Author: Dan Hiergesell

UFC 165: 3 Burning Questions We Have About Jon Jones

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.
He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.
Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by…

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.

He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.

Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by combining tantalizing physical attributes with unheralded offensive potency.  That’s something we rarely see in today’s sport, and it’s the very reason he’s the consensus king of combat.

But as good as the champ is—and this goes for any professional athlete—he is not invincible.  It may look like he is when he’s throwing standing elbows, landing crisp leg kicks and defending with precision, but everyone is susceptible to slipping up eventually (Anderson Silva).

Jones’ upcoming battle with the 6’5″ Alexander Gustafsson may already seem like just another notch in Jones’ belt, but that’s actually a very intricate mirage.

The Swedish challenger is one of the best young prospects in the sport, and he has all the tools to one day be a world champion.

Whether he’ll reach that potential this Saturday remains to be seen, but we—and Jones—must be cautious about underestimating “The Mauler.”

With that said, there are a few important questions Jones must answer—questions that will not only impact his upcoming title defense but also his career, legacy and overall well-being.

 

How will he deal with Gustafsson‘s size?

As it stands right now, Gustafsson is the biggest opponent Jones has ever faced.  His reach is ridiculous, his striking is rangy, and his hands are dangerous.

Maybe Jones took this fight to demonstrate that size isn’t a problem for him.  But for a guy who has mostly defeated veterans on the decline over the past few years, accepting a war with a young wolf could come back to bite him.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Jones reacts to not only Gustafsson‘s offense but also his defense.  The champ may find it difficult to land all the shin kicks and lunging elbows he’s used to building victories around.

As crazy as it sounds, Jones could get caught if he isn’t cautious about the Swede’s deadly posture.

 

Can he pull off another impressive finish?

This question sort of goes hand in hand with the previous one, but it’s important nonetheless.  For Jones to truly solidify himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, he has to be able to finish young and hungry contenders.

Gustafsson fits that bill on all levels, so it’s important Jones puts on a good show.  If Jones wins by decision or gets caught early and has to fight for points, some people could consider that a miniature failure.

Georges St-Pierre is really the only high-level champion who makes a living out of grinding out decisions.  Jones isn’t that type of fighter.  His bread and butter is battering opponents, tiring them out and taking their Octagon souls before the final buzzer goes off.

If he isn’t able to demonstrate the dominance and offensive explosiveness he has in the past, which could be a result of Gustafsson‘s size and youth, some people might look at his victories over aging ex-champions and wonder.

 

Will this be his last fight at 205?

There has been a lot of speculation regarding what Jones plans to do after he takes care of the business at hand.

That business at hand is defending the light heavyweight title against Gustafsson, and those potential future plans revolve around moving up and competing as a heavyweight.

Some might consider such a move absolute insanity. Jones is only 26 years old, and he is a polarized MMA torchbearer. But while the decision might seem somewhat unjust and self-driven, Jones could fare well by packing on a few extra pounds.

He seems very interested in making the move fairly soon, and Saturday may very well be the last time we see “Bones” standing inside the Octagon as a 205-pounder.

For more UFC news and coverage,

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 165: 3 Burning Questions We Have About Jon Jones

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.
He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.
Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by…

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.

He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.

Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by combining tantalizing physical attributes with unheralded offensive potency.  That’s something we rarely see in today’s sport, and it’s the very reason he’s the consensus king of combat.

But as good as the champ is—and this goes for any professional athlete—he is not invincible.  It may look like he is when he’s throwing standing elbows, landing crisp leg kicks and defending with precision, but everyone is susceptible to slipping up eventually (Anderson Silva).

Jones’ upcoming battle with the 6’5″ Alexander Gustafsson may already seem like just another notch in Jones’ belt, but that’s actually a very intricate mirage.

The Swedish challenger is one of the best young prospects in the sport, and he has all the tools to one day be a world champion.

Whether he’ll reach that potential this Saturday remains to be seen, but we—and Jones—must be cautious about underestimating “The Mauler.”

With that said, there are a few important questions Jones must answer—questions that will not only impact his upcoming title defense but also his career, legacy and overall well-being.

 

How will he deal with Gustafsson‘s size?

As it stands right now, Gustafsson is the biggest opponent Jones has ever faced.  His reach is ridiculous, his striking is rangy, and his hands are dangerous.

Maybe Jones took this fight to demonstrate that size isn’t a problem for him.  But for a guy who has mostly defeated veterans on the decline over the past few years, accepting a war with a young wolf could come back to bite him.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Jones reacts to not only Gustafsson‘s offense but also his defense.  The champ may find it difficult to land all the shin kicks and lunging elbows he’s used to building victories around.

As crazy as it sounds, Jones could get caught if he isn’t cautious about the Swede’s deadly posture.

 

Can he pull off another impressive finish?

This question sort of goes hand in hand with the previous one, but it’s important nonetheless.  For Jones to truly solidify himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, he has to be able to finish young and hungry contenders.

Gustafsson fits that bill on all levels, so it’s important Jones puts on a good show.  If Jones wins by decision or gets caught early and has to fight for points, some people could consider that a miniature failure.

Georges St-Pierre is really the only high-level champion who makes a living out of grinding out decisions.  Jones isn’t that type of fighter.  His bread and butter is battering opponents, tiring them out and taking their Octagon souls before the final buzzer goes off.

If he isn’t able to demonstrate the dominance and offensive explosiveness he has in the past, which could be a result of Gustafsson‘s size and youth, some people might look at his victories over aging ex-champions and wonder.

 

Will this be his last fight at 205?

There has been a lot of speculation regarding what Jones plans to do after he takes care of the business at hand.

That business at hand is defending the light heavyweight title against Gustafsson, and those potential future plans revolve around moving up and competing as a heavyweight.

Some might consider such a move absolute insanity. Jones is only 26 years old, and he is a polarized MMA torchbearer. But while the decision might seem somewhat unjust and self-driven, Jones could fare well by packing on a few extra pounds.

He seems very interested in making the move fairly soon, and Saturday may very well be the last time we see “Bones” standing inside the Octagon as a 205-pounder.

For more UFC news and coverage,

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 165: 3 Burning Questions We Have About Jon Jones

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.
He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.
Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by…

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.

He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.

Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by combining tantalizing physical attributes with unheralded offensive potency.  That’s something we rarely see in today’s sport, and it’s the very reason he’s the consensus king of combat.

But as good as the champ is—and this goes for any professional athlete—he is not invincible.  It may look like he is when he’s throwing standing elbows, landing crisp leg kicks and defending with precision, but everyone is susceptible to slipping up eventually (Anderson Silva).

Jones’ upcoming battle with the 6’5″ Alexander Gustafsson may already seem like just another notch in Jones’ belt, but that’s actually a very intricate mirage.

The Swedish challenger is one of the best young prospects in the sport, and he has all the tools to one day be a world champion.

Whether he’ll reach that potential this Saturday remains to be seen, but we—and Jones—must be cautious about underestimating “The Mauler.”

With that said, there are a few important questions Jones must answer—questions that will not only impact his upcoming title defense but also his career, legacy and overall well-being.

 

How will he deal with Gustafsson‘s size?

As it stands right now, Gustafsson is the biggest opponent Jones has ever faced.  His reach is ridiculous, his striking is rangy, and his hands are dangerous.

Maybe Jones took this fight to demonstrate that size isn’t a problem for him.  But for a guy who has mostly defeated veterans on the decline over the past few years, accepting a war with a young wolf could come back to bite him.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Jones reacts to not only Gustafsson‘s offense but also his defense.  The champ may find it difficult to land all the shin kicks and lunging elbows he’s used to building victories around.

As crazy as it sounds, Jones could get caught if he isn’t cautious about the Swede’s deadly posture.

 

Can he pull off another impressive finish?

This question sort of goes hand in hand with the previous one, but it’s important nonetheless.  For Jones to truly solidify himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, he has to be able to finish young and hungry contenders.

Gustafsson fits that bill on all levels, so it’s important Jones puts on a good show.  If Jones wins by decision or gets caught early and has to fight for points, some people could consider that a miniature failure.

Georges St-Pierre is really the only high-level champion who makes a living out of grinding out decisions.  Jones isn’t that type of fighter.  His bread and butter is battering opponents, tiring them out and taking their Octagon souls before the final buzzer goes off.

If he isn’t able to demonstrate the dominance and offensive explosiveness he has in the past, which could be a result of Gustafsson‘s size and youth, some people might look at his victories over aging ex-champions and wonder.

 

Will this be his last fight at 205?

There has been a lot of speculation regarding what Jones plans to do after he takes care of the business at hand.

That business at hand is defending the light heavyweight title against Gustafsson, and those potential future plans revolve around moving up and competing as a heavyweight.

Some might consider such a move absolute insanity. Jones is only 26 years old, and he is a polarized MMA torchbearer. But while the decision might seem somewhat unjust and self-driven, Jones could fare well by packing on a few extra pounds.

He seems very interested in making the move fairly soon, and Saturday may very well be the last time we see “Bones” standing inside the Octagon as a 205-pounder.

For more UFC news and coverage,

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 165: 3 Burning Questions We Have About Jon Jones

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.
He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.
Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by…

Everybody knows how good Jon Jones is.

He has fought his way to the top of the light heavyweight hill to gain the status as the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet.

Jones has accomplished this gigantic feat so early in his career by combining tantalizing physical attributes with unheralded offensive potency.  That’s something we rarely see in today’s sport, and it’s the very reason he’s the consensus king of combat.

But as good as the champ is—and this goes for any professional athlete—he is not invincible.  It may look like he is when he’s throwing standing elbows, landing crisp leg kicks and defending with precision, but everyone is susceptible to slipping up eventually (Anderson Silva).

Jones’ upcoming battle with the 6’5″ Alexander Gustafsson may already seem like just another notch in Jones’ belt, but that’s actually a very intricate mirage.

The Swedish challenger is one of the best young prospects in the sport, and he has all the tools to one day be a world champion.

Whether he’ll reach that potential this Saturday remains to be seen, but we—and Jones—must be cautious about underestimating “The Mauler.”

With that said, there are a few important questions Jones must answer—questions that will not only impact his upcoming title defense but also his career, legacy and overall well-being.

 

How will he deal with Gustafsson‘s size?

As it stands right now, Gustafsson is the biggest opponent Jones has ever faced.  His reach is ridiculous, his striking is rangy, and his hands are dangerous.

Maybe Jones took this fight to demonstrate that size isn’t a problem for him.  But for a guy who has mostly defeated veterans on the decline over the past few years, accepting a war with a young wolf could come back to bite him.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Jones reacts to not only Gustafsson‘s offense but also his defense.  The champ may find it difficult to land all the shin kicks and lunging elbows he’s used to building victories around.

As crazy as it sounds, Jones could get caught if he isn’t cautious about the Swede’s deadly posture.

 

Can he pull off another impressive finish?

This question sort of goes hand in hand with the previous one, but it’s important nonetheless.  For Jones to truly solidify himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, he has to be able to finish young and hungry contenders.

Gustafsson fits that bill on all levels, so it’s important Jones puts on a good show.  If Jones wins by decision or gets caught early and has to fight for points, some people could consider that a miniature failure.

Georges St-Pierre is really the only high-level champion who makes a living out of grinding out decisions.  Jones isn’t that type of fighter.  His bread and butter is battering opponents, tiring them out and taking their Octagon souls before the final buzzer goes off.

If he isn’t able to demonstrate the dominance and offensive explosiveness he has in the past, which could be a result of Gustafsson‘s size and youth, some people might look at his victories over aging ex-champions and wonder.

 

Will this be his last fight at 205?

There has been a lot of speculation regarding what Jones plans to do after he takes care of the business at hand.

That business at hand is defending the light heavyweight title against Gustafsson, and those potential future plans revolve around moving up and competing as a heavyweight.

Some might consider such a move absolute insanity. Jones is only 26 years old, and he is a polarized MMA torchbearer. But while the decision might seem somewhat unjust and self-driven, Jones could fare well by packing on a few extra pounds.

He seems very interested in making the move fairly soon, and Saturday may very well be the last time we see “Bones” standing inside the Octagon as a 205-pounder.

For more UFC news and coverage,

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 165: 3 Burning Questions We Have About Alexander Gustafsson

Alexander Gustafsson’s arsenal doesn’t just revolve around his size.  It is also defined by speed, technique and execution.
Over the years, the Swedish top contender has demonstrated his Octagon prowess by combining crisp leg kicks, powerful punch…

Alexander Gustafsson‘s arsenal doesn’t just revolve around his size.  It is also defined by speed, technique and execution.

Over the years, the Swedish top contender has demonstrated his Octagon prowess by combining crisp leg kicks, powerful punches and timely submissions.

In doing so, Gustafsson has earned the opportunity to take on Jon Jones for UFC light heavyweight supremacy.

While the chance to fight for a title is an accomplishment in itself, fighting the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

There are a variety of calculated measurements and intriguing possibilities to consider.  And we—the fans and media—have a few reservations about the division’s key contender.

From his youth to his lack of big-fight experience, red flags can been seen for miles.  But if Gustafsson‘s ability inside the cage has taught us anything about him as an athlete, it’s that you never sleep on a 6’5″ mauler.

Here are three burning questions we have for Gustafsson.

 

Will his size really play a factor?

For months, people have been intrigued by how well Gustafsson matches up physically to the champ.  As one of the biggest fighters in the division, the challenger possesses great potential opposite a phenom known for his natural gift of size.

But considering Jones has practically torn through each and every contender he’s faced, why would Gustafsson be any different?  Is his size really going to be that big of a factor?

If the Swede can find his range early, he may find a way to pin the champ in a corner.

 

Will he be ready for the big stage?

You have to realize that fighting for a championship is not easy.  Some fighters work their entire careers to garner that opportunity only to falter under the pressure.

For Gustafsson, someone who hasn’t really logged hours atop high-caliber main cards, opposing a titleholder as potent as Jones could be, for lack of a better saying, the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Under the bright lights of a UFC pay-per-view, the Swedish marksman may find it challenging to hit his target.

We’ll find out Saturday which mauler is going to show up.

 

Can he win?

Sounds simple enough.  But it’s often easier to ask a question than answer it.

The bottom line is that Gustafsson, as good as he is, will be trying to pry the light heavyweight title from the arms of the most dangerous man on the planet.

Say what you will about his overall popularity and sometimes self-indulgent personality, but Jon “Bones” Jones is a seemingly unstoppable force.

Sure, he has never defended gold against a young fighter in his prime, and he’s never encountered an opponent who rivals his size. But Jones has done nothing inside the cage to suggest he’s ready to lose.

With that said, the question remains: Can Gustafsson pull of the upset?

That’s for them figure out to and us to discuss. 

 

For more UFC news and coverage, .

 

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 165: Jon Jones and 5 Fights That Secure His Legacy

Jon Jones is the man.  There’s no disputing that.
From his perfected precision to an unfathomable physical demeanor, the pound-for-pound juggernaut has dismantled every light heavyweight in the his path.
But as good as “Bones” is and will presumab…

Jon Jones is the man.  There’s no disputing that.

From his perfected precision to an unfathomable physical demeanor, the pound-for-pound juggernaut has dismantled every light heavyweight in the his path.

But as good as “Bones” is and will presumably continue to be, his career is still relatively young.

Compared to other Octagon legends like Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes, just to name a few, Jones’ legacy doesn’t necessarily take precedence.

But at 26, and with all the skill in the world, the ever-evolving phenom has the potential to reach that all-time echelon in just a matter of years.

Here’s who Jones needs to fight, and beat, in order to do so.

Begin Slideshow