Tag: Jon Jones (Page 5 of 7)

Top 10 Light-Heavyweight Rankings

June 9, 2011 / Drew Ellis

The Light Heavyweight Division is currently led by a young phenom with a bunch of hungry sharks ready to take a bite out of him.

Here is a look at how I see the top 10 in the 205-pound division in MMA. (Click here to see other weight class rankings)

1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is still the leader of the pack but now seems to finally have his next opponent finalized. It looks to be Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in what will be a very tough fight. Jones may struggle to move the large Jackson and in punch-for-punch power, he probably doesn’t have the edge against his veteran opponent.

2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Rashad Evans is still the No. 1 contender in my eyes as he disposed of Jackson in his last fight and was set to challenge for the title before suffering a minor knee injury. Now set to face rising star, Phil Davis, Evans will have to prove that he can still hang with the best after more than a year away form action.

3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage looked good but not great in his decision win over Matt Hamill. He landed some good punches on Hamill and stuffed each of his takedown attempts. While Hamill has a good wrestling background, he lacked the explosive takedown attempts that Jackson will see against the likes of Evans, Jones, or even a Ryan Bader.

Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Dan Henderson Forrest Griffin Jon Jones Lyoto Machida Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Phil Davis Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Rashad Evans Ryan Bader

Future Fight Watch: Jones Favored Over Rampage

May 30, 2011 / Drew Ellis

If healthy, it is believed that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will face Jon “Bones” Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship later in 2011.

Already, odds have been released for this could-be contest, thanks to BetOnFighting.com.

According to the oddsmakers, the champion is favored with a money line of -315 while Jackson, the challenger, comes in with a money line of +255.

Jackson vs. Jones would be an interesting matchup as Jones hasn’t faced a fighter with the single-punch power that Jackson has and Rampage has struggled with diverse grapplers like Jones.

Jones was able to easily navigate Maurcio “Shogun” Rua, but Jackson is a fighter that will not be as tentative as Shogun was in his battle with Jones.

Jackson showed very impressive takedown defense against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 on Saturday, but the takedown attempts that Jones will have will be much more explosive and harder to stop.

The big question for this fight is we have yet to see Jones truly take a big punch and really fight through adversity. One would think Rampage could present that moment at some point in the fight.

If Jones vs. Rashad Evans can’t happen anytime soon, I think someone like Rampage could be a very interesting test for the young phenom, Jones.

Events, Fighters, News, UFC

Jon Jones Matt Hamill Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Rashad Evans UFC 130

MMA Top 10 Pound-For-Pound Rankings

May 25, 2011 / Drew Ellis

Well, I have released all of my rankings for each weight class, so now I work my way back to my pound-for-pound list.

There hasn’t been an overwhelming amount of action in the UFC in the two months since I first released this list, but here is a look at the latest rankings.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4): Silva hasn’t competed since last February against Vitor Belfort, but he does have a fight that is getting closer and closer. Silva will face Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in August, looking to avenge a DQ loss to Okami back in 2006. Silva still has been the most impressive champion the UFC has ever had, despite a few lackluster performances. His knockout wins are legendary and his KO of Belfort was one of the greatest front kicks ever seen in MMA.

2. Georges St. Pierre (22-2): St. Pierre successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship against Jake Shields back at UFC 129 on April 30. It was another decision win for GSP, making it four straight, but a win nonetheless. St. Pierre suffered an eye injury during the bout, which hampered him in the final few rounds. Still, GSP is dealing with a lot of criticism following the bout and is now likely to face Strikeforce champion, Nick Diaz, as opposed to moving up to middleweight to face Silva.

3. Jose Aldo (19-1): Aldo also defended his UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 129, beating Mark Hominick by decision. Aldo looked very beatable in the fifth and final round, as he was taken down and pounded on by a bloody Hominick in the final five minutes, but he still managed to do enough prior to that to earn a win. Aldo was originally expected to face Chad Mendes at UFC 133 in a title defense, but a medical suspension will keep Aldo from fighting until the fall of 2011.

Fighters, Rankings, UFC

Anderson Silva Cain Velasquez Dominick Cruz Frankie Edgar Georges St. Pierre Gray Maynard Jon Fitch Jon Jones Jose Aldo Rashad Evans

Jones let’s Evans know he is going to “destroy him” in altercation

May 18, 2011 / Drew Ellis

Jon Jones may talk a lot of trash, but at least he was willing to say it to Rashad Evans’ face.

In an interesting bit of information, Evans talked about an altercation the two former teammates bitter enemies had during the UFC Summit over a week ago. (Courtesy of MMAMania.com)

“I saw Jon this past week at the fighter summit and we were at the same location. He pulled me to the side and he said ‘Rashad, I need to talk to you, I think things are getting out of control.’ I thought it was pretty mature for the young guy instead of just ignoring me. First thing he said was ‘I just wanna be the first to tell you is I’m gonna destroy you, I’m gonna annihilate you and I’m gonna show the world you’re overrated. I’m gonna punish you and you’ll be my first highlight reel knockout’ and I just started laughing.
You brought me out here to tell me you’re gonna destroy me? Let’s not even talk about how stupid that sounds. Why would you wanna come way over here to say that in private. Furthermore, how did you even come up with that? He’s like ‘Rashad, remember when I was catching you with knees and elbows in training’ but I said ‘I was simulating Bader. I wasn’t trying to beat you, Jon. I was simulating Bader and what he might do’ I told him, ‘do you remember when I held you down and I was slapping you and punching you in the face and you were underneath me and you couldn’t move and then you looked me in the eye and said ‘Ok, can we get up now?’ and I said ‘No Jon, if you quit now, you’ll quit in the fight. You gotta earn your way up,” so we fought some more and you couldn’t move some more and you said ‘can you help me?’ and I said ‘No, you have to earn your way up’ and we go for a little bit longer and you still can’t get up so you roll on your back to let me choke you out thinking I’d let you up and be satisfied with that but I didn’t. I continued to make you work up.’ I said ‘do you remember that?’ and he said “yeah, I remember that’ and I said ‘that’s why you don’t want to fight me’ and he was just lost for words for a second and he told me, ‘Rashad, you just motivating me. You don’t know what you started’ and it just went like that and it just ended when a couple people from our parties separated the two of us. He couldn’t let it go.”

This rivalry is too good to be true. But, now with Jones pulling out of the scheduled fight and Evans taking on Phil Davis at UFC 133, it could be a fight we never see.

In the interview, Evans also discussed Jones’ injury and decision not to have surgery, which raised a few eyebrows.

Hopefully Evans-Jones takes place soon and for the title, as it could be a huge PPV draw for the UFC. This rivalry is growing into something bigger than Evans vs. Rampage.

Events, Fighters, News, UFC

Jon Jones Phil Davis Rashad Evans UFC 133

So Jon Jones doesn’t need surgery after all

May 14, 2011 / Drew Ellis

Remember when Jon Jones and Rashad Evans were set to fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight title this fall only to have the bout called off so Jones could get surgery on his bad thumb?

Well, I guess that surgery doesn’t need to happen now. From MMAMania.com, here is what Jones’ manager had to say on Twitter:

“I guess its time to put out the truth. @Jonnybones suffered a tear in his thumb in 2 different spots… Every dr he saw said to have surgery … We went to meet with the surgeon on wed and after he looked at @Jonnybones he thought that surgery was a bit invasive and bones didn’t have … to have if he didn’t want to. @Jonnybones decided against surgery and we immediately met with dana and lorenzo the next day to get his next fight scheduled … For the record, every doctor @Jonnybones saw was a @UFC referred doctor. The very last one on the day before surgery thought against it … No @Jonnybones is not fighting rashad. Rashad is fighting phil davis. I’ll let you know who or when jon will fight real soon … (he’ll fight again) by the end of the year. … And just so we’re clear, @Jonnybones is not medically cleared to fight until June 11, But hey, I guess that’s all a lie, huh?”

Well, as you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with Evans, who posted the following on his twitter:

“Question: if u r or were so confident then y fake a thumb injury? Cuz just between me & y’all he don’t need surgery! … but I ain’t one 2 gossip so u didnt hear it from me! (ala Living Color) 4 u young folk! Lol … If I’m lying, I’m dying! Ask @jonnybones when is his surgery & who was his dr! He so fake he fake surgeries!! Now that’s fake!”

It appears that Evans will stick with fighting Phil Davis at UFC 133, while a new opponent for Jones will be sought out. Could it be “Rampage” Jackson if he wins and stays healthy at UFC 130?

Either way, this looks a bit shady from Jones, who did most of the talking to ignite this new rivalry.

Fighters, News, UFC

Jon Jones Phil Davis Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Rashad Evans