me." - Our Bovine Public
Captain of The Bus Feeders, Bloody Elbow Civil War, Season Two
There was a report that said part of the extended Strikeforce-Deal with Showtime was, that the poaching stops.
"A belt only covers two inches of your ****and the rest you need to back up on your own." Royce Gracie (allegedly...I just read it somewhere and thought it was cool for my sig!)
They're two separate organizations, anyone whose contract is up can skip.
"Computer being attacked by virus contracted from watching illegal japanese schoold girl porn. Bare with me." - Our Bovine Public
Captain of The Bus Feeders, Bloody Elbow Civil War, Season Two
So
Mo and Gustaffson will potentially have to sit out for two title defenses before they even get another fight (IF Mo beats Larkin and IF he can get out of his SF contract)? That would be a mighty long layoff for Gustaffson going into the toughest fight of his career…
When did I say they wouldn't fight until their title shot? That's really stupid to assume.
"Computer being attacked by virus contracted from watching illegal japanese schoold girl porn. Bare with me." - Our Bovine Public
Captain of The Bus Feeders, Bloody Elbow Civil War, Season Two
Then what if they lose? That’s the point; it’s not like the division stands still for Jones. There may be no viable contenders if a few upsets occur.
I can see him doing it ... unless...
At some point somebody is going to solve him. Just like Machida and Shogun… Shogun solved Machida and now he takes damage. Until the Shogun fight, Machida could have fought every weekend because nobody really hit him.
Once JBJ starts taking damage we’ll see how he feels about fighting again in 12 weeks ;)
There's nothing to solve.
It’s going to take freakish athleticism combined with exception skills to defeat him — or a well-timed strike from a KO artist.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
Well timed strikes seems most likely. Everybody has weaknesses, we just need some smart fighter to come along and show us the holes in Jones’ game IMO ;)
Machida did that -- he hit Jones in the face.
The problem is, with Jones’ athleticism, capitalizing on those holes is tough.
No, you're not drunk. I am this good-looking.
Sheesh
he’s not wasting anytime to get his ass kicked by JDS, Cain, Reem, or Mir is he?
I can see JDS knocking Jones to Mars, Cain either TKO’ing or decisioning him, Reem destroying him and Mir EASILY snapping his ankle in two.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
wut?
um… that’s a different weight division. I’m pretty sure Mir would beat the crap out of Jose Aldo too… but he out weighs him by over 100 pounds :p
I think he’s implying that Jones is cleaning out the LHW division so quickly that he’s speeding up the necessity of a move to HW.
Think he could go down? Because I agree, he stands no chance with the big boys.. he doesn’t have the frame that Reem has to put on the kind of weight he would need to compete up there :/
I think he could gain the muscle in his upper body. It’s those tiny legs that would be his undoing at HW.
Yeah
a few chopping leg kicks from some hw’s probably wouldn’t feel too good to Jones’ thin legs.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
I read that Jones cut’s from 220+ pounds to make 205, that’s similar to what Reem said he used to cut from back when he was in Pride fighting at lhw. I highly doubt that he could drop an additional 20 pounds to make mw. I’m sure that Jones could easily put on at least 8-10 pounds of muscle and weigh in at 230-238 if he fully decided to fight at hw. After a couple fights at hw and with a good strength/bulk increasing program, I’d say that a solid 240-245 hw Jones could do some real damage in that division. JDS is right at 240…now that I’m thinking about it, AO is gonna outweigh JDS by 25 pounds.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
Who knows what that increased bulk would do to his technique though… adding 10 or 20% of your body weight has huge affects. It would be interesting to see him go up but I just can’t imagine him fighting guys the size of Reem, MIr, and Carwin :/
Agreed
That extra weight could very well have an adverse effect on his abilities as a fighter. I also think that most of the top 6-8 hw’s can beat him, the top 3-4 would definitely beat him imo.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
Wut?
Jones has a bigger frame than Overeem. He is similarly sized to his brothers and one of them is 270 pounds and the other is like 310.
Yep
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
Just think about it
If jones fights and defends the belt 4 times this year (I don’t think he’ll fight that many times though), that’d be EIGHT men in 24 months slain by Bones. That’s a feat that took GSP 4 years to accomplish, 5 if you consider the fact that GSP may very well not fight at all this year! Also, if Bones fights and defends his belt 4 times this year, he’ll have the exact same number of title defenses as GSP…at the age of 25! Crazy shit if it was to happen.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
Exciting times indeed!
AND, Jones has spectacular fights! GSP (since Sera) has been playing too safe, boring technical fights that are hard to watch more than once.
I actually enjoy GSP's fights
not as much as the other champs though. I re-watched a few rounds of his fight with Koscheck just last night, and that jab that he CONSTANTLY landed was pretty damn sweet. I just wished that he would’ve went for broke and really tried to stop Kos in rounds 4 or 5, but oh well. I haven’t seen the Shields fight yet.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
I was at the GSP/Shields fight so I didn’t see it as well as I would have on PPV… I’ll check it out again. Maybe I’m being too hard on GSP :p
You probably aren’t lol, he gets a good bit of hate here.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:20 PM EST up reply actions
Don’t tell my wife… she got me a signed portrait of him for Christmas… now I have to pretend to be a huge GSP fan still :D
Man fan or not, that’s a cool ass gift! Sounds like a thoughtful wife! I got my gf a Nook Tablet amongst other things and I got…a few shirts :/
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:43 PM EST up reply actions
Jones is not going to HW anytime soon
He will just keep hammering the division.
"A belt only covers two inches of your ****and the rest you need to back up on your own." Royce Gracie (allegedly...I just read it somewhere and thought it was cool for my sig!)
I’m assuming that if Jones goes on a Silva-like winning streak over the course of the next 2-3 years, we’ll start to get talks of how weak the lhw division always has been.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Jan 5, 2012 5:45 PM EST up reply actions
Hmmmmm...
Someone needs to smoke this fool’s ass… soon, or there won’t be any interest left at LHW.
Davis and Gustaffson need to be specifically corn-fed to beat Jones, but that prob won’t be at least until the end of 2012.
I think Gegard Moose-Sauce is too small for Jones.
Hendo has a striker’s chance, but that reach is gonna hurt him so no chance.
Still, Jones main weakness is his lack of KO power… that gives most LHW a bit of time to do something until they’re GNP’d or subbed.
"He beat me fair & square. no, I’m sorry, he beat me fairly squarely" – GSP
Dana White has said before that he likes guys that fight more often
He throws out all of those ‘You only have so long to build your legacy’ type arguments.
The crazy thing is that if Jones defens his belt 4 times this year…then he has the most consecutive title defenses of any UFC LHW champion ever, beating Tito’s 5.
I mean, I love this about Jones….I’d much rather see this than guys like GSP and Silva fighting 1-2 times a year. I know injury and etc comes in….but if they didn’t have 6-8 months between sheduled defenses…then it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.
If you fight twice and the 3rd time you pull out with injury, so be it. If you fight 1 and for the 2nd fight you pull out with injury, that’s big.
I think if the champions were more open about wanting fights, then the UFC would give them more fights….I mean, Rampage and Machida hadn’t really torn through a slew of guys to get their shot, but they were given it because Jones needed fights, or because they needed headliners.
So this is great news….he’s young and needs to fight as often as he can to build his legacy.
Could you imagine a continued reign of 4-5 years with 3-4 defenses a year? That’s huge.
"You got Floyd Mayweather making 25 million dollars...he can't stop the double leg." - Nick Diaz
Frankie is the guy I want to see fighting most frequently
Since all of these superb contenders are out there sniping one another. I’d rather he fight four times a year (should he emerge from each of those fights still champ) and be the guy to knock off some of these credible challengers, instead of their losing value at the hands of one another and never getting that shot.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
I know what you mean
I mean, it’s a fine line…on one hand, you want every challenger to be credible and to have a solid win streak and as few losses as possible.
On the other hand, you want the champ to fight often…which means he needs more guys and you have less time to get someone a win streak.
Then on top of that, timing and injuries sometimes results in guys who are ALREADY on good win streaks to take more fights and get knocked off by other guys.
"You got Floyd Mayweather making 25 million dollars...he can't stop the double leg." - Nick Diaz
He’d have to alter his recent gameplan of letting his opponent stampede his head in the first for that!
"A belt only covers two inches of your ****and the rest you need to back up on your own." Royce Gracie (allegedly...I just read it somewhere and thought it was cool for my sig!)
8 Punches=Stampede?
http://hosteddb.fightmetric.com/fights/index/3678
JDS, Jones, Florian, Frankie
by Crackity Bones on Jan 9, 2012 10:53 PM EST up reply actions
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