Jones vs. Teixeira: Bones Will Make Title Defense Look Easy on Saturday
Glover has earned his opportunity to fight for Jon "Bones" Jones' UFC light heavyweight championship on Saturday in Baltimore. But isn't going to win.
It's been made pretty clear that the only fighters who will have a chance to stop Jones at 205 pounds are guys with similar length.
For all of Alexander Gustafsson's skills, his length was the biggest factor in making the fight with Jones competitive.
doesn't possess the necessary attributes to beat Jones—aside from some sort of freak occurrence, of course.
Former UFC fighter Chris Lytle said this to the Bloody Elbow:
"You know, I've heard nothing but how good Glover is for a while, and how he's going to be the next big thing... but to be honest, I haven't really seen it yet to where I think it will happen. With Jon Jones, I think we've learned what his is, and it's not Glover.
"
Won't Be Able To Close the Distance
Jones is just two inches taller than , but the biggest advantage is in reach. Bones sports an 84.5" reach, while 76" measurement from armpit to knuckle.
That's going to be problematic for the challenger.
Aside from the length disparity, Jones is also quicker and more agile.
It's almost impossible to beat a taller man who knows how to use his height and has a speed advantage.
That's the dilemma awaiting .
A Battle on the Ground Wouldn't Favor
Sometimes we hear that a fighter is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist and automatically assume he or she will have an edge in grappling over their non-Brazilian jiu-jitsu opponent.
That's not always the case.
Jones' wrestling, grappling and submissions are a bit sharper than .
If the challenger tries to take the fight to the mat, Jones probably won't resist. He's almost as at home there as he is in stand-up.
Bones Will Not Be Caught Off Guard
The fight against Gustafsson was a wake-up call for Jones.
Though he won, being faced with losing shook him. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter, Jones said:
"I definitely know that I performed better in the past. It humbled me. A good humbling is always good, though. And it also let me know that I have heart. I trained my butt off to not have any fights. And now that I’ve gone through a close fight—or a war, as some would call it—now I know even more about myself. I know when the going gets rough, I’m not going to give up.
"
A plugged-in, motivated Jones is a very dangerous man. Look for him to make a statement with a dominant performance against on Saturday.
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