Rashad Evans has been touted as the light heavyweight with the best chance of ousting Jon Jones, but UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture believes otherwise.
In an interview with Five Ounces of Pain, Couture broke down the fight people are calling the biggest grudge match since Chuck Liddell versus Tito Ortiz.
I really don’t have a prediction, and I could make a case for either fighter winning the bout. The favorite is Jones because of his range, and he is so athletic with such a dynamic striking style.
Rashad has the tools and skillset to make it a tough fight for Jones, but he has to make it a wrestling match and take him down at every opportunity. That’s not the style we tend to see out of Evans since he landed that head kick on Sean Salmon. Being a standup fighter is not a great style match-up when you’re facing a guy like Jones.
So what style would be great against Jones?
The 24-year-old champion may be the most well-rounded fighter the sport has ever seen. In 2011, he dominated three former UFC champions in Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson.
When breaking down Jones’ style, you would be hard-pressed to find any holes in his game. The unknown aspects of his overall abilities are the only things people can point to as potential weaknesses.
Jones is a proven world-class grappler, but we have never seen him forced to fend from his back. Couture believes a strong wrestler with great takedowns and clinch control would have the best chance to dethrone Jones.
If not Evans, what other fighters possess that particular skill set?
I think a fighter like Dan Henderson or even Chael Sonnen, who is a big 185-pounder and used to compete at light heavyweight with strong wrestling. They have to take him out of his comfort zone and take away his reach advantage. There is no longer in the division and maybe not in the sport as far as Jones’ reach.
His takedown defense is good, and he has very good wrestling. He has very unorthodox striking which makes him very dangerous. I think you have to use the fence, use your wrestling and force him to fight your fight. Either one of those guys can do that.
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