UFC 235: Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will make a quick turnaround to defend his belt against Anthony Smith at UFC 235 in Las Vegas on Saturday. 

Jones is looking to make up for lost time this year in the Octagon. After being limited to one cage appearance per year since 2013 due to a combination of drug-testing issues and legal problems, the champ will fight just a few months removed from his title-winning performance against Alexander Gustafsson. 

The Smith-Jones collision isn't the only title fight on the card. Tyron Woodley will attempt to keep his grip on the welterweight title against challenger Kamaru Usman in the co-main event. 

Woodley has defended the belt successfully in three fights, retaining it once more via draw against Stephen Thompson. Usman will be challenging for a title for the first time. 

Main Card (10 PM ET, PPV)

• Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith
• Tyron Woodley vs. Kamaru Usman
  
• Robbie Lawler vs. Ben Askren
  
• Tecia Torres vs. Weili Zhang
  
• Cody Garbrandt vs. Pedro Munhoz
  

Preliminary Card (8 PM ET, ESPN)

• Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Jeremy Stephens
• Misha Cirkunov vs. Johnny Walker
• Cody Stamann vs. Alejandro Perez
• Diego Sanchez vs. Mickey Gall

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

• Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Charles Byrd
• Macy Chiasson vs. Gina Mazany
  
• Polyana Viana vs. Hannah Cifers

Predictions

Jones Defends Easily

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Jon Jones might not have been a model citizen, but he is the ideal fighter. Every time he steps into the cage it seems like he's evolved into an even more unbeatable version of his previous self. 

Between his innate ability to utilize his massive reach advantage and his ability to ragdoll opponents with his wrestling, there isn't a place where Jones doesn't seem to have the upper hand. If there is a shred of hope for the longshot Smith, it's simply that at 6'4", he's the same height as Jones and is only giving up an eight-inch reach disadvantage. 

Smith has earned this shot via three straight wins since moving up to 205 pounds from middleweight. However, putting together wins against what's left of Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans with a submission win over Volkan Oezdemir does little to tell us he'll have success against the best light heavyweight of all time. 

Instead, this will be another display of Jones' absolute dominance. 

Expect him to showcase his masterful striking, combining his trademark leg kicks early before breaking down Smith's body and eventually picking up the finish in a one-sided affair. 

Prediction: Jones via third-round TKO

Woodley's Power Makes the Difference Against Usman

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Tyron Woodley's title reign hasn't exactly been exciting. His explosiveness and wrestling are his greatest assets, but he doesn't like to use them offensively as much as he used to. 

Instead, he spends a lot of time waiting to counter. Sometimes, that means a lot of waiting. 

With Usman, that might not be the case. The Nigerian Nightmare has much better wrestling than any of Woodley's most recent challengers, and he will most likely look to pressure, thus setting up a much more exciting fight. 

There's a reason Woodley opponents are hesitant to charge forward, though. He's a powerful striker with the one-punch power to turn a fight around in an instant. Woodley just needs to find a home for that overhand right for the evening to come to a premature ending for Usman. 

The Nigerian Nightmare's pressure game could be the thing that finally pushes Woodley to be uncomfortable, or it could be the reason why he gets slept. 

Prediction: Woodley via third-round TKO

Ben Askren Makes Successful UFC Debut Against Robbie Lawler

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For years, Ben Askren has been at or near the top of every "Top fighters outside of the UFC" rankings list. His undefeated run throughout his career in Bellator and ONE Fighting Championship has always spurred on the "what if?" question. 

At 34 years old, Askren will finally make his walk to the Octagon for the first time against a former champion in Robbie Lawler. 

It's an interesting matchup. Askren has been accused of being boring thanks to his wrestling-heavy approach. The UFC then paired him up with one of the most exciting fighters in welterweight history. 

Fortunately for Askren, he's seeing a Lawler who has lost two out of the last three and is finally starting to show some wear and tear after a late-career resurgence that saw him become a champion. 

Lawler's willingness to engage and push forward should play into Askren's favor. It will open opportunities for him to secure takedowns, and once that happens, it's all over. Funky should get the opportunity to flex his grappling muscles and pave the way for even bigger fights in his new organizational home. 

Prediction: Askren via second-round submission