If there was any question about who the best fighter in the world is, Jon Jones answered it definitively at UFC 145. Against his former teammate Rashad Evans, Jones looked out of this world. After a close first round, Jones faked a punch and landed a sneaky elbow behind it in Round 2, and Evans was never the same.
Jon Jones is Mike Tyson. Not Mike Tyson the boxer—Mike Tyson the final boss in Nintendo’s Punch-Out!!. He’s Bowser, Doctor Wily and Akuma rolled into one, only the game is set on expert and there is no hope of success.
Jon Jones can be compared to a video-game character or a comic book villain because he does things that are so ridiculous they seem fictional. Muay Thai is the art of eight limbs. But for Jones, the knees, elbows, feet and hands weren’t enough. To satiate his desire to do bodily harm to opponents, Jones invented a lunging shoulder strike from close quarters.
Every fight sees something similar happen. Jones is without peer when it comes to conceiving new ways to straight up merck someone. Spinning elbows, Superman elbows, and the shoulder shrug are now part of the MMA lexicon. In this fight, he even tried to lift the Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson headkick.
Worse still for anyone stepping across the cage from him? He’s mean. Snake mean. Jones continued to throw kicks to the kneecap, even innovating a jumping kick right to the knee. It’s all fair game, but he makes no bones about his intentions—and they are bad.
It’s hard to imagine someone challenging him at this point. Evans is a great fighter and Jones overwhelmed him, looking like a hungry pterodactyl swooping in to do dirt.
Anderson Silva? As amazing as he is, Jones would toss him to the mat and Hammill his head off. Dan Henderson? If Evans couldn’t overcome Jones’ reach with his quickness and jab, what hope does Hendo have of finding the champion’s jaw with his powerful right hand?
I think it’s time to settle in for the ride. This is Jon Jones’ world. We need to attach ourselves to his skyrocketing hype train and ride it as far as he can take us. To the mainstream and beyond!
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