UFC 145: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and Keys to Victory for Each Fighter

The weeks without an UFC event leading up to UFC 145 has only intensified the speculation from fans about the Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans main event.

Jones has looked like an indestructible force, plowing through the light heavyweight division. It's not just the names Jones has beaten but the manner in which he has won. Jones took an Ultimate Fighter winner and mentally broke him. Next he took on two future MMA Hall of Famers and completely negated any form of offense.

Recently the champion capped off an amazing 2011 with a dominant showing against former UFC champion Lyoto Machida.

Unlike Jones, Evans has had a long and difficult journey to this point. Originally guaranteed a title shot years ago, some bad choices and a training injury have forced the perennial No. 2 contender to fight and scrap back to a title shot.

Obviously the matchup would normally sell itself but when you add in the fact both men were once teammates (and good friends depending whom you talk to), this bout has the makings to be a blockbuster hit for the UFC.

Each fighter brings his own advantages to the bout and will look to employ his game plan to perfection for a win.

Striking

This is one area where Jon Jones is receiving the most backing from fans coming into the bout. Jones has displayed a wide array of kicks and punches along with an unorthodox method of throwing them.

Jones has defeated a Muay Thai specialist, one of the best boxers in the division, and a karate black belt while making his way to the top of the light heavyweight rankings.

Rashad Evans has transformed himself from a one-dimensional wrestler into a fairly competent striker. Fans have long been critical of Evans' footwork but he makes up for it with blazing speed and agility.

Evans is going to have to go out of his comfort zone if he wants to best Jones on the feet. Evans normally prefers to evade strikes and counterpunch. That strategy simply won't work against Jones as he's shown to have the ability to keep opponents at bay with kicks and punches due to his massive wingspan.

If Evans wants to beat Jones on the feet he's going to have to get inside to negate the length factor. Evans can still use his head movement and agility but will need to get inside kicking range in order to counterstrike.

In the Clinch

Jon Jones will likely have a decisive advantage in the clinch as well. Jones has displayed amazing technique with throws and strikes in his numerous UFC bouts. He's beaten bigger and stronger opponents inside the clinch.

Rashad Evans has also dealt with bigger and stronger opponents. It's been a disadvantage he's had to overcome since being in the UFC. Evans counters his size disadvantage with quickness and some of the fastest hips in the game.

Evans also knows how to utilize a clinch-heavy game plan. Against Quinton Jackson, Evans used the clinch to wear down Jackson and frustrate the heavy-handed fighter. He could use a similar game plan to frustrate Jones and wear down the champion both mentally and physically.

The key for both fighters if the bout turns into a clinch fight will be space. Evans will need to push Jones against the cage and grind away or attempt a takedown from the cage. Conversely Jones will want to keep the clinch near the center of the octagon where he can use trips/throws or knees to crush Evans.

Wrestling

A lot of fans have felt the only way for Rashad Evans to pull off a victory is by utilizing his wrestling skills. While it's true Evans had a solid amateur career at Division I school, what has made Evans so great at MMA is how he's integrated his takedowns.

Instead of shooting for a straight double or single leg, Evans mixes his strikes with takedown attempts to keep his opponents off balance.

Keeping opponents off balance is exactly what Jon Jones is all about. Jones doesn't just shoot in and try to overpower his opponents but rather attempts to take his opponents out of their game. The vast majority of Jones' takedowns occur as a result from a trip or throw in a clinch.

Both men have displayed great takedowns with each having his own variety. Both have also displayed superb top control. It is here, however, that the two fighters differ in their approach for a successful top game.

Jones prefers to land a variety of punches and deadly elbows while Evans chooses to simply smother his opponents. Evans has the top control to grind out a decision but will he be able to survive a deadly barrage of strikes should Jones get on top of him?

Submissions

Once the fight goes to the mat one area that will likely be forgotten by the fighters and fans is the submission game. Jon Jones has shown a willingness to search for submissions, evident by his submission wins over Ryan Bader, "Rampage" Jackson, and Lyoto Machida.

Yes, Jones has dominated the competition with strikes but he's often chosen to seek out and complete a submission attempt.

Almost the complete opposite, Rashad Evans hardly looks for submissions. He likes to employ a low-risk strategy that sees Evans remain on top for the majority of the rounds.

Besides a talented submission game, Jones' natural features (long limbs) often makes submission maneuvers easier to apply. It also means opponents have more to grab to set up their own submission attempts as well.

I could honestly see Jones forgoing his dominant ground and pound in an effort to secure a tap out from Evans in an attempt to make Evans virtually say "I quit!" to him. Evans won't likely make any submission attempts from the top and will almost certainly look to work back to his feet should he end up on the bottom.

Mental

If there's one area where Rashad Evans has a clear advantage over Jon Jones it's in experience. Evans has fought the best and beaten the best during his UFC tenure. He's also faced extreme adversity and responded in due fashion.

Jones has been amazing thus far in his career but he has yet to be tested. How will Jones respond when he's not overwhelming his opponent?

We've seen Evans respond from being put in bad positions and embarrassing losses but have yet to see Jones be placed in a precarious situation. There's likely to be at least one moment where Evans has the chance to force Jones to fight defensively.

This moment will be key for Evans in the mental aspect of this fight. Knowing you can respond to adversity and overcome is a huge advantage for Evans. Yes, Jones probably believes he's invincible and he has every right to believe that.

But as we've seen in young fighters (and young people in general), that prideful feeling of being invincible eventually catches up to you. Will it catch up to Jones at UFC 145?