UFC 128 Results: Does Anyone Match Up Well with Jon Jones?
If the results from UFC 128 told us anything, it is that Jon “Bones” Jones is the real deal.
Using his tremendous strength, impossible reach advantage, and inventive technique, Jones made one of the greatest fighters of all time—in any weight class—look like a person who is just learning the sport.
Like no other fighter before him, Jones has cut through the light heavyweight division like a hot knife through butter, having never really even been in any trouble at any point during his 14 professional mixed martial arts fights.
Though he does have the one “loss” on his record against Matt Hamill, it has been well documented that Jones was completely crushing “The Hammer” in that fight before he was disqualified for the use of illegal elbows.
It might have gone on the record book as a loss, but much like Fedor Emelianenko’s first loss, truly knowledgeable fans and experts pretty much disregard what the record book said that night.
Jon Jones is a freak among men. He is so incredibly unique and spectacular that he may very well carry mixed martial arts during this decade, as many of the previous decade’s best fighters are nearing the end of their careers.
But as we marvel at what Jones has been able to do at just the age of 23, we should also take a look at some of the competition he still has in the light heavyweight division.
Is there anyone out there who can stand up to the new champion?
Rashad Evans
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It looks like Jon Jones’ first title defense is going to come against his soon-to-be former teammate, Rashad Evans.
Jones replaced Evans in what would have been his UFC Light Heavyweight title shot at UFC 128, so it is only fair that Evans gets the title shot that he earned.
At 15-1-1 in his career, Evans has only ever been defeated once despite having fought some of the best light heavyweights on the planet.
He has wins over Stephan Bonnar, Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Thiago Silva.
Aside from Jones and Shogun, Evans has pretty much wiped out the competition at 205 pounds.
Evans may very well be the most interesting opponent for Jones in the light heavyweight division, considering his experience in training with Jones.
A seven-year veteran of the sport, Evans has shown that he knows how to pick out and exploit his opponents' weaknesses.
With that said, Jones has also had the opportunity to train with Evans and his coaches have been working with Evans for years.
Rashad is a great fighter, but he will be a big underdog in the upcoming battle with Jon Jones.
Advantage: Jon Jones
Lyoto Machida
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The man who lost his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and undefeated record to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua just 10 months ago is still very much in the hunt for a rematch.
Though Machida has now lost two fights in a row, including the knockout loss to Rua and a questionable split decision loss to Rampage Jackson, he has to be considered one of the true threats to dethrone Jon Jones.
Machida is an extremely smart fighter who has done an excellent job in his career of avoiding damage, frustrating his opponents, and making them pay when they make mistakes. His record at the end of 2009 was 16-0 for a reason—he really is that good.
The Machida mystique may have faded a bit with the back-to-back losses, but there is some talk within MMA circles that his style may actually be one that frustrates Jones.
His ability to bounce around the cage and make his opponents miss would be something that Jones hasn’t faced anything similar to yet in his career.
While Jon Jones defeated the man who ended Machida’s undefeated streak, MMA isn’t a sport where one can simply say, “this guy beat that guy, so he would also beat this guy.” Stylistic matchups are everything in MMA.
But with Jones’ incredible 84.5” reach, Lyoto may find himself getting tagged by punches that would miss if coming from other fighters.
Unless he was able to find a training partner with Jones’ size and combination of standup skills, it would be very hard to replicate him as Machida trains for the fight.
Advantage: Jon Jones
Randy Couture
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At 47 years old, Randy Couture is literally more than twice as old as the 23-year-old champion, Jon Jones.
But who wouldn’t want to see this fight?
Couture lost back-to-back fights at heavyweight against Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but has since moved back to light heavyweight, where he doesn’t have the size disadvantage.
The move has paid off for Couture, who has gone 2-0 in the division since moving back, defeating Brandon Vera and Mark Coleman. Neither fighter is elite at the 205-pound weight class anymore, but the way Couture handled each man is certainly something to consider.
Couture will have a huge step up in competition when he faces the former champion, Lyoto Machida, at UFC 129. If he wins, “The Natural” may be very much in contention for a shot at Jones’ UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
No one in the sport puts together gameplans as effectively as Couture, who has made a career of winning fights that he wasn’t “supposed to” win.
Still, Jon Jones is a freak athlete like nothing Couture has ever faced in the past. By the time these two fighters would possibly have a chance to fight, Couture would be 48 years old and will be facing a man who is simply bigger, faster, and stronger.
Advantage: Jon Jones
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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is another former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who would love nothing more than to get another shot at the title that he believes belongs around his waist.
Jackson was originally slated to face Brazilian powerhouse, Thiago Silva, in his next fight at UFC 130. The fight was recently scrapped, however, as Thiago Silva’s drug test results from UFC 125 have still not cleared up and a suspension may be on the horizon.
To make things safer for themselves, Silva has been replaced on the card by the only man to hold a technical victory over Jon Jones, Matt Hamill.
Hamill is a solid fighter. but Jackson rightfully felt a bit disrespected by the choice of his new opponent who is not in, or really even near, the top 10 at light heavyweight.
But it’s hard to feel too bad for Rampage, who doesn’t seem to be putting quite as much effort into training as he did in the past.
Jackson fought only twice in 2010, losing a decision to his bitter rival, Rashad Evans, at UFC 114; then winning a highly controversial decision over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123.
If Jackson committed himself in the same way he did just a few years ago, he is absolutely the type of fighter who could keep up with Jon Jones.
Unfortunately, we may never see that type of dedication from Jackson again.
Advantage: Jon Jones
Anderson Silva
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Ah yes, the champion to end all champions at the 185-pound weight class.
Anderson Silva may be the best comparison to what Jon Jones has done in the UFC. The difference is that, while Anderson Silva debuted in the UFC at the age of 31, Jon Jones started his career in the big league as just a 21-year-old.
Still, their runs in the promotion have been very similar. Neither fighter has been legitimately defeated, and until Silva’s fight with Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, neither has really been in any real trouble in any of their fights.
At this point, the cupboard of the 185-pound division in the UFC is completely bare. Anderson Silva has dominated the weight class like no other champion in UFC history and recently extended his record of 13 straight wins inside the Octagon.
Two of those wins actually came at the light heavyweight division in fights against James Irvin and Forrest Griffin.
While Irvin isn’t top-level talent, Forrest Griffin is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and a unanimous top eight fighter in the division today. Silva knocked out both Irvin and Griffin in just a combined 4:24—less than one complete round.
If 170-pound champion, Georges St. Pierre, is able to defeat Jake Shields, the rumors are that he will move up to face Anderson Silva in what many consider to be the biggest money fight the UFC could possibly make.
But with Jones’ performance at UFC 128, there may now be an even bigger fight to make between Silva and Jones.
If Anderson Silva is truly looking for a step up in competition, he should look no further than the man who is now wearing the gold in the 205-pound division.
This fight is one that would attract an unbelievable amount of publicity as it would feature two fighters who many consider to be “unbeatable” in a contest where one man is going to have to walk out with a blemish on his record.
Predicting the winner of a fight between Anderson Silva and Jon Jones is almost too difficult to even imagine at this point. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing each man’s hand raised at the end of his fight that picturing them any other way is almost impossible to do.
While Anderson would certainly have the experience off of his back and in technique as a standup fighter, Jones’ incredible size would make him a ridiculously tough opponent for the Middleweight Champ.
Silva has knocked out fighter after fighter by making them make mistakes on their feet, but Jon Jones’ relentless style and ability to get out of the way of counter-punches has been so impressive that Silva may need to implement a different game plan.
If the fight were to go to the ground with Jones on top, Silva would have an extremely difficult time submitting a fighter who is as strong and long as “Bones.” Chael Sonnen did serious damage on Silva on the ground, so imagine what Jones and his elbows could do.
This fight is almost too close to call, but the size advantage just may be too much—even for “The Spider.”
Advantage: Jon Jones
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