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Jones vs. Teixeira: Plotting Each Fighter’s Blueprint to Victory at UFC 172

If everyone is to be believed, UFC 172’s main event between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira is already over. The public categorically supports Bones rattling off his seventh straight successful title defense on Saturday night in Baltimore.
Yet Teixeira h…

If everyone is to be believed, UFC 172‘s main event between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira is already over. The public categorically supports Bones rattling off his seventh straight successful title defense on Saturday night in Baltimore.

Yet Teixeira has not lost a fight in nine years, entering the light heavyweight championship showdown with a 22-2 record. The underdog has his work cut out for him, but an upset should not be expelled from the realm of possibility.

One thing is for sure: Jones is not going to let complacency rear its ugly head. According to B/R’s Jeremy Botter, the champion said he was not his best during his last victory over Alexander Gustafsson.

I definitely know that I performed better in the past. It humbled me. A good humbling is always good, though. And it also let me know that I have heart. I trained my butt off to not have any close fights. And now that I’ve gone through a close fight—or a war, as some would call it—now I know even more about myself. I know when the going gets rough, I’m not going to give up.

A disqualification represents the only blemish on Jones’ record, and he’ll look to keep it that way against Teixeira, who can shock the world with a colossal win.

Jones’ Blueprint to Victory: Chip Away with Strikes

A responsible, deliberate plan centered on a hearty dosage of standing strikes will propel Jones to another victory.

Although Teixeira boasts a jiu-jitsu background, he doesn’t necessarily hold an advantage on the mat. Jones is comfortable fighting on the ground, but he shouldn’t let it come to that.

Bones holds a massive reach advantage over his opponent, touting an 84.5″ measurement over Teixeira’s 76″ mark. The champion must thoroughly exploit that edge by keeping a safe distance from the heavy hitter while gradually sinking strikes of his own throughout the evening.

According to UFC.com, Jones successfully lands 57 percent of his standing strikes while Teixeira holds a 41 percent success rate. Staying upright favors Jones in this bout.

He does not need a memorable finish to retain the title. If the two men are left to test their skills over the full five rounds, Bones sports an advantage over Teixeira, who is eight years older yet inexperienced fighting more than three rounds.

If the champion maintains his composure and plays this fight smart, he’ll retain the belt. That puts all the pressure on the challenger to make something happen.

Teixeira’s Blueprint to Victory: Steal a KO

Teixeira dared to dream big with MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz, offering up the best-case scenario for his clash with Jones.

In a perfect world, I’ll win via first-round knockout. But I believe it’s going to be a tough fight. Jon Jones is an excellent fighter, so I expect a tough bout. I will be ready for five rounds. I was ready to go five rounds against (Ryan) Bader and will be ready now, so we’ll see who will leave the cage as the champion.

He’s ready to go five rounds, but it’d be best if he didn’t.

The challenger simply can’t match wits with Jones in toe-to-toe combat. If the judges are left to decide the winner, the title won’t change hands. Jones won’t be outclassed in that fashion.

Six of Teixeira’s last seven UFC victories have come by KO or submission, with the sole exception being a unanimous victory over Rampage Jackson through three rounds. Nowhere in there has he needed to last five rounds in the Octagon.

Fox Sports’ E. Spence Kyte provided Teixeira with the perfect mission statement for his major bout in Baltimore. Quoting The Wire‘s Omar Little, “You come at the king, you best not miss.”

The Brazilian has no room for error against Jones. He’ll need to stay aggressive, swing hard and hope he doesn’t miss. It takes just one blow to seize the crown, and that’s the only way Teixeira can steal a victory.

Prediction: Jones by unanimous decision

The champion can win by trading barbs and could even make Teixeira tap out on the mat. While he has a few portals to success, the challenger is too dependent on landing a big blow. Jones will once again show he is a premier fighter by earning a convincing victory over Teixeira.

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UFC 172 Predictions: Predicting the Winners of Every Main Card Fight

UFC 172 hits Baltimore Arena on Saturday night, bringing some fresh action to a sports town enjoying success with the Orioles and Ravens over the past few years.
Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his title against Glover Teixeira in the …

UFC 172 hits Baltimore Arena on Saturday night, bringing some fresh action to a sports town enjoying success with the Orioles and Ravens over the past few years.

Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his title against Glover Teixeira in the main event, while big names like Phil Davis, Luke Rockhold and Jim Miller will all compete on the undercard.

With the fights only a few short hours away, here are some predictions on who might have success on the pay-per-view main card.

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UFC 172 Fight Card: Start Time and Full Predictions for Stacked Slate

UFC 172 promises to be one of the more memorable cards in recent history thanks to impressive depth throughout the event, which is headlined by the highly anticipated Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira bout.
While Jones and Teixeira will put on a show after…

While Jones and Teixeira will put on a show after a boatload of hype and overanalysis, some of the lesser matches on the card may provide the best action of the night. After all, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping Jones in his current form.

The other fights on the card aren’t as predictable. Here’s a look at the full list, followed by a breakdown of two bouts that are sure to entertain.

Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch

There’s an underlying chance for major entertainment value when Luke Rockhold and Tim Boetsch step into the Octagon on Saturday.

Yes, Boetsch has been on a skid of epic proportions, losing to Costa Philippou and Mark Munoz before somehow getting the controversial split decision at UFC 166 against C.B. Dollaway. He’s ranked No. 13 and gets yet another shot at a Top 10 opponent.

Rockhold is fresh off a loss to Vitor Belfort and a major win over Philippou in his UFC debut, so it’s easy to write this off as a major blowout win for the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, who seems to want another stab at Belfort sooner rather than later.

But Boetsch has tapped once and been knocked out just twice in his career. If he can get the fight up against the cage to negate Rockhold’s length advantage, things may just swing in his favor. He can also grab a highlight win if Rockhold leaves himself open for a counter, which he does rather routinely.

Regardless, both men have something to prove, as one may be released from the promotion with a loss, while the other may fail on his effort to get back at Belfort.

Jim Miller vs. Yancy Medeiros

Yancy Medeiros emphatically put himself on the map in his first UFC win last November via a first-round knockout of Yves Edwards.

Then he was busted for marijuana.

That experience is in the rearview mirror, as Medeiros wants to set a better example, per Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports. “I made a big change,” Medeiros said. “I’m sober now. I want to be a good image, to especially Hawaii. I want to be a representative, an ambassador. That was a big change for me.”

To advance even further in an extremely stacked division, Medeiros has to move past annual lightweight contender Jim Miller, who most recently scored a first-round victory over Fabricio Camoes.

It’s a war of contrasting styles on Saturday. Medeiros is known as a finisher via strikes, with six of his nine victories coming in that fashion. Miller is the opposite, as evidenced by his 13 submission wins.

The decisive factor? Experience. Miller is an Octagon veteran with a strong jaw. He won’t have to do much more than avoid the big swings and get Medeiros on the mat to earn another victory. For Medeiros, he has to seize a fleeting chance at glory to prove he belongs in the promotion.

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Phil Davis: It’s Time to Walk the Walk at UFC 172

What a difference a week can make.
It wasn’t that long ago that Dana White was saying light heavyweight stalwart Phil Davis was basically too bland to ever be a contender, according to a report by Steven Marrocco on MMAJunkie.com. Davis was lacking piz…

What a difference a week can make.

It wasn’t that long ago that Dana White was saying light heavyweight stalwart Phil Davis was basically too bland to ever be a contender, according to a report by Steven Marrocco on MMAJunkie.com. Davis was lacking pizzazz in the cage and was void of it completely outside of it.

In the way that White insists some people just have “it,” he was very much insisting that Davis did not.

And then, out of nowhere, Phil Davis: Professional Trash Talker hit the UFC and the whole sport is left wondering what just happened. Heading into a bout against Anthony Johnson on a card headlined by light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Davis began pulling double duty: he’d fight Johnson, but it was Jones who was in his cross hairs.

While chirping away at the champion on a media call (that his actual opponent seemed to enjoy immensely) and tweeting about his verbal sparring match at the same time, Davis immediately became among the most charismatic guys in the division. There aren’t many guys at 205 who understand how to maintain relevance, and Davis’ sudden verbosity put him ahead of many in pretty short order.

But now, legendary media call and continued fight-week silliness behind him, it’s time to get down to business. It’s all well and good to reinvent oneself outside of the cage, but if you don’t keep winning inside of it you become little more than a caricature.

For his part, Davis does win. He holds victories over Lyoto Machida, Alex Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Brian Stann in his career. None of those came easy, and it’s a resume few can boast. Actually, only former champion Rashad Evans has bested Davis in his career, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

So it’s not a matter of being able to walk the walk; Davis has proved he can. The question is whether or not he can now, with the stakes of his career irrevocably altered by his gamesmanship heading into UFC 172.

Can he live up to the tremendous pressure he’s put on himself? Can he maintain focus on the task at hand, knowing that suddenly people are interested in his burgeoning feud with Jones? Can he make a proper statement against Johnson, a dangerous veteran but one who’s been fighting considerably lower competition in recent years?

No one can know for sure, but given his history as an elite athlete both during his wrestling career and in MMA, it’s hard to bet against him. He’s obviously intelligent enough to know the game he’s playing, because it’s a game he’s clearly chosen to play since White lit that fire a short while ago.

Looking at his UFC run, it should be no surprise to find out that Davis is in the mix for a crack at Jon Jones. Seeing it happen because of his trash talk, though—that is definitely surprising.

Not that it matters.

Davis has been walking the walk for years. Doing it this time, though, might pay off like it never has before.

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!

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UFC 172 Live Streaming: How to Watch Jones vs. Teixeira Online

At 26 years old, Jon Jones may already be the greatest light heavyweight in MMA history.
With his win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, Bones surpassed Tito Ortiz’s UFC light heavyweight record with a sixth consecutive title defense…

At 26 years old, Jon Jones may already be the greatest light heavyweight in MMA history.

With his win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, Bones surpassed Tito Ortiz’s UFC light heavyweight record with a sixth consecutive title defense inside the organization. A seventh on Saturday would put Jones in third across all divisions and only three behind record-holder Anderson Silva.

Challenging Jones this weekend will be Glover Teixeira. The Brazilian has gone 5-0 since joining the UFC roster and will be one of the heaviest hitters the champion has faced.

In addition to the 205-pound championship bout, UFC 172 will feature another light heavyweight contest between Top 15 contenders Phil Davis and Anthony Johnson. The bout will mark Johnson’s return to the Octagon. Rumble was released following a January 2012 loss to Vitor Belfort after missing weight multiple times.

Also, middleweight contenders Luke Rockhold and Tim Boetsch will look to take big steps toward a shot at the 185-pound championship.

Here is how MMA fans can watch every portion of the UFC 172 fight card.

UFC 172 Main Card (10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view)

Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira
Phil Davis vs. Anthony Johnson
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch
Jim Miller vs. Yancy Medeiros
Max Holloway vs. Andre Fili

Click here to watch UFC 172 on UFC.com.

UFC 172 Prelims (8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1)

Joseph Benavidez vs. Tim Elliott
Takanori Gomi vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Jessamyn Duke vs. Bethe Correia
Danny Castillo vs. Charlie Brenneman

Click here for more information on how to watch Fox Sports 1 on your television.

UFC 172 Early Prelims (7:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)

Chris Beal vs. Patrick Williams

Click here to sign up for UFC Fight Pass.

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Davis vs. Johnson: Keys for Both Fighters in UFC 172 Light Heavyweight Bout

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson figures to have his hands full and then some in his return to the Octagon on Saturday in his UFC 172 co-main event light heavyweight bout with Phil Davis.
“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be a force in mixed martial arts, with his…

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson figures to have his hands full and then some in his return to the Octagon on Saturday in his UFC 172 co-main event light heavyweight bout with Phil Davis.

“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be a force in mixed martial arts, with his only career loss coming against Rashad Evans in 2012. He most recently defeated Lyoto Machida, a former light heavyweight champ and is currently No. 4 in the light heavyweight division in the UFC rankings.

Johnson, on the other hand, hasn’t fought in the UFC since his 2012 defeat at the hands of Vitor Belfort. But he has made his resurgence in the World Series of Fighting and other various events, where he’s put together a six-fight win streak.

Everything is on the line for these fighters, so let’s break down how each can best will their way to a victory in Baltimore.

Davis: Don’t Look Past Saturday

As the No. 4 fighter in his division, “Mr. Wonderful” is undoubtedly feeling confident heading into Saturday.

But perhaps too confident.

Davis has been looking forward so much into potentially fighting title-belt holder Jon Jones, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, that he’s hardly been directing any ire Johnson’s way:

“Jon Jones said I was going to break him apart like a sugar cookie, man, that’s not exactly correct,” Davis said. “I promised I was going to break him apart like a sugar cookie. Big difference.”

Jones wasn’t feeling like engaging in the same sort of banter, per Iole:

I just think when you talk like that, and you be so goofy, it puts a lot of pressure on you. I mean, what if he goes out there and gets caught with one of those high kicks from Anthony Johnson and gets knocked out? It’s going to be really embarrassing to talk so much trash to me and then get knocked out by Anthony Johnson. So I’m going to keep my mouth shut and stay focused for what I’m here for, and that’s Glover.

The biggest thing about this—it happened Monday on the week of the fight.

All of this smells of a fighter who isn’t completely locked into his current matchup.

As much as boxers and fighters look to stir the pot with controversial remarks and call out others that they have the potential of facing in the future, Davis is crossing the line.

“Mr. Wonderful” might be the favorite in this matchup, but he’s not going to cruise to a victory. He will have to tough it out, and if he’s mentally locked into a fight in the future, he might be knocked into next week.

Davis is undoubtedly the better wrestler at this stage of each fighter’s respective careers, but he has to be all there or he won’t stand a chance in the return of “Rumble.”

Johnson: Battle Through Takedowns, Find KO Opportunities

A quick look at the credentials is all it takes to see this will be a wrestling-heavy bout.

Johnson spent his college days at Lassen College winning a National Junior College Association national championship, and he’s well versed in grappling and fighting on the ground with technique.

However, in rare fashion he may be outdone in that regard Saturday. Davis was a national champion as well as an All-American at Penn State.

“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be so good at wrestling that he has avoided being knocked out in his MMA career. That’s in sharp contrast to the 11 knockout victories that “Rumble” boasts in his days of fighting.

But that’s the best chance that Johnson has at winning—staying upright, avoiding takedowns and landing significant blows when the two are exchanging pleasantries.

Johnson proves to be effective when striking, as Fight Metric states his striking accuracy is 47 percent—nine higher than Davis’ 38. Just as well, his takedown defense is 75 percent, which will have to hold up and perhaps be even better against “Mr. Wonderful.”

But if Davis can get Johnson to the canvas more than a few times early on, it could get the man making his UFC return off his mark and unable to find momentum for a potential knockout blow.

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