After a very tough 2014, the UFC looks to kick 2015 off with a bang tonight. UFC 182: Jones Vs. Cormier. The rare main event with legit bad blood hyping an already anticipated battle. Two (essentially) undefeated fighter's in the prime of their careers.
It's a big deal, guys.
I'm pulling for Cormier to unseat the long time champion, and I really think he has the tools to do it. Of course, even if I didn't think so, I would be pulling for him.
I haven't been a Jon Jones fan for many years. When he burst into the collective conscience of the UFC fan base with his exciting beatdown of Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94, I was obviously impressed. He was young, long, athletic, aggressive, and creative. His potential seemed limitless, as he built on that big win with a string of violent finishes against solid (if not "top-notch") opponents. His one loss came during this run when a referee's bad call led to his being DQ'd as he obliterated Matt Hamill.
By the time he faced Ryan Bader at UFC 126, I had begun to sour on Jones, while still recognizing his vast reservoir of talent. He was becoming over-hyped, with everyone clamoring for him to get a crack at the title. He always tried to say the right things. Thanking God and Jesus. Giving credit to his camp. But more and more he seemed arrogant, while trying to claim humility.
Bader was also getting plenty of hype due to his undefeated record, KO power, and strong wrestling base. I was pulling for the Bader upset, but of course, Jones had him looking silly. Bader could never get inside the reach, and Jones shrugged off his takedown attempts, eventually catching a guillotine in the second round.
The convincing win (and a Rashad Evans injury) propelled Jones to a title fight match-up with Shogun Rua at UFC 128. I remember a friend saying "I don't think he's ready for Shogun." after the fight was announced. How wrong he was. Jones made it look easy, battering Shogun from two and a half rounds before getting the stoppage.
And the hype train continued to roll on. To be fair, the hype was well deserved. Jones went on to finish former champions Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Lyoto Machida in his first two title defenses. That made him three for three when facing MMA legends in title fights.
By the time he faced former camp-mate Rashad Evans (also a former champion) at UFC 145 he had developed a fighting style to perfectly utilize the biggest advantage he had against most opponents: his reach. While he used a similar strategy against Rampage, Jones seemed to work even harder to keep his distance from Evans. Staying just out of Evans range, he battered Rashad with punches, kicks, and clever elbow strikes. But never did Jones seem compelled to finish the fight. At the time it seemed as though he simply wanted to punish Evans for the full 25 minutes for all the trash talk leading up the bout. And he did. But if there is any validity to that theory, it's moot now. Once Jones knew he could fight this way and win convincingly, that was the end of his days as an exciting fighter.
Staying out of your opponents range and avoiding damage, while still maintaining your own striking distance is a smart way to fight, no question. However, Jones' style became frustrating to watch, and honestly, boring. The hungry, savage Jon Jones was gone. He was doing just enough to win, without much risk. He would brush off mounting criticism, claiming he wants to stay healthy and have a long career.
About a month after his win over Evans, Jon Jones drunkenly crashed his Bentley into a pole and was arrested in New York. He was with two young women, neither of whom were his then-fiancé. This incident seemed to cement his position as a heel in the UFC, but did nothing to derail his career.
Despite a first round scare against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 in which he was caught in a tight armbar, Jones escaped and proceeded to sleepwalk through the next few rounds before finishing Belfort via Americana in round four.
An absolute joke of a fight against Chael Sonnen went as expected with Jones finishing Sonnen off in a the first round.
Alexander Gustafsson gave Jones his first real war at UFC 165, consistently landing power shots and taking the champ down several times. A razor thin decision went to Jones, but both men ended up in the hospital.
A highly touted Glover Teixeira was routinely dispatched at UFC 172 via Jones play it safe style. The performance made all the more frustrating by the sense that, as with the Jackson, Evans, and Belfort fights, Jones could have turned up the heat and finished Teixeira off at any time.
Obviously every fighter has to fight in a way that is comfortable for him/her. Jon Jones is the one locked in a cage with another man whose trying to do him harm. Jon Jones is the one with a career, a title, a legacy. Who am I to question how he goes about conducting his affairs in the Octagon? Just a paying customer. It doesn't mean much, but it does entitle me to an opinion. And my opinion is that Jon Jones sucks.
Not as a fighter, or champion. Maybe not even as a person, I don't know him. But as an entertainer? Absolutely. The bottom line is MMA fighters are not just suppose to win, but to chase the finish, to look to completely dominate the opposition. That's the spirit of Mixed Martial Arts. These are things a young Jon Jones proved more than capable of. Now he just does enough to get by with his win bonus.
Hopefully his hatred of Daniel Cormier will bring the young Jones back to the forefront.
...But I doubt it.
War DC.
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