Jon Jones dispatched Glover Teixeira with ease at UFC 172, and next on his list is Alexander Gustafsson. When and where the fight will happen remains unknown, but it’s hard not to already start getting excited for a rematch of 2013’s best fight.
I…
Jon Jones dispatched Glover Teixeira with ease at UFC 172, and next on his list is Alexander Gustafsson. When and where the fight will happen remains unknown, but it’s hard not to already start getting excited for a rematch of 2013’s best fight.
In their first bout, at UFC 165, Jones got the better end of a unanimous decision (to the tune of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46). Will the rematch be any different, though? Well, how about we compare and contrast the striking, grappling and submission skills of both fighters and figure it out?
Welcome to the head-to-toe breakdown of Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 2. Here we go!
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…
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. LyotoMachida at UFC 140
Many fans thought LyotoMachida 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.
UFC 172 was a memorable night for many reasons. Not only did Jon Jones retain his light heavyweight championship against Glover Teixeira, but Anthony Johnson made a triumphant return to the Octagon and Luke Rockhold threw his hat into Submission of the…
UFC 172 was a memorable night for many reasons. Not only did Jon Jones retain his light heavyweight championship against Glover Teixeira, but Anthony Johnson made a triumphant return to the Octagon and Luke Rockhold threw his hat into Submission of the Year talk.
The event was also great because of the electricity in the air and the awesome crowd. The crowd made the already-awesome event more exciting.
There were a lot of impressive performances on the card, but who was the best of the best? Let’s power rank the five more impressive showings of the night.
Jon Jones put on a clinic against Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, but it would be unfair to say that Teixeira isn’t deserving of some credit. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that both should be considered “winners” following Saturday night’s main event.
J…
Jon Jones put on a clinic against Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, but it would be unfair to say that Teixeira isn’t deserving of some credit. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that both should be considered “winners” following Saturday night’s main event.
Jones made his seventh consecutive title defense, already a light heavyweight record. ESPN Stats & Info’s Twitter account has more:
At just the tender of age of 26, Jones still has quite the career ahead of him. His elbows proved lethal (as usual) against a very worthy opponent in Teixeira.
His elbows (arguably the two most devastating weapons in the entire UFC) were responsible for several gashes across Teixeira’s face. He used blows from up close to do damage, and that’s where he works best.
The best thing about Jones’ performance was that he beat Teixeira at his own game. He is a physical fighter who is most effective when standing tall and delivering crippling uppercuts and powerful jabs. That’s exactly what Jones did, and it probably wasn’t something that Teixeira was prepared for.
Other than the elbows, Jones also used a strong game on the mat as well as long-range jabs to do damage on his opponent. It was a complete fight (if there is such a thing), and Jones should be commended not only for his win but also for his ability to show off all his skills effectively against a quality opponent.
Now, it may seem strange to call Teixeira a winner despite being defeated by someone who so clearly was playing his own game. While technically the fight’s loser, Teixeira put on a show for a good majority of the bout and was successful in showing his grittiness and determination against a fighter he was clearly overmatched against.
He landed his strong uppercuts with various levels of success for the first 25 minutes or so of the match. Even when Jones retaliated with similar (but stronger) blows, Teixeira stood his ground. Or, if he couldn’t stand his ground, he backed down only briefly before regaining his composure and stepping back into the battle.
It wasn’t until the final minutes of the fight that Jones ultimately took over. By then, it was likely that Teixeira was simply wiped out from taking a beating for most of the fight. Regardless, he proved to the rest of the UFC community that he can take his hits and compete with arguably the top fighter in all of mixed martial arts.
That is commendable, which is what makes him a winner in my book.
Cruising to a win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, Jon Jones made his case to be considered the best fighter in MMA today. The light heavyweight champion also took another big step toward becoming the greatest fighter in MMA history.
With seven consecu…
Cruising to a win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, Jon Jones made his case to be considered the best fighter in MMA today. The light heavyweight champion also took another big step toward becoming the greatest fighter in MMA history.
With seven consecutive title defenses, Jones has a longer UFC championship reign than any other current champion. At 26 years old, he’s also only three wins away from tying Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.
The next step is clear for Jones: He’ll meet Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch of their classic battle in September 2013.
Here are the matchups that could be next for the rest of the UFC 172 competitors.
Masterful.
That’s the one word that describes Jon Jones’ performance on Saturday night at UFC 172, as he successfully defended both his light heavyweight championship and his title as best in the world, making quality opponent Glover Teixeira look like…
Masterful.
That’s the one word that describes Jon Jones‘ performance on Saturday night at UFC 172, as he successfully defended both his light heavyweight championship and his title as best in the world, making quality opponent Glover Teixeira look like a hapless victim in the process.
While not the best title bout in the sport’s history, it serves as an important indicator as to the direction Dana White‘s promotion is headed in the coming years.
Spoiler alert—things look great.
The Division Is in for Another Memorable Year
There’s talent at each level of the UFC hierarchy, but it’s hard to name a more loaded division than the one Jones’ currently sits atop.
Outside of Jones, his recent adversary, Alexander Gustafsson, is quite the draw. By all accounts, including MMA Fighting writer Ariel Helwani’s, part two is next on the slate:
Despite the mind-numbing loss where his best wasn’t close to enough, Glover remains a top name. He’s one of the most feared strikers the sport has to offer and won’t have many issues bouncing back.
None of this is to suggest the division holds a legitimate threat to Jones’ crown (more on that in a bit), but he’s a must-see attraction, and the tier below him is rather even keel and will put together some quality action over the course of the next calendar year.
Jon Jones is Untouchable
Not an exaggeration.
Jones admitted in the post-right interview with Joe Rogan that he altered the game plan dramatically after noticing Glover winding up for big shots.
Instead, Jones got inside of the lengthy wind-up—exactly where all experts agreed he shouldn’t go since it plays to Glover’s strengths—and abused his opponent at his own game through five rounds of action.
Brutal elbows, punches and the occasional clinch—with a shoulder projectile maneuver against the cage for good measure—all combined to fell Glover and erase the somewhat sour memories of Jones’ previous bout with Gustafsson.
As Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden helps to capture, there’s something electric about the 26-year-old’s style that should keep fans glued to the sport:
At such a young age, it’s scary to think Jones is still rounding out his arsenal and getting experience under his belt.
Big-Name Absences Are a Non-Issue
Georges St-Pierre. Anderson Silva. The list runs rather deep.
UFC needs a face, that one can’t-miss fighter who sells pay-per-views, especially with the two names above sidelined. As it stands, Jones is that guy. He told the media after the win on Saturday that it felt good to be back in the good graces of viewers, per Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated:
“It felt good to have the fans on my side again,” Jones said at the post-fight press conference. “It’s been a long time since I’d had cheers. I thought, let me embrace that and give the audience some entertainment.”
They aren’t going anywhere. It’s not because they have nobody else to turn to, either. It’s because any lingering doubt that Jones is the next big thing and perhaps one of the best of all time has been officially put to bed.
Was Glover the absolute best threat? Of course not. But similar to Floyd Mayweather on the boxing side of things, Jones doesn’t have a group of competition below him that is on his level to pick from, so we’ll have to take what we can get.
It’s hard to complain about the future with Jones leading the way.
