UFC 126 Results: Five Reasons Why Jon Jones Is Shogun Rua's Biggest Threat

At UFC 126, Jon Jones ran through top-ten ranked light heavyweight Ryan Bader to earn himself a title shot against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

It was this past Saturday night, that Jones plowed through another solid fighter as if he was a weak opponent.

Over the course of Jones' young career, he's shown that he's an incredibly dynamic fighter with spinning elbows, flying kicks, incredible Greco-Roman wrestling throws, and incredible athleticism.

The current UFC light heavyweight champion, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, has yet to face anybody quite like Jon Jones.

These are the five reasons why Jon Jones is Shogun Rua's biggest threat.

Jones' Incredible Size Advantage

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Standing at a towering 6'4", Jones cuts a huge amount of weight to make light heavyweight.

"Shogun" is at 6'1" and barely cuts any weight at all to make light heavyweight.

If Jones can make "Shogun" carry his weight for the majority of the fight, Jones could drain the energy of the smaller "Shogun."

Jones Holds a Significant Reach Advantage

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With an 84" reach, it'll be hard pressed to find anyone at light heavyweight with the length of his arms, and Jones has been able to utilize it well in his fights.

"Shogun" has a 76" reach, and usually a 76" reach is huge for most of the divisions, but "Shogun" is at an eight-inch reach disadvantage.

The Unorthodox Striking Of Jones

This will be one of the rare occasions that Mauricio Rua will fight another opponent who is as unorthodox, if not more so, than he is when it comes to striking.

It's very rare in MMA that we see spinning kicks, and spinning elbows, and generally they miss.

But Jones' accuracy is rare and he's able to land the majority of his incredibly unorthodox strikes.

The Rare Athleticism That Jones Posesses

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It's very rare to see an athlete like Jon Jones, and for "Shogun," it's even more rare that he fights someone that is more athletic than he is.

In this case, there's no doubt about how athletic Jones is.

While Jones may not be the most decorated wrestler to have ever competed in MMA, just based on his athleticism, he's been able to take down great wrestlers and take to the air like very few fighters can.

Jones Will Hold a Distinct Wrestling Advantage

Even with the great fighter that Shogun is, he hasn't had the best takedown defense.

With how Jones has been able to take down great wrestlers like Ryan Bader, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Matt Hamill at will, it's hard to imagine that he won't be able to take down Shogun.

If Jones can utilize his sharp wrestling in the fight, then Shogun may be in for a rude night come UFC 128.