UFC 135 Fight Card: 4 Reasons Jon Jones Will Destroy Rampage Jackson

Jon Jones has proven already in his young MMA career that he is one of the most dynamic fighters we have in the sport today. 

His combination of versatile striking and aggressive grappling have led to more highlight reel moments than most fighters get over their whole careers. Jones has dominated every fight put in his path, all the way to former light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua. 

Jon Jones has given us no reason to doubt his ability as a fighter, and every reason to believe that he could continue to develop in to a top fighter for years to come. 

At UFC 135 he takes on Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson is coming off back-to-back wins against Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. 

Rampage is known for his heavy hands and powerful slams. However, it is a whole different game when it comes to fighting Jon Jones. 

He is unlike any challenger Rampage Jackson has faced before. 

Here are four reasons why Jon Jones is going to run through Rampage Jackson at UFC 135. 

Reach

One of Jon Jones' most significant advantages against any fighter is his 84.5 inch reach. 

Jones' long limbs can keep any fighter at bay. It also allows him to use a large variety of strikes to keep his opponents guessing. 

Rampage Jackson's reach is only 73 inches. That is a considerable advantage to Jones in the striking department. 

Jackson may very well have more power in his hands, but he needs to get inside in order to maximize his striking ability. It is going to be incredibly difficult for Rampage to close the gap on Jon Jones. 

If he can't, Jones will be able to pick Jackson apart from longer range the entire fight. He will keep his strikes coming from a variety of angles that may eventually result in a knock out or TKO. 

Even if Jackson is able to get inside, that opens a whole new set of problems for Rampage. 

The Clinch

This is the area where it may be the closest to a draw. 

However, the significant advantage in the clinch again comes with Jon Jones long limbs. He relies on a series of slams and trips to get his opponents to the ground.

He isn't afraid to strike in the clinch, and we have seen just how effective his knees can be in the Shogun fight.

Rampage Jackson is no slouch in the clinch. He has the ability to knock out anyone at close range, as well as having the wrestling to hold position. 

Jackson's skills are undeniable, however we did see him get taken down in the clinch by Lyoto Machida. With Jones' wrestling talent he should have no issues getting Rampage to the ground. 

All he will really have to avoid in the clinch is the dirty boxing. You can bet money that Greg Jackson has Jones well prepared for that threat.

The Ground Game

If Jon Jones gets Rampage Jackson on his back early then this fight will be over very quickly.

Jones has shown that once he gets a fighter on the ground, he is going to dominate in top control. He has abused fighters like Brandon Vera and Matt Hamill on the ground, among others. 

His vicious elbows and dominating wrestling make him a handful for world class wrestlers and BJJ black belts alike. 

Rampage Jackson happens to be neither of those.

We have seen in the past that Jackson can be put on his back and dominated. Flashing back to the Lyoto Machida fight, we saw a trip take down and pure domination by Machida in the third round. 

Jones is equipped with much better tools to finish Jackson on the ground.

The last place Rampage wants to end up in this fight is on his back with a considerable amount of time left on the clock.

Timing

Every time we have seen Jon Jones step into the octagon we have seen a better version than the previous fight. 

The Jon Jones that massacred Ryan Bader was not the same fighter who dominated Brandon Vera or Vladimir Matyushenko. He has continued to develop his game in almost every aspect. 

We haven't seen him look any better than against Shogun Rua. Rua is a MMA legend, they don't come more accomplished. 

Yet, when matched against Jon "Bones" Jones, he looked like just another victim. Jones abused him in the stand up and on the ground.

He just had no answer.

Rampage Jackson still has plenty of talent left. He is an entertaining fighter and someone we will never forget. 

However, he is 33 years old. We've already seen the best Rampage Jackson. 

We are still waiting on the best Jon Jones, and that is a very scary thought for the UFC light heavyweight division.