At UFC 172, Jon Jones will look to break his tie with Jose Aldo for the most consecutive UFC title defenses among current champions. Only Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre have longer championship winning streaks inside the Octagon.
Some feel Jones has already surpassed Chuck Liddell as the greatest light heavyweight in MMA history. UFC President Dana White, one of those individuals, gave his take during a UFC 168 media scrum:
Jones has had the toughest run of guys in the UFC. I mean, to get to the belt and to defend the belt, Jones has had to go through hell. Yeah, and he’s the most accomplished. Nevermind Tito Ortiz, let’s talk about Chuck Liddell, somebody who could actually really fight. Even Chuck Liddell, the things he accomplished and the things that he did, what Jon Jones has accomplished is greater than any light heavyweight, ever.
This weekend, a Liddell friend and training partner, Glover Teixeira, will attempt to bring Jones’ reign to an end, which would keep “The Iceman” in the conversation regarding the greatest light heavyweight MMA has seen. Teixeira has not lost since March 2005 and is undefeated in five UFC bouts. At 34 years old, Teixeira finally earned his shot at UFC gold by knocking out Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 28.
As this 205-pound title fight approaches, here is a closer look at how Jones and Teixeira match up in all areas.