Jon Jones has arguably become the best fighter in the world, and last Saturday at UFC 172, he continued to prove why people are singing his praises. Jones defended his belt in dominating fashion against Glover Teixeira.
On UFC 172’s telecast, Joe Rogan said it was the best he had ever seen Jones, which had people talking. Was it really the best we’ve seen him, or was that an oversell?
Let’s take a look at the three best UFC outings Jones has had to this point.
3. Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 172
Yes, Joe Rogan said that the Teixeira fight was the best Jon Jones he had seen. I don’t think that’s true, but it was definitely close.
Jones mixed up his striking and takedowns, which kept Teixeira guessing throughout the fight. He clearly won all five rounds against a tough guy with good all-around skills.
It was also a great rebound fight after Jones’ close title defense against Alexander Gustafsson not long ago. It showed that he could come back strong from a bout that really brought him back to human status.
2. Jon Jones vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128
When Jon Jones won the UFC light heavyweight title back at UFC 128, it was easily one of his best performances ever. He took a UFC champion and dominated him to a point that he looked like an amateur.
Jones decimated Rua wherever the fight went. He stung him on the feet with huge strikes and dominated him on the mat with good wrestling and ground-and-pound.
Just before Jones finished Rua, it looked like the Brazilian would check out soon anyways. He had nothing to offer Jones, and it is a testament to the skill of Jones that he could utterly decimate a legend like “Shogun.”
1. Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 140
Many fans thought Lyoto Machida would be the biggest threat to take the belt from Jones. That’s why his win over Machida was his best performance to date.
Not only did Jones win, but he showed he could handle fighting a pure striker with good wrestling defense. MMA fans were wondering if Jones could take a punch, and their question was answered when the champion took some shots to the chin and was unfazed.
The way in which he finished Machida was also amazing. He grabbed a standing guillotine, cranked like there was no tomorrow and dropped “The Dragon” into an unconscious heap.
UFC 140 was easily the best Jones we have seen to date, and I am sure there will be plenty of great performances going forward.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com