UFC 135: Don't Count Rampage Jackson out Against Jon Jones
Think back to five years ago.
November 18, 2006, 25-year-old Georges St-Pierre defeats a legend of the sport, Matt Hughes, and wins the UFC welterweight title.
St-Pierre was able to TKO Hughes, and in the process, hand Hughes his fifth career loss.
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St-Pierre is now the champion, and is being heralded as "the future of the sport" and the next big thing, and this and that and the other thing.
Unfortunately, Matt Serra, the overlooked challenger, has other plans.
Serra won season four of The Ultimate Fighter, which was the comeback season that featured UFC veterans looking for a second shot in the world's premiere mixed martial arts organization.
Serra defeated Chris Lytle at the finale to earn his shot at GSP, and GSP has admitted that he overlooked Serra, and bought into his own hype.
Matt Serra was able to finish off GSP with strikes in the first round, and shock the entire MMA world.
Fast forward to 2011.
Jon Jones, at the age of 23, has become the UFC light heavyweight champion by TKOing a legend of the sport, Mauricio Rua, and giving him his fifth career loss.
Jones is now, and was previously, being heralded as "the next big thing".
His first challenger is going to be Rampage Jackson.
Jackson is no slouch in the MMA world, and with a record of 32-8, with victories over some huge names, he shouldn't be overlooked by anyone.
Jones says he isn't overlooking him, and that he is focused, but how can we be sure?
Lately, Jones has been tip-toeing the line between confidence and cockiness, and could be buying into his own hype and expectations.
Rampage is always just one punch away from ending a fight, and Jones has never had his chin tested.
This could be a perfect storm of defeat for Jones, and I smell an upset in the air.
Don't count Rampage out just yet.
Can't you just hear Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg now?
"OH MY! JONES IS HURT!!! RAMPAGE JACKSON IS LOOKING TO FINISH THIS FIGHT!"
UFC 135 goes down in Denver, Colorado, this Saturday on PPV.
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