I will be the first to say that Jones defeated Rampage handily. I actually thought Jones would take Rampage down much more easily, and dominate him more from top position. My prediction was a 3rd round TKO, but in the end, I’m not surprised by a 4th round submission.
But, just like when Jones beat Bader and an injured Rua, his hype has once again gone over the top. His striking and wrestling are both being called the best at light heavyweight. Some are even calling him the current P4P best fighter in the UFC.
His wrestling is great, but it isn’t the most proven at light heavyweight and his striking is truly being overrated.
His natural length and size gives him odd advantages that are tough to prepare for, but his style will stop being a mystery. Even in his last fight, his spinning elbows didn’t come at unpredictable times, and he telegraphed his sidekicks very badly.
Rampage is a solid striker, but has always had trouble with unorthodox fighters and strikers who utilize kicks, and it showed. He couldn’t deal with the telegraphed sidekicks of Jones, and was almost constantly kept at a range because of it. Other top light heayweights wouldn’t have this problem.
Remember the Machida Era? His style was called perfect. Between his phenomenal takedown defense, hard-hitting counter strikes and incredible evasiveness, people thought his style had no weakness. The attitude toward Jones now is very similar to the attitude toward Machida before he fought Rua. Just like there were always fighters who could beat Machida, there are fighters who can beat Jones.
Evans might be the one to beat Jones. His wrestling is some of the best at 205 and he has trained with Jones before. He is the fighter with the most experience at overcoming Jones natural size and reach.
Or maybe Machida. Machida’s takedown defense is better than Jackson’s, and he’s a more dangerous striker who is better at covering distance. His movement is also better, and he would not simply stand still and be nailed with sidekicks.
Jones is a champion, and currently a top pound-for-pound fighter. But has he really looked more dominant than GSP, Silva and Aldo? Has he even looked more dominant than Cain Velasquez?
Jones is great, but he’s not the P4P best and needs to prove himself before being placed so high above the other champions in perceived ability and ranking.
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