Fans have every reason to wonder if Jon Jones is unbeatable, and he might be, but there are certainly some fighters with a better shot at taking on this unenviable task than others.
On Saturday, Jones cruised to an easy victory over Rashad Evans via a unanimous decision. Evans was the fighter that most felt had the best shot at defeating Jones. With his dominant performance, we must now scramble to identify other fighters with a chance.
Dan Henderson
The UFC seems to agree that Henderson is a worthy opponent for Jones. It will be his next fight. Henderson is an accomplished and grizzly veteran, and he will have a chance for one reason. That is the puncher’s chance.
Henderson packs a wallop in his blows. One carefully-placed blow from him, and there will be a new champ.
This would have to come on a counter. Henderson can take a punch as well as he can dish them out. That will allow him to engage without fear while looking for a decisive counter move.
Henderson also thrives in the standup clinch, but Jones is well-versed in this style, and going for a victory there would be a mistake.
Gegard Mousasi
Mousasi is a 26-year-old up-and-comer. He has the striking to hang with Jones and the power to do some damage if he can catch him.
And if he could hurt Jones or somehow gain an advantage while on the mat, he will have a shot. Mousasi excels at submissions.
The problem here is that his wrestling skills are nowhere near Jones. He will be in serious jeopardy when these two engage.
Muhammed Lawal
This is a wild-card opponent with a chance. Lawal has never fought in the UFC, but he is the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.
The biggest wild card about Lawal, though, is the fact that he is currently serving a suspension after a positive test for anabolic steroids. The suspension was for nine months and retroactive to his last fight in January.
Who knows what kind of shape he will be in upon his return, but if he is in top condition, the fight would be interesting.
Lawal is an elite wrestler. If he could force this fight into a wrestling match, he would win. That would be no easy task, though. Jones has a vastly superior overall game.
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