UFC on FOX 2 Results: 4 Things Rashad Evans Needs to Do to Beat Jon Jones

Photo courtesy MMAjunkie.com

There's no easy way for Rashad Evans, or anyone for that matter, to beat UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Evans earned the shot at his archnemesis by outworking Phil Davis throughout their 25-minute contest at UFC on FOX.

So how can Evans beat the once-in-a-generation phenom that is Jones?

With great difficulty. However, there are some general principles he may want to follow.

Keep Jones Guessing/Mix It Up

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So far, all of Jones' opponents he's faced as champion have only tried doing one thing to him; None of his opponents have forced Jones into defending lethal barrages of strikes and explosive takedowns.

Evans is one of the few fighters at light heavyweight who has the boxing abilities and wrestling credentials to do this to Jones.

If he makes Jones worry about the takedown AND worry about strikes, Jones may be taken out of his element and it could lead to an Evans victory.

Push the Pace

No fighter has ever gotten in Jones' face and pushed the pace against him. Almost all of them stood back and let Jones get comfortable.

If Evans is to maximize his chances of victory, he can't wait around on the outside where Jones' reach will pick him apart.

He needs to get in close, wrestle, dirty box and just force Jones to work like he's never had to before.

Avoid Prolonged Exchanges on the Ground

Rashad Evans should wrestle with Jones in the sense that he should wear him out against the cage, and even look for some takedowns.

However, this does not mean that he should make his fight with Jones a grappling-only affair.

Jones has dangerous submission abilities and long limbs that can pull off submissions from strange angles; it'd be best if Evans didn't stay on the ground with Jones for too long.

Strike Aggressively

Jon Jones was stumbled by a punch from Lyoto Machida showing that his chin isn't granite (although it's not glass either).

Thus, one of Evans' best bets is to strike aggressively against Jones and not let Jones use his reach to keep him at bay.

Evans, a good striker in his own right, can overwhelm Jones with a flurry of strikes and perhaps earn a TKO victory as a result.