(FTF’s Judo tee. Check out the rest of their Combat Line shirts here.)
This Saturday at UFC 165 in Toronto, Jon Jones will attempt to make history as the first UFC light-heavyweight champion to defend his belt six consecutive times, when he faces off against Alexander Gustafsson. According to the betting odds and our own analysis, it’s looking pretty good for the champ. But how exactly will the fight end? Put on your Carnac hats, ladies and gentlemen, because fight-picking time is here again.
Shoot us your predictions for the Jones vs. Gustafsson fight in the comments section of this post, and the most accurate guess will score a Combat Line t-shirt from our friends at Fear the Fighter. Your predictions should look something like this…
(FTF’s Judo tee. Check out the rest of their Combat Line shirts here.)
This Saturday at UFC 165 in Toronto, Jon Jones will attempt to make history as the first UFC light-heavyweight champion to defend his belt six consecutive times, when he faces off against Alexander Gustafsson. According to the betting odds and our own analysis, it’s looking pretty good for the champ. But how exactly will the fight end? Put on your Carnac hats, ladies and gentlemen, because fight-picking time is here again.
Shoot us your predictions for the Jones vs. Gustafsson fight in the comments section of this post, and the most accurate guess will score a Combat Line t-shirt from our friends at Fear the Fighter. Your predictions should look something like this…
Jones def. Gustafsson via submission (kimura), 3:48 of round 2 or
Gustafsson def. Jones via KO, 0:08 of round 1 or
Jones def. Gustafsson via unanimous decision (50-45 x 2, 49-46)
In other words: Winner’s last name first, and include the method of victory, time of stoppage, round of stoppage, or the judges’ scores if you think the fight will go all five rounds; we’ll need that in case of a tie-breaker. Please submit your picks to the comments section by noon PT on Saturday. Winners will be announced the following Monday. Only one entry per person, please. Any questions, let us know in the comments. Good luck, guys, and visit FearTheFighter.com to check out their entire line of gear!
(And here we see UFC light-heavyweight challenger Alexander Gustafsson just *towering* over the reigning champ. How is Jon Jones supposed to deal with such a *massive* size difference?? / Photo via Getty. Withering sarcasm via CagePotato)
If you want to know just how lopsided the main event of UFC 165 looks to be, you only have to subject yourself to the hilarious, terrible advertisements for it. The subtext of them reads something along the lines of “Jon Jones is a freak athlete, his reach is unreal, who can stop that?! … Oh hey look, this Swedish guy is really tall!” If that doesn’t sound like a compelling — or for that matter, convincing — narrative, that’s because it’s not. This isn’t to say Alexander Gustafsson, the aforementioned 6’5″ Scandinavian, doesn’t deserve this title shot or that he has absolutely no chance of defeating Jon Jones. It’s just that he almost has absolutely no chance of defeating Jon Jones.
In fairness to Gustafsson and Zuffa’s promotional branch, there isn’t anyone at light-heavyweight who Jon Jones wouldn’t be deservedly favored against. It is virtually impossible to credibly sell any opponent against Jon Jones on the basis of skill. He’s simply on another level than the rest of his peers. So the UFC is forced to resort to what little it can find to distinguish his opposition as fodder for promotion; in this case, it’s that Gustafsson is officially listed as being one inch taller than the champion. In any other given matchup, perhaps Gustafsson’s boxing ability or his submission savvy might be touted prior to the bout. Not against Jones. Why bother emphasizing Gustafsson’s submission ability against a guy who has never been taken down in the UFC? Why call attention to Gustafsson’s boxing when it’s so dependent on a reach advantage he won’t have?
Of course, Gustafsson could still win. But in order to do so, he’s going to have to avoid Jon Jones’ takedowns — which no one has really been able to do — and turn this into a boxing match. Even then, he’ll face an uphill battle. Jones showed improvement in his standup against Rashad Evans, as he’s switched to a more Muay Thai-oriented attack that focuses on picking opponents apart from the outside with low kicks and hurting them when they become impatient and rush in. He’s been beaten on the feet before (briefly), by Lyoto Machida, but Gustafsson lacks Machida’s elusive footwork and unpredictable rushes. He’s generally been content to allow his reach and height to provide him security as he works punches from the outside. It’s not a strategy that’s going to work against Jones.
(And here we see UFC light-heavyweight challenger Alexander Gustafsson just *towering* over the reigning champ. How is Jon Jones supposed to deal with such a *massive* size difference?? / Photo via Getty. Withering sarcasm via CagePotato)
If you want to know just how lopsided the main event of UFC 165 looks to be, you only have to subject yourself to the hilarious, terrible advertisements for it. The subtext of them reads something along the lines of “Jon Jones is a freak athlete, his reach is unreal, who can stop that?! … Oh hey look, this Swedish guy is really tall!” If that doesn’t sound like a compelling — or for that matter, convincing — narrative, that’s because it’s not. This isn’t to say Alexander Gustafsson, the aforementioned 6’5″ Scandinavian, doesn’t deserve this title shot or that he has absolutely no chance of defeating Jon Jones. It’s just that he almost has absolutely no chance of defeating Jon Jones.
In fairness to Gustafsson and Zuffa’s promotional branch, there isn’t anyone at light-heavyweight who Jon Jones wouldn’t be deservedly favored against. It is virtually impossible to credibly sell any opponent against Jon Jones on the basis of skill. He’s simply on another level than the rest of his peers. So the UFC is forced to resort to what little it can find to distinguish his opposition as fodder for promotion; in this case, it’s that Gustafsson is officially listed as being one inch taller than the champion. In any other given matchup, perhaps Gustafsson’s boxing ability or his submission savvy might be touted prior to the bout. Not against Jones. Why bother emphasizing Gustafsson’s submission ability against a guy who has never been taken down in the UFC? Why call attention to Gustafsson’s boxing when it’s so dependent on a reach advantage he won’t have?
Of course, Gustafsson could still win. But in order to do so, he’s going to have to avoid Jon Jones’ takedowns — which no one has really been able to do — and turn this into a boxing match. Even then, he’ll face an uphill battle. Jones showed improvement in his standup against Rashad Evans, as he’s switched to a more Muay Thai-oriented attack that focuses on picking opponents apart from the outside with low kicks and hurting them when they become impatient and rush in. He’s been beaten on the feet before (briefly), by Lyoto Machida, but Gustafsson lacks Machida’s elusive footwork and unpredictable rushes. He’s generally been content to allow his reach and height to provide him security as he works punches from the outside. It’s not a strategy that’s going to work against Jones.
Essentially, Gustafsson has two paths to victory. He may have completely refined his boxing game in a matter of months as well as his takedown defense — keep in mind, this is a man who was taken down in his last fight by noted wrestler Mauricio “Shogun” Rua — to the point where he may be able to outstrike Jones. Or he can shoot for the desperation knockout, or else hope for yet another debilitating toe injury to befall the champion in the middle of the ring. Neither is likely to happen.
Jones, on the other hand, has no shortage of options. But if he’s not feeling particularly adventurous, there’s one rather obvious one. While he’s more than capable of outstriking Gustafsson, expect Jones to utilize his exceptional clinch game to take the fight to the ground and use his elbows to either finish or debilitate Gustafsson. Gustafsson has decent submissions, but nothing to significantly threaten Jones from the bottom. He won’t have an answer once the fight reaches the ground, and he won’t have an answer to prevent the fight from going there.
If it’s any consolation, UFC 165 offers a second, more interesting title fight. Not that Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland is likely to be more competitive; Barao is simply way ahead of everyone not named Dominick Cruz at the moment. (And with Cruz injured for well over a year, perhaps even that’s not the case anymore.) But the overall skill level at bantamweight ensures that no fights, even one-sided ones, lack for excitement. But this won’t be the case for the main event, which won’t be particularly competitive. The UFC has pretty much acknowledged that. This is going to be a showcase for their champion Jon Jones, the final hurdle for him to overcome before becoming the UFC’s greatest light-heavyweight champion in history. If they need to make that hurdle appear a little taller than it actually is, well, that’s what the advertisements are for.
(One of these men is on the brink of a world title shot. The other plans on penis-smacking himself in Mexico. You tell us which promotion helps build stars. Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.)
Dave Chappelle once pondered what it would be like to be so famous that you could get your dick sucked and the person that sucked your dick would in turn also become famous. Someone who can probably relate to that level of power is UFC President Dana White. While he has yet to make anyone famous for giving him a hummer (besides Arianny, of course. *self five*), all White has to do is merely allude to a newsworthy piece of information and every MMA blog in the world jumps on it like it’s the word of God. I’m not the only one who sees the similarities there, right? Also, does anyone else see these fuckin’ iguanas on my coffee table?
Dana [White] and Joe [Silva] have confirmed, with a strong victory by Glover, then he probably gets the winner of the Jon Jones fight. Glover’s got an opportunity to go for that belt with a big win, so we’re expecting big things in Belo Horizonte.
As you would expect, MMA blogs across the board are jumping all over this statement and claiming that “a title shot is now on the line” for Glover Teixeira. Those of us who are at all familiar with Dana White, however, know that when he throws aroundthe words “probably” and the phrase “with a strong victory,” he means “unless a more lucrative option becomes available.”
(One of these men is on the brink of a world title shot. The other plans on penis-smacking himself in Mexico. You tell us which promotion helps build stars. Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.)
Dave Chappelle once pondered what it would be like to be so famous that you could get your dick sucked and the person that sucked your dick would in turn also become famous. Someone who can probably relate to that level of power is UFC President Dana White. While he has yet to make anyone famous for giving him a hummer (besides Arianny, of course. *self five*), all White has to do is merely allude to a newsworthy piece of information and every MMA blog in the world jumps on it like it’s the word of God. I’m not the only one who sees the similarities there, right? Also, does anyone else see these fuckin’ iguanas on my coffee table?
Dana [White] and Joe [Silva] have confirmed, with a strong victory by Glover, then he probably gets the winner of the Jon Jones fight. Glover’s got an opportunity to go for that belt with a big win, so we’re expecting big things in Belo Horizonte.
As you would expect, MMA blogs across the board are jumping all over this statement and claiming that “a title shot is now on the line” for Glover Teixeira. Those of us who are at all familiar with Dana White, however, know that when he throws aroundthe words “probably” and the phrase “with a strong victory,” he means “unless a more lucrative option becomes available.”
While Teixeira would be as good a man as any to face the Jones/Gustafsson winner, he’s also not that well known by the average MMA fan. His victory over Rampage Jackson was a good start, sure, and if he is able to put away Ryan Bader (who is quickly becoming the light heavyweight division’s go-to stepping stone) impressively in their “Fight Night 28″ headlining scrap, then he should have gathered enough momentum for a title shot. But with all the talk both surrounding and between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, you think the UFC isn’t going to jump on that opportunity should it become a realistic possibility?
This is all dependent on how Teixeira and Cormier perform against Bader and Roy Nelson, respectively. Unless you honestly think that Jones is going to lose to Gustafsson, in which case you are probably nuttier than those people who thought Chris Weidman was going to…
(“Short? No cardio? That’s not what your mother said last night.” / Photo via Getty Images)
Over the course of his dominant UFC career, Jon Jones had proven at least two things — he is an amazing fighter, and it isn’t that hard to get under his skin. Although, as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans can attest to, simply making Jones feel uncomfortable and irritable doesn’t make much of a difference when it’s time to actually fight him.
Jones is making his next light-heavyweight title defense against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 in September, but the Swede isn’t the guy “Bones” is tired of talking about. That would be heavyweight contender and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier.
Cormier faces Roy Nelson next in a winner-eats-town bout at UFC 166, but after that, the undersized heavyweight says that he is moving down to Jones’s division and that he plans to get an immediate title shot once he does. No less than UFC President Dana White has all but said the same.
This, combined with the near-constant battle of tweets and words between DC and JJ has apparently tried Jones’s patience a bit too much. Recently, while on the UFC’s “World Tour,” the 205-pound kingpin was asked, for what has to feel like the millionth time, about Cormier challenging him. Jones got downright catty with his response.
Trying out his best high school girl insults, Jones said that Cormier is short, fat, and that he isn’t even popular. “I hate answering questions about him,” Jones said of Cormier.
“I don’t think he wants to work hard. I think he just wants to be famous. You can see it in his physique…He has, like, 20,000 Twitter followers. He has short reach, bad cardio [and] he looked terrible in his last fight. It’s like, I’m not worried about him at all.”
(“Short? No cardio? That’s not what your mother said last night.” / Photo via Getty Images)
Over the course of his dominant UFC career, Jon Jones had proven at least two things — he is an amazing fighter, and it isn’t that hard to get under his skin. Although, as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans can attest to, simply making Jones feel uncomfortable and irritable doesn’t make much of a difference when it’s time to actually fight him.
Jones is making his next light-heavyweight title defense against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 in September, but the Swede isn’t the guy “Bones” is tired of talking about. That would be heavyweight contender and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier.
Cormier faces Roy Nelson next in a winner-eats-town bout at UFC 166, but after that, the undersized heavyweight says that he is moving down to Jones’s division and that he plans to get an immediate title shot once he does. No less than UFC President Dana White has all but said the same.
This, combined with the near-constant battle of tweets and words between DC and JJ has apparently tried Jones’s patience a bit too much. Recently, while on the UFC’s “World Tour,” the 205-pound kingpin was asked, for what has to feel like the millionth time, about Cormier challenging him. Jones got downright catty with his response.
Trying out his best high school girl insults, Jones said that Cormier is short, fat, and that he isn’t even popular. “I hate answering questions about him,” Jones said of Cormier.
“I don’t think he wants to work hard. I think he just wants to be famous. You can see it in his physique…He has, like, 20,000 Twitter followers. He has short reach, bad cardio [and] he looked terrible in his last fight. It’s like, I’m not worried about him at all.”
If Jones isn’t worried about a guy who would be the first person he’s ever faced that can take him down, and a man who just four years into his MMA career has already dominated two former heavyweight champions, then he’s lying or delusional. But despite the fact that he and Cormier appear to almost certainly be headed towards one another should they win their next fights, Jones insists that Cormier isn’t relevant to him.
“He’s just not relevant to me,” Jones said. “There’s so many great fighters in the light-heavyweight division. He’s not even top five in his division. I’m not sure if he is.”
Yeah, Jon, he is. Cormier is, at worst, the number three heavyweight in the world right now, despite having the height of a lightweight. And yes, Jon, everyone wants to see the two of you fight.
“When I heard his quote, it’s like a 16-year old girl,” Cormier said. “Jon Jones, grow up bud. We’re going to fight regardless of how you feel. And when we do and I’m cutting the line and you might as well pull guard because I’m taking you down.”
Who do you got, nation? Jon Jones, fueled by teen-like angst and awkwardness or Cormier with his super-chub Olympic powers and grown ass man strength?
On Monday, the UFC kicked off an insanely ambitious promotional tour that will take the headliners for UFC 165, UFC 166, UFC 167, and UFC 168 to five countries over five days. The “UFC World Tour” stopped at the Club Nokia at Nokia Live in Los Angeles yesterday, and the fighters had a chance to get up in each others’ faces, while the meatheaded fans in attendance shouted whatever came to mind, like they were at home watching it on TV. You can check out the video above. Some highlights…
0:17-1:00:Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate come out dressed like office temps. They mean-mug each other, and Rousey gives Tate the ol’ Stockton Heybuddy walking away. The crowd fires off various catcalls. Dana’s goony mug at 0:41 says it all.
1:10-1:52:Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks face off, with Hendricks looking noticeably jacked. The crowd chants “USA!” A fan asks Hendricks what he weighs, and Hendro says “215,” flexing like a boss.
2:35-3:07:Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson get very close. Gustafsson rolls his tongue around in his mouth, preparing himself for the incoming kiss…but it doesn’t come. Breaking with tradition, Jones actually shifts his head and looks directly into the eyes — nay, the soul — of Alexander Gustafsson. Jones hoists his belt, then pop-and-locks his way off stage. The crowd boos.
On Monday, the UFC kicked off an insanely ambitious promotional tour that will take the headliners for UFC 165, UFC 166, UFC 167, and UFC 168 to five countries over five days. The “UFC World Tour” stopped at the Club Nokia at Nokia Live in Los Angeles yesterday, and the fighters had a chance to get up in each others’ faces, while the meatheaded fans in attendance shouted whatever came to mind, like they were at home watching it on TV. You can check out the video above. Some highlights…
0:17-1:00:Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate come out dressed like office temps. They mean-mug each other, and Rousey gives Tate the ol’ Stockton Heybuddy walking away. The crowd fires off various catcalls. Dana’s goony mug at 0:41 says it all.
1:10-1:52:Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks face off, with Hendricks looking noticeably jacked. The crowd chants “USA!” A fan asks Hendricks what he weighs, and Hendro says “215,” flexing like a boss.
2:35-3:07:Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson get very close. Gustafsson rolls his tongue around in his mouth, preparing himself for the incoming kiss…but it doesn’t come. Breaking with tradition, Jones actually shifts his head and looks directly into the eyes — nay, the soul — of Alexander Gustafsson. Jones hoists his belt, then pop-and-locks his way off stage. The crowd boos.
3:35-3:40: “We want Brock! We need Brock!” Ugh, you guys.
3:45: The fighters line up while the fans continue to shout shit at them.
4:53-end: “Who’s the girl in the yelloooooow?!” [*crowd cheers*] Ugh, seriously, you guys.
– 1 p.m. ET July 31, Beacon Theatre, New York: News conference with UFC President Dana White, Velasquez, dos Santos, Jones, Gustafsson, St-Pierre, Hendricks, Rousey and Tate. Free and open to the public.
– 12:30 p.m. ET Aug. 1, Complexe Desjardins, Montreal: News conference with UFC Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright, St-Pierre and Hendricks. Free and open to the public.
– 1 p.m. CT Aug. 1, Toyota Center, Houston: Open workouts with Velasquez and dos Santos. Free and open to the public.
Aug. 1: Stockholm. Press tour with Jones and Gustafsson.
– 1 p.m. CT Aug. 2, Cowboys Stadium, Dallas: Open workouts on the field with St-Pierre and Hendricks. Free and open to the public.
– Aug. 2, Chicago: Press tour with Rousey and Tate.
– Aug. 2, London: Press tour with Jones and Gustafsson.
– 3 p.m. BRT Aug. 2, HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro: Velasquez and dos Santos joint Q&A session prior to weigh-ins for UFC 163. Free and open to the public.
