While December has been thought of as the return of Brock Lesnar to UFC, it may be Jon Jones that steals the show to close out 2011. Jones will do that with a first-round knockout of Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.
Jones, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, will defend his title against the former champion Machida in what should be a battle of brains as much as brawn.
Machida is a very patient fighter, willing to stand and exchange in order to get an opening for his kicks or haymaker punches. Jones has never fought someone like Machida. The contrast in style will be enough to keep Jones weary of what Lyoto can do with his hands and feet.
All of this information is great, but while an obstacle for a normal fighter may leave them unsure of their final game plan, Jones isn’t a normal fighter.
With Shogun Rua making the blueprint on how to beat Machida, Jones will use his aggressive Muay Thai abilities to command the fight.
If I was running the corner of Jones, I would have Jones shooting in on Machida to make him work on the ground. That would take away any of the potent kicks that make Machida dangerous.
If the fight stays up, Jones has to push the tempo of the fight and keep it close enough that he can neutralize Machida’s big punches and head kicks. The only problem with clinching with a guy like Machida is falling prey to one of his submissions.
While Jones is a great fighter, he is still a kid and any mistake he makes will be capitalized on by Machida. If Jones fights smart, he has this fight in his hands.
This bout should be an absolute war that will either resurrect the career of Lyoto Machida or cement Jon Jones as one the top pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the world.
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