Jon Jones vs. Cain Velasquez: Who Would Win?

Since Jon Jones dominated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title at UFC 128, fans have been salivating over potential dream fights for the new champion in the heavyweight division.

Keep in mind, the possibility of these dream fights becoming a reality is a long shot. Jones has just won the title of arguably the deepest division in all of MMA.

There are plenty of worthy contenders lined up and waiting for an opportunity to steal his thunder.

With that said, it's always fun to humor unlikely super fights and try to predict how they would unfold.

How would a fight between Jones and former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar play out? What about a champion versus champion bout between Jones and heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez?

In this two-part series, the latter will be explored first. Everyone knows Jones is talented, but is he talented enough to move up in weight and dethrone Velasquez?

As far as talent is concerned, Jones has more than enough to present some unique problems for the undefeated champion.

On the feet, Velasquez has never fought anyone like Jones. The Greg Jackson student has the longest reach in UFC history, nasty Muay Thai skills, pinpoint accuracy and a plethora of unorthodox maneuvers at his disposal.

With all of his stand-up prowess, you have to factor in Jones' multi-dimensional and world-class wrestling abilities, which allows him to sniff out takedowns from every area on the feet. He can set up trips in the open, shoot in from the outside, or utilize his strong Greco-Roman skills to control and nab takedowns from the clinch.

While Velasquez has shown continued improvement in his ability to string together combinations on the feet, he would likely find himself overmatched in that area against Jones. Velasquez is light on his feet and moves around great for a heavyweight, but he lacks the fluidity and poise in the exchanges in comparison to Jones.

Instead of rushing forward with hooks and straights, Jones utilizes an effective jab masterfully to orchestrate the rest of his offense.

The deciding factor in this fight would lie in the wrestling department.

While Jones won a national JUCO championship at Iowa Central Community College, Velasquez is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at Arizona State University. Both fighters have a connection in the fact that Velasquez also attended and wrestled a year at ICCC, where he earned his Associate's degree and won the NJCAA National Championship.

Credentials can be argued all day long, but it would be a huge mistake to dismiss Jones' chances in the wrestling department because he never wrestled at a Division I school. Throughout the history of MMA, some of the best wrestlers, including guys like Georges St-Pierre and Sean Sherk, have virtually no college wrestling experience at all.

Still, they continuously put Division I standouts on their backs and control them for extended periods of time.

Jones gets a lot of credit for his unique fighting style, but Velasquez has some pretty unique qualities as well. He is a cardio machine that is often credited for outworking lightweights in the gym.

Most wilt under the pressure of keeping up with the furious pace Velasquez sets during a fight. He's the best wrestler in the heavyweight division.

Outside of an explosive shot, Velasquez is great at switching off from the single and double depending on the situation, but he truly shines with his superior leverage and takedown finishes.

Jones could struggle in keeping the bout upright long enough to do serious damage on the feet. Velasquez could get clipped and dropped early, but his tenacity and relentless pursuit of the takedown may be too much for Jones, who is used to dictating the action in a fight.

In the end, the edge goes to Velasquez, but this bout is closer than some believe. Even though he is light heavyweight champion, Jones is still an enigma. There are parts of his overall game that remain untested.

How well can he fend from his back? Is his takedown defense solid enough to fend off persistent takedowns from a world-class wrestler?

These questions could be answered in Jones' next bout with former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

Various opinions will come and go, but no one can deny the technical brilliance of Jones.

As Velasquez and Jones continue to develop throughout their young careers, fans and pundits will have a better angle of breaking down this dream match-up.

When asked who would win in a fight between Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez, there's really only one educated answer—your guess is as good as mine.

(SportsHaze.com Original)

For continuing coverage of MMA follow us on Twitter @ SportsHaze_MMA.