Greg Jackson on Jones vs. Sonnen: 'No Doubt' We Can Nullify Chael

Famed MMA coach Greg Jackson is wary of Chael Sonnen, but still insists that star pupil Jon Jones can handle the "American Gangster" in the Octagon.

During an interview on Sherdog Radio Network’s "Cheap Seats" show on Tuesday, the founder of Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts noted that Sonnen presents many stylistic questions for Jones. Although Jackson is very certain that Sonnen can be soundly beaten, he asserted that the threat posed by the former middleweight title contender is nonetheless very real:

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[Sonnen's] grinding, in-your-face style can be nullified. There’s no doubt we can nullify it, but it is a little bit different than everybody thinks it is. Losing to Anderson Silva twice doesn't mean that [Sonnen] is washed up or that he’s not effective as a fighter. He’s actually a very good fighter, and he deserves a lot of respect.

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Jones is an overwhelming 6-to-1 favorite to beat Sonnen, according to early betting odds. However, Jones found himself in trouble at UFC 152, coming within inches of losing his title via armbar to middleweight Vitor Belfort—the biggest underdog out of all of Jones' opponents yet.

Jackson also brought up past occasions where his fighters have tangled with Sonnen, most recently, Brian Stann (at UFC 136) and former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt (at UFC 109). Both times, Jackson's students came up short in very decisive losses. With that kind of history, Jackson refuses to sleep on Sonnen as an easy match-up:

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Sonnen is a great fighter. I've been in the trenches against Sonnen several times and seen what he is capable of when he is on, and [I've seen] what he does well. I would never disrespect Sonnen by saying, 'Jon will roll right over this guy. That’s a gimme fight.' Those fights don’t exist.

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Jackson also stated that he wouldn't be spending too much time with Jones on the set of The Ultimate Fighter, but would "help out here and there" when he could afford time away from his Albuquerque, New Mexico gym. The Ultimate Fighter commences filming in a couple of weeks and will move off its regular Friday night spot on the FX channel.