UFC 235: Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith Odds, Tickets, Predictions, Weigh-in Hype

Regardless of opponent, a Jon Jones fight is a spectacle.  

So when Bones takes on massive underdog Anthony Smith in the main event of UFC 235, it's a noteworthy event just for his presence on the card. 

Even without the most gifted fighter in the sport defending his light heavyweight championship on the card, the crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas would still witness a nice card. The event is bolstered by a welterweight title collision between Tyron Woodley and Kamaru Usman.

And if a welterweight title fight doesn't satiate the desire for violence, a Robbie Lawler bout before that could do the trick. Ruthless will welcome Ben Askren to the Octagon for the first time. 

Here's a look at the complete card with the latest odds from OddsShark and a closer look at what the fighters are saying leading into the big night. 

Tickets: StubHub

Main Card (10 PM ET, PPV)

• Jon Jones (-800; Bet $800 to win $100) vs. Anthony Smith (+550; $100 bet wins $550)
• Tyron Woodley (-175) vs. Kamaru Usman (+150)
• Robbie Lawler (+220) vs. Ben Askren (-286)
• Tecia Torres (+105) vs. Weili Zhang (-125)
• Cody Garbrandt (-170) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+140)

Preliminary Card (8 PM ET, ESPN)

• Zabit Magomedsharipov (-250) vs. Jeremy Stephens (+195)
• Misha Cirkunov (+125) vs. Johnny Walker (-145)
• Cody Stamann (-200) vs. Alejandro Perez (+160)
• Diego Sanchez (+205) vs. Mickey Gall (-270)

Preliminary Card (6:15 PM ET, UFC Fight Pass)

• Edmen Shahbazyan (-130) vs. Charles Byrd (+110)
• Macy Chiasson (-450) vs. Gina Mazany (+325)
• Polyana Viana (-286) vs. Hannah Cifers (+220)

Jones Hoping to Add to a Potentially Busy Year

It's been rare to see Jon Jones make the kind of turnaround he'll make on Saturday night. Drug testing and issues out of the cage have left him inconsistent when it comes to fighting recently. He's fought just once a year since 2013. 

That's something he'll look to change this year, making his first appearance since his late December win over Alexander Gustafsson. 

Bones told Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie that he anticipates either fighting once a quarter in 2019 or taking three total fights. In this case, that means taking one against an opponent that he knew very little about in Smith.

"When the camp started I didn't know anything about him, really," Jones said, per Bohn. "Now that I've been studying him I see he's a worthy opponent. To everyone else, he's this gigantic underdog, but I take him very seriously. He's done some nice things in his past fights and he has my full attention. My goal is to finish the fight and dominate him, but I give him my full respect and he's ready to be in this position. I'm excited for a good challenge." 

It's not surprising that Jones knew nothing about Smith before the fight. The longtime journeyman is 7-2 in the cage with the two losses coming to Cezar Ferreira and Thiago Santos. He's earned the shot by virtue of wins over Rashad Evans, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Volkan Oezdemir. 

Those wins don't mean what they used to anymore. 

The only intrigue is that Smith will be as close to a facsimile when it comes to size as an opponent can get with Jones. At 6'4" with a 76" reach advantage Smith is the same height as Jones and will have a slight reach advantage.

But, realistically, Smith's chances are next to nil. Jones' legendary career has seen him make future Hall of Famers look pedestrian. 

Ultimately, this is a matter of how long it takes Smith to break down once the damage starts piling up. 

Prediction: Jones via third-round TKO

Usman Looking to Prove Biggest Threat to Woodley's Throne

Tyron Woodley has defended his welterweight title four times since winning it from Robbie Lawler in 2016. Kamaru Usman believes that he has the right stuff to bring that streak to an end. 

Usman earned his title shot with a perfect 9-0 record under the UFC banner and recent wins over Demian Maia and former champion Rafael dos Anjos.

He's found his success—much like Woodley—primarily with his wrestling. Of those nine wins, seven have been by wrestling in which The Nigerian Nightmare just smothers opponents with his pressure. Usman believes his approach to the game will make him the most difficult opponent for Woodley yet. 

"He knows I'm the biggest threat to him. He knows that," Usman said, per Damon Martin of MMA Weekly. "There's no denying it. He knows it. Now it's just a matter of who shows up. If he shows up, he might have a chance but when I go out there and do what I do, there will be no chance for him."

Usman has a point. Woodley has faced a creative kickboxer in Stephen Thompson, a powerful striker in Darren Till and a submission expert in Demian Maia. However, Kelvin Gastelum is probably the best wrestler he's seen in a long time and that's going back to 2015. 

In short, Woodley has had few bouts with a fighter that may be able to challenge him in the wrestling department. Usman is going to change that, and the pressure he applies will likely impact Woodley's gameplan in a way we haven't seen in a while. 

The odds here are close and for good reason. These two are similar fighters and appear to be on similar talent tiers. 

However, Woodley's one-punch knockout power could be the difference. Sometimes he sacrifices volume to set up the perfect power striking, but that shouldn't be a problem with Usman likely looking to push the pace. 

Prediction: Woodley via third-round TKO