When you see Jon “Bones” Jones in the UFC Octagon, it’s important that you get your bathroom break out of the way while Bruce Buffer is still in the middle of introductions, because what follows are 25 consecutive don’t-blink moments; 1,500 seconds dur…
When you see Jon “Bones” Jones in the UFC Octagon, it’s important that you get your bathroom break out of the way while Bruce Buffer is still in the middle of introductions, because what follows are 25 consecutive don’t-blink moments; 1,500 seconds during which something truly amazing might happen.
Jones is liable to do anything. Spinning back elbows, judo throws, suplexes only seen in pro wrestling—Jones is physically capable of pulling off even the most bizarre ideas. But that’s just the start. Any reasonable athlete can take instructions from a stunt coordinator and do some incredible things.
What’s exceptional is the way Jones melds his physical skill with his creative and artistic side. He’s not just a jock, he’s a jock who’s mentally flexible enough in the cage to even consider letting loose his inner Van Gogh.
Jones is an artist who paints in blood. It’s his opponent’s, but it doesn’t have to be. Other fighters, like Diego Sanchez, paint their masterpieces mostly with their own fluid—and it’s just as remarkable.
What follows are 25 of the most exciting fighters of the last 19 years of professional mixed martial arts. They come from diverse backgrounds in wrestling, jiu jitsu, boxing and even street fighting.
But they have one thing in common.
When they stepped into the cage, fans knew they were going to get one heck of a show.
(“Now, Demian! Use the muscle-spasm death touch that I taught you!”)
Demian Maia‘s welterweight debut at UFC 148 was over before it really began, thanks to a poorly timed muscle spasm suffered by Dong Hyun Kim. But the former middleweight title contender will be getting another chance to make an impression against Rick Story. Their bout is scheduled to take place at UFC 153 (October 13th, Rio de Janeiro), a card that is quickly stacking up with top Brazilian talent. Story recently outpointed newcomer Brock Jardine at UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida, which snapped a two-fight losing streak against Charlie Brenneman and Martin Kampmann.
Speaking of Brenneman, “The Spaniard” has booked his return fight after being choked out by Erick Silva in June. He’ll be appearing at UFC 151: Jones vs. Henderson (September 1st, Las Vegas) against TUF 11 competitor — and former Crocodile Hunter bodyguard — Kyle Noke, who is coming off of two losses at middleweight and will be making his welterweight debut.
In other booking news…
(“Now, Demian! Use the muscle-spasm death touch that I taught you!”)
Speaking of Brenneman, “The Spaniard” has booked his return fight after being choked out by Erick Silva in June. He’ll be appearing at UFC 151: Jones vs. Henderson(September 1st, Las Vegas) against TUF 11 competitor — and former Crocodile Hunter bodyguard — Kyle Noke, who is coming off of two losses at middleweight and will be making his welterweight debut.
– The UFC has confirmed more fights for their UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot card (October 5th, Minneapolis). Notably, a heavyweight matchup between Matt Mitrione and Rob Broughton — originally scheduled for this weekend’s UFC on FOX 4 card, until Broughton pulled out due to injury — has been re-set for the UFC on FX 5 lineup. Broughton has dropped consecutive decisions to Travis Browne and Phil De Fries, while Mitrione will try to bounce back from his decision loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137. And on the other end of the fighter-size spectrum, TUF 14 bantamweight winner John Dodson will make his latest flyweight appearance against much-hyped newcomer Jussier da Silva, in a match that could very well produce the #1 contender in the 125-pound division.
Please direct your predictions to the comments section.
According to Josh Koscheck, the bridge to American Kickboxing Academy is burnt. After a fallout with Javier Mendez, The Ultimate Fighter bad boy left the gym after eight years.FightPromo hosted a video of Koscheck chatting with longtime training p…
According to Josh Koscheck, the bridge to American Kickboxing Academy is burnt. After a fallout with Javier Mendez, The Ultimate Fighter bad boy left the gym after eight years.
FightPromo hosted a video of Koscheck chatting with longtime training partner and friend Jon Fitch. The two discussed Koscheck’s departure from AKA, his relationship with Mendez and Koscheck’s new gym in Fresno, Calif.
The video ends with a disturbing sentence: “I hope the gym burns to the ground.”
Koscheck has been controversial, often accused of being a dirty fighter or faking injuries in the cage, but this one may have crossed a line.
The bleach-blonde bad boy announced his departure from his longtime gym at the UFC 143 post-fight press conference. Shocking many members of the MMA community, the move saw Koscheck voluntarily step away from one of the most celebrated fight camps in the sport.
“There was a lot of poison going on around there and I’m really disappointed because we had a good thing going. It was a good thing and I think people’s egos got in the way. Well, not people just Javier, his ego got in the way, and too many cameras in the gym and him trying to build himself up and his brand”
Koscheck’s next fight is exactly one month from today, as he will meet Jake Ellenberger on the main card of UFC 151. After losing a close fight with Johny Hendricks, Kos knows that he is losing his place at the top of the division. Is this a weird attempt at getting some publicity for the bout?
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for late-breaking news.
Andrew Saunders is a syndicated writer and featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Follow him on Twitter for late-breaking news and analysis for all things MMA.
Former Strikeforce and PRIDE champion Dan Henderson wants to see if reigning UFC light heavyweight title holder Jon Jones can swim in unfamiliar waters at their UFC 151 encounter. “I’m gonna make sure I put him on his back and we haven’t seen him …
Former Strikeforce and PRIDE champion Dan Henderson wants to see if reigning UFC light heavyweight title holder Jon Jones can swim in unfamiliar waters at their UFC 151 encounter.
Despite currently being listed as a massive 7.5 to 1 underdog, Hendo said he could care less what other people are thinking heading into this title bout (courtesy of MMA Mania).
“I’m not your average 40-year-old. I’m looking forward to going out there and proving a lot of people wrong. I haven’t really paid much attention to what everyone else is saying. I know what I’m capable of doing and I just gotta make sure I do it that night.”
Despite being a former Olympic-level Greco Roman wrestler, Henderson has mostly chosen to stand and trade with his opponents in recent fights instead of looking for the takedown.
Other accomplished wrestlers such as Ryan Bader and Rashad Evans had no success in getting Jones on the ground. As a matter of fact, Jones is yet to be taken down in the UFC.
Will Henderson be able to break this trend? We shall see on Sept. 1.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been sentenced for his May 19 DWI arrest, according to Yahoo! Sports. On Tuesday, he was fined $1,000, had his driver’s license suspended for six months. Jones will also need to have igniti…
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been sentenced for his May 19 DWI arrest, according to Yahoo! Sports. On Tuesday, he was fined $1,000, had his driver’s license suspended for six months. Jones will also need to have ignition interlocks installed on all his vehicles.
According to PressConnects, Jones will also need to complete a victim impact panel in the next 90 days. Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s website has more details on the victim impact panels:
The panels consist of a non-confrontational presentation consisting of crime victims telling their own personal stories of how impaired drivers forever changed their lives.
The program was created with one purpose in mind: to show offenders first-hand about the trauma, physical pain, emotional suffering and devastation, financial loss, anger and frustration that is commonly experienced by innocent victims and their family members resulting from a DUI-related crash.
The charges against Jones originated after the fighter crashed his 2012 Bentley into a utility pole on the morning of May 19 in Binghamton, N.Y. Jones was uninjured in the accident and taken into custody by the Broome County Sheriff’s Department before being bailed out by his mother.
The 24-year-old fighter had pleaded guilty to the charges on May 29.
The sentencing will allow Jones to put his legal problems behind him and concentrate on his upcoming fight against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson.
Jones (16-1) and Henderson (29-8) are set to meet on September 1 in the main event of UFC 151, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Jon Jones may be another kid from New York, but he is rapidly becoming the most well-known and successful fighter in the UFC. There are many fighters who have come before him with much larger legacies and developed careers, but the potential of Jon Jon…
Jon Jones may be another kid from New York, but he is rapidly becoming the most well-known and successful fighter in the UFC. There are many fighters who have come before him with much larger legacies and developed careers, but the potential of Jon Jones is very apparent. He only needs to stay on the path.
Jon “Bones” Jones is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and became the youngest UFC champion in history at 23 years old in 2011. To say Jones has been on a tear in his division is a gross understatement. The dynamic kid out of Jackson’s MMA has been staying active and fighting former champs, further sketching his legacy.
But Jon Jones is still making sketches.
Taking a step down 20 pounds, you find a man who is a true artist in his craft and has painted a legacy grander than any other athlete that has graced a cage.
This man is Anderson Silva. No opponent has been able to flush “The Spider” out of his position and he continues to set a higher bar with each fight. Silva in his career now is making finishing touches to his masterpiece, but that is not to sell short any of his opponents henceforth; nor is it to indicate his career is at an end right away. Silva has cemented his legacy, even if he were to retire tomorrow. However, Silva seems intent on competing, and his performances don’t show any sign of why he couldn’t keep going.
Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest of all time in MMA, and while there is always subjective debate, it is hard to deny his skill and statistics. But on the rise is, the younger Jon Jones, who is quickly gaining fame and notoriety.
But what does he need to do to match the legacy of Anderson Silva, or even surpass it?
Needless to say, Jones has quite a ways to go in regards to statistics and time put into the sport. By the time Jon Jones had his first professional MMA fight, Silva had attained the UFC Middleweight championship and defended it three times and was riding a seven fight win streak with a career of 23-4. Silva is currently 32-4 and Jones is 16-1. Statistically, it is hard to compare; especially since Silva has more Knockout victories than Jones has total fights.
“Bones” has expressed interest in moving up to Heavyweight at some point, and there are plenty of big name matchups to be made that would generate very high revenue. Aside from money, Jones fighting in another weight class would aid in matching the legacy of Anderson Silva, who has fought up a weight class twice, earning two first-round knockouts.
Jon Jones is on a terrific path, and he must remain focused on what has made him successful, but continue to evolve and improve. While Jones does possess one of the longest reaches in UFC history, and some very unorthodox and brutal striking, he lacks the technicality that Silva has shown in his career. The accuracy of the Brazilian superstar is unmatched, but if Jones can continue to improve his striking, even greater success will follow.
Jones has shown his strength, wrestling and submission fortes; but his striking sometimes looks sloppy. Not that it is atrocious, but it certainly could use some tweaking. This alteration could potentially lead to spectacular finishes and “of the night” performances; all the things fans clamor for and remember most.
One major factor that is at play is his ability to not deviate from the mental path that has brought him to where he is. He is an excellent poster boy for the UFC, and shows a humble and spiritual characteristic that is sometimes vacant from some other fighters. Jones has had his troubles recently with his debacle with former training partner Rashad Evans, as well as his poor choice of drinking and driving in recent news. These factors take away some of the shimmer that the UFC light had shed, but it doesn’t take away what he can do in the cage.
His life outside of the cage might be affecting his popularity, but if he can stay humble, despite his rapid success; he can be unstoppable. Fame has a way of breaking some people, and Jones must overcome that and never become complacent. Silva has shown that his intelligence is an on-going strength for him, similar to the likes of Georges St. Pierre and others, but Jones is still young and still on the rise.
There are many fights left ahead of him, and many more years of time that the can truly draw out his legacy. He has made an excellent blueprint for himself, but he must be able to follow it, adapt as needed, and ultimately finish the project he started.
Rankings and fans in general are making cases for Jones being the pound-for-pound best right now, but that crown belongs to “The Spider”. When Silva does retire, there will be a passing of the torch to whomever is the one on top; and if Jones does not stray from his roots, he will be king of the hill. But before any hopes of unseating Silva, he must first do what “The Spider” has done, and get through Dan Henderson when they meet at UFC 151.
Jon Jones may be another kid from New York, but he is rapidly becoming the most well-known and successful fighter in the UFC. There are many fighters who have come before him with much larger legacies and developed careers, but the potential of Jon Jones is very apparent. He only needs to stay on the path.