UFC 135 Fight Card: Quinton Jackson Must Close Gap to Beat Jon Jones
Realistically speaking, the only way Quinton Jackson can possibly defeat Jon Jones at UFC 135 to win the Light Heavyweight Championship is to somehow get in close and neutralize his opponent's uncanny ability to keep other fighters at bay.
"Rampage" and "Bones" have been side by side the entire week leading up to tonight's even at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, conducting interviews and promoting their fight ad nauseum.
Ironically enough, Jackson may not get any closer to Jones in the Octagon than he was out on the promotion trail.
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Not that Rampage would've had the audacity to let loose a knockout blow on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" or "Sportscenter". However, if Jackson can't find a way to neutralize Jones' incredible 84.5-inch reach, then he might as well disqualify himself from the fight before he gets his face beaten in from afar. Jones' wall of punches and kicks has proven to be as impenetrable as any in the world of mixed martial arts this side of Anderson Silva.
Yet, there's still a strong sense that Jones is anything but invincible, that he may be vulnerable if anyone could ever get within three feet of the guy. Jones has never truly been tested, in the UFC or elsewhere. The lone blemish on his career record, a loss to Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter in December of 2009, came by way of a disqualification for the use of illegal downward elbows after Jones had already dominated the fight.
There's no telling how Jones would hold up under the weight of a powerful blow from a strong, slow striker like Jackson because, well, he's never really been hit with one.
What's more, Jones has never faced a fighter with heavy hands and feet who's also as good and as durable as Jackson is. It's quite possible that Rampage won't be phased by Bones' long-distance blows, or at least won't be completely taken aback and beaten down by them.
If that's the case, and Jackson can work his way in close, slowly but surely, then he'll have a legitimate chance to pull off the upset.
Of course, getting inside Jones' force field won't be enough in and of itself for Jackson to win. Jackson will have to take full advantage of such rare position by landing some heavy blows once inside. Should Jackson squander such an opportunity, he will be sent down in defeat, wondering only what might have been.
With all of that being said, Jackson just doesn't have the necessary speed to even mind the gap with Jones, much less close it. Even if Jackson does get within range for a solid strike or two, he'll be too beaten and battered by Bones' blows that he'll hardly have enough strength and stamina to make his punches worthwhile.
And so, Jones will retain his title, await friend-turned-foe Rashad Evans as his next challenger and leave everyone to wonder still if he's as soft underneath as the Wizard of Oz.
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