Showing posts with label Jon Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Jones. Show all posts

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Rashad Evans vs Jon Jones Primetime Episode 2


Just a week before Rashad Evans and Jon Jones clash in a highly anticipated UFC light heavyweight title fight, the second episode of their behind the scenes documentary "Rashad Evans vs Jon Jones Primetime" has been released to the public.

Episode 1: Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans Primetime episode 1

Rashad Evans vs Jon Jones Primetime episode 2

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Jones vs Evans debate on UFC Counterpunch


With the battle for the UFC light heavyweight title looming, UFC Counterpunch has released a video debate between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. It is amazing how two great athletes can be reduced to a dodgeball-like parody. I know you know what I mean.

For more information on this highly anticipated fight, read my article on Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans UFC 145 fight preview

Jones vs Evans debate on Counterpunch


Goodman vs Le Fleur debate in Dodgeball

Monday, 9 April 2012

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans Primetime Episode 1


The UFC has released the first episode of their behind the scenes documentary leading up to UFC 145 featuring UFC light heavyweight combatants Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. The documentary takes the viewer into the lives and training camps of both fighters as they train for the biggest fight of their lives.

UFC Primetime: Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans UFC 145 fight preview



At UFC 145, the MMA world will finally receive some closure on one of the hottest topics of debate for some time – the feud between Jon “Bones” Jones and “Suga” Rashad Evans. 

The Feud between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans

Jon Jones became the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion after he managed to leapfrog injured teammate Rashad Evans and earn himself a title shot a year ago. This did not sit well with his Evans, the light heavyweight number one contender. The two had apparently sworn never to fight each other and now found themselves in a serious predicament. Evans however did not like the way things were handled by both Jones and the Jacksons management and left the team in search of a new home. Since then the banter between these two fighters has not stopped.

Jon “Bones” Jones (15-1)

Jon Jones
Jon "Bones" Jones has dominated everyone the UFC has put in front of him and accumulated a stellar 9-1 record. This amazing record is however not entirely accurate as Jones’ sole loss was a result of a disqualification in a fight he was dominating. Even though he carries a loss, one would not be incorrect is saying that Jon Jones has not been beaten in his professional MMA career.

In March 2011, Jon Jones took his career to the next level by defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to become the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. Jones then went on to defeat former champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida in emphatic style.

With his impeccable record and impressive fight style, Jon Jones is considered by many to be unbeatable in the Light Heavyweight division and one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. These are bold statements, and while he is certainly dominant, I don’t believe Bones is unbeatable. Lyoto Machida’s precision striking revealed some vulnerability in the young champion in the first round of their UFC 140 fight.
Although Jon Jones has fought some of the best in the world, he has yet to be truly tested. Fighters seem to respect his length too much, and if you allow Jones to dictate the fight, you are in for a long (or short) night.


“Suga” Rashad Evans (17-1-1)

Rashad Evans
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Suga" Rashad Evans has amassed an impressive 12-1-1 record in the UFC. Evans earned himself the UFC Light Heavyweight title at UFC 92 when he bested Forrest Griffin, but was unable to defend his title.

Rashad Evans is currently on a four fight winning streak since losing his UFC light heavyweight title to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. This streak includes wins over Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, Tito Ortiz and Phil Davis, two of whom are former UFC light heavyweight champions.

Rashad Evans has looked impressive since changing camps and his domination of Phil Davis at UFC on Fox earlier this year, a man who many believe is as close to Jones as they come, will give him great confidence going into this fight.

Rashad Evans believes he has the tools to defeat Jon Jones, and I am inclined to agree. With amazing speed, powerful striking, some of the best wrestling in the UFC and a possible psychological advantage, Evans will look to take the fight to Jon Jones in a manner that no fighter before him has.

Jones vs Evans Fighter Comparison

Having trained together, both Jones and Evans will be familiar with each other style, this however favours Rashad Evans immensely. The “Jon Jones Mystique”, which often paralyses fighters and allows Jones to impose his will, shall certainly not be present and may even be replaced by a psychological barrier on Jones' part towards his more senior training partner.

I believe than Rashad Evans has the superior striking ability, but to be effective he will need to get inside Jon Jones’ immense reach, which is no mean feat. The striking advantage will go to he who can control the distance the best. If Jones can keep Evans on the outside, he can pick him off all night. Evans will need to close the distance and put Jones under pressure. This will be a very interesting facet of the fight.

Both fighters are renowned for their wrestling ability, especially offensively. Neither man has been truly tested off his back though Jones has shown some amazing submission skills. Jones will definitely be the bigger man on the night and Evans the quicker. This is another interesting contest, which I believe will be won by he who gets the top position. That being said, I have visions of Jon Jones escaping or even attempting a submission from the bottom should Evans take him down... the same cannot be said for Evans should Jones put him on his back.

Conditioning shouldn’t be a factor in this fight. Both men are professional athletes from professional teams and always come in great shape.

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans UFC 145 prediction

As with any fight, this fight could play out in a number of different ways. After watching plenty of press conference footage and previous fights, I am going against the grain on this one. I believe Rashad Evans will come into the Octagon with a huge psychological advantage. Evans will be very active from the word go, using his speed to close the distance and land shots. This unusual pressure will confuse Jones and we will see a very different fighter. The fight will go to ground in the first, but this will be inconclusive. In the second round, Evans will continue to press the action and eventually floor the Jones to regain his UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans community reaction

Jon Jones is the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion. Jon Jones has not been beaten in his professional MMA career. Jon Jones has dominated some big names. Yes, Jon Jones in the definite favourite in this bout, but the MMA community has all but written Rashad Evans off. The bookmakers even opened the betting odds with Jon Jones being a 6:1 favourite.  Six to one, against a former champion who has a 17-1-1 record, are they insane?

In my opinion, these two fighters are a lot more even than that. They have trained in the same camp, they have fought and beaten many of the same opponents. They both struggled against the same man – Machida. At six to one I will take Rashad Evans to win this fight every time.

Other videos for Jones vs Evans


Sunday, 8 April 2012

Jon Jones Highlights Video


Jon "Bones" Jones (15-1) is one of the most dangerous men on the planet. The UFC light heavyweight champion has only lost one fight (a DQ loss to Matt Hamil) in his professional MMA career and has brutalised some of the toughest fighters in the light heavyweight division. Now set to face Rashad Evans (17-1-1), Jones has a chance to solidify himself as one of the best mma fighters in the world.

Here is a Jon Jones Highlight video to whet the appetite ahead of his UFC 145 bout against Rashad Evans.

Jon Jones Highlights Video

Rashad Evans UFC Highlights Video


Ahead of their UFC 145 Light heavyweight title fight, Rashad Evans and Jon Jones are rather unsurprisingly two are the most talked about fighters in the world at the moment.

In preparation for the big MMA event, here is a nice video compilation of Rashad Evans' fighting highlights. Watching this video one quickly remembers just how good Rashad Evans is.

Rashad Evans Highlights video

Saturday, 7 April 2012

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans - a deeper look video

The rivalry between UFC Light heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones and former teammate, and champion, "Suga" Rashad Evans continues to escalate approaching their UFC 145 clash. After almost a year of disdain between the two, the fighters will finally bet let loose on one another in the cage.

This is certainly going to be one of the biggest fights of the year, and I can't imagine there is an MMA fan out there who doesn't have an interest in the result. Will Jon Jones prove too much for Evans or does Rashad Evans have Jones's number?

Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans video

This video by MMAweekly.com takes a deeper look into the lead up to the bitterness between Evans and Jones, as well as some of their fights leading up to April 21.

Sunday, 25 March 2012

Most Dominant UFC Champion


After a serious exercise of reducing the UFC champions to numbers and studying these figures, I have a conclusion. Looking at the numbers, a lot made made sense and a lot didn't seem quite right. This was exactly what I had hoped for - to remove all the preconceptions and emotion and learn something new.

UFC Champions in order of dominance

Fighter
Total Rating
Anderson Silva
34.448
Georges St-Pierre
23.895
Jon Jones
9.700
Jose Aldo
9.316
Dominick Cruz
6.337
Junior dos Santos
3.417
Benson Henderson
3.267

While the order of this list seems generally correct, I feel the real surprise for me was just how dominant Anderson Silva is. I have often juggled between Silva and GSP as my top pound for pound MMA fighter in the world, and have on many occasions thought St-Pierre to be the more dominant champion. Amazing how differently the stats see it.
The better fighter however is something that will only be settled in the Octagon. Here are 5 reasons why Anderson Silva vs GSP makes perfect sense.


My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion

Most Dominant UFC Champions - Fighter Comparisons


Best UFC Championship Record

Fighter
UFC Title Fight Stats
Anderson Silva
10-0
Georges St-Pierre
8-1
Jose Aldo
3-0
Jon Jones
3-0
Dominick Cruz
2-0
Junior dos Santos
1-0
Benson Henderson
1-0

Longest UFC Title Win Streak

Fighter
UFC Title Win Streak
Anderson Silva
10
Georges St-Pierre
7
Jose Aldo
3
Jon Jones
3
Dominick Cruz
2
Junior dos Santos
1
Benson Henderson
1

Best Title Fight Average Rating

Fighter
Average Rating
Anderson Silva
3.445
Junior dos Santos
3.417
Benson Henderson
3.267
Jon Jones
3.233
Dominick Cruz
3.129
Jose Aldo
3.023
Georges St-Pierre
2.655

Best Opponent Average Rating in Title Fights

Fighter
Average Rating
Benson Henderson
2.767
Junior dos Santos
2.667
Dominick Cruz
2.629
Jose Aldo
2.440
Anderson Silva
2.407
Jon Jones
2.401
Georges St-Pierre
2.371

Highest rated opponent

Fighter
Rating
Opponent
Anderson Silva
2.913
Rich Franklin
Jose Aldo
2.833
Chad Mendez
Georges St-Pierre
2.800
Jon Fitch
Benson Henderson
2.767
Frankie Edgar
Dominick Cruz
2.700
Demetrious Johnson
Junior dos Santos
2.667
Cain Velasquez
Jon Jones
2.608
Lyoto Machida

Most Title Fight KO/TKO Victories

Fighter
Wins
Anderson Silva
6
Georges St-Pierre
2
Jose Aldo
1
Jon Jones
1
Junior dos Santos
1
Dominick Cruz
0
Benson Henderson
0

Most Title Fight Submission Victories

Fighter
Wins
Anderson Silva
2
Jon Jones
2
Dominick Cruz
0
Jose Aldo
0
Benson Henderson
0
Georges St-Pierre
0
Junior dos Santos
0


My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion

Jon Jones - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion



Jon "Bones" Jones has had a dream run in the UFC. The 24 year old champion has only lost once via disqualification and has hardly looked in trouble in his 10 UFC bouts. With youth on his side, and a disproportionately mature mindset, the young champion has a very bright future ahead of him.

Jon Jones UFC title fights

Fighter
UFC Stats
Rating
Bonuses
Score
Mauricio Rua
3-2
2.219
KO, Title
2.969
Quinton Jackson
7-2
2.378
Sub, Title, Streak(1)
3.206
Lyoto Machida
9-2
2.608
Sub, Title, Streak(2)
3.526
Total
19-6
7.204

9.700
Average
76%
2.401

3.233

Jon Jones UFC title summary

  • Jon Jones has the third longest winning title winning streak – 3 fights (tied with Jose Aldo).
  • Jon Jones is one of two champions who have lost a UFC fight (other is Georges St-Pierre)
  • Jon Jones has the most title victories by submission – 2 (tied with Anderson Silva)
  • Jon Jones has the second lowest title fight average opponent rating
  • Every title opponent Jon Jones has fought was a former UFC Champion

My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion

Saturday, 24 March 2012

Who is the most dominant UFC Champion?



In the sport of MMA, where it is impossible to accurately ascertain an official pecking order due to physical constraints, fighting is usually ranked by feel. Fighter rankings will often differ from person to person, with no solid evidence to back them up. Personally, I am prone to statistical analysis. With so many differing opinions in the world, it is the one leveller. Sure there are things which cannot accurately be expressed in numbers, but on the whole they do give us another angle and can often open our eyes to that which may not immediately be apparent.

The UFC, as the number 1 MMA promotion in the world, has some truly great champions, but who is the most dominant UFC champion? Many say Anderson Silva, others GSP, and with the new era of champions staking their claims, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate such amazing fighters. I have therefore applied my ranking formulas  to the current UFC champions to determine who has been the most dominant as champion.

How I rate fighters

I apply my ranking formula to each fighter whom the champions have fought in title fights. This formula reduces a fighter to a figure based upon both their all time fight record and UFC record, at the time of their fight.

Fighters need to have fought a set number of times before their data is considered accurate. Those who have not fought enough fights (less than 6 in the UFC or 10 All time) are weighted accordingly and are unable to achieve full rating points.

How I rate the fights

After I have acquired the fighters rating (as above), I then look at the outcome of the fight. Bonuses are added to the fighter rating for KO / Submission victory, title fights and winning streaks.

IE. If fighter X is on a 5 fight winning streak and defeats fighter Y via TKO in a title fight, he will receive a higher fight rating than if he were to win via Unanimous decision against the same fighter (Y) in his first professional, non-title fight.

For the purpose of this analysis I have only counted UFC Title fights.

UFC Fighters in this analysis

Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz  (19-1) – UFC Bantamweight Champion
Jose "Scarface" Aldo (22-1) – UFC Featherweight Champion
Benson "Smooth" Henderson (18-2) – UFC Lightweight Champion
Georges St-Pierre (22-2) – UFC Welterweight Champion
Anderson Silva (31-4) – UFC Middleweight Champion
Jon Jones (15-1) – UFC Light heavyweight Champion
Junior dos Santos (14-1) – UFC Heavyweight Champion

My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion