If there was any doubt that Jon Jones is Pound-For-Pound the best Material Artist that ever lived, then Saturday night’s destruction of Daniel Cormier should erase it. Now he is BIG game hunting...
King of the Hill
UFC 214 went down on Saturday and the debate about how rules the roost at 205 pounds has been well and truly settled. Jon 'Bones' Jones returned from his hiatus in devastating fashion. Scoring a Third Round TKO over Champion Daniel Cormier.
Cormier must be ruing the day he called out Jon Jones after UFC 187,
Jon Jones, get your shit together I’m waiting for you!
Well Mr Jones had definitively got his shit together and then some on Saturday night.
The 'near perfect' Cormier record
For me, Cormier and Jones are the two best mma fighters in the planet right now. I agree with Ariel Helwani when he says the UFC missed a trick in not promoting it as such.
Cormier joined the UFC as the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion. He remains undefeated at Heavyweight having beat the likes of Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in the UFC. He moved down Light Heavyweight to avoid a potential clash with his team-mate Cain Velasquez. He has beat top contenders, Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Rumble Johnson at 205.
The one man he has lost to is Jon Jones.
The 'near perfect' Jones record
The record will state that Jon Jones has one defeat to his name. A disqualification against Matt Hamill. I’m not sure Hamill would thank you for reminding him of his ‘win’ against Jones though. Jones had mounted Hamill and was administrating some brutal ground and pound. As tough as Hamill was he was taking his punishment. Jones was ripping Hamill’s face with hard elbows. So much so that Jones looked to the ref as if to say, ‘Do I have to kill this guy for you to stop it?’ Having exhausted the many ways to elbow a downed opponent. Jones struck Hamill with two brutal “12-to-6 ” (i.e. straight up and down). The blows busted open Hamill’s face and ended the fight. The blows were deemed illegal by the referee and Jones was disqualified.
The disqualification did not derail Jones ascendency through the division. He went on to become the youngest UFC champion in March 2011, aged just 23, dismantling the then Champ Maurico ‘Shogun’ Rua. This ‘kid’ then went on to walk through some of the most legendary names in the Light Heavyweight division. He submitted Quinton ‘Ramage’ Jackson, virtually choked the life out of Loyota Machida, picked Rashad Evans apart, submitted Vitor Belfort who was allegedly on TRT when they fought, with the UFC’s knowledge. He then beat an over-matched Chael Sonnen before ripping through the current crop of Light Heavyweight contenders, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira and cumulating in defeating Daniel Cormier in January 2015.
The self destructive streak
His opponents did not stand a hope in derailing. Jones destroyed everything in his path. Unfortunately he also almost destroyed himself.
After the Cormier win, he checked himself into rehab, having tested positive for cocaine. Less than 5 months later, he was suspended after being involved in a hit and run. A year later he was suspended again after failing a drug test, apparently due to taking a tainted Cialis pill ahead of UFC200.
After only having one fight (a routine win Ovince Saint Preux) in two and a half years, there were question-marks over whether we’d ever see the Jon Jones who thrilled so many again. Cormier had been dominating all-comers in Jones absence. The scene was set for the return of Jon Jones.
And boy did he return.
The prodigal son
Some will argue that Cormier was doing well in the fight. Some would even go as far as to say Cormier was winning all three rounds until the Jones head-kick. Do not let them fool you.
Watch the fight, with the sound off, no distraction and you'll see Jones won the first round convincingly. He worked Cormier's legs, his head and most importantly his body. Cormier was swinging bombs hoping to land a home run. However even when he connected clean, his strikes had little impact on Jones. The one time they clinched Jones throw Cormier off like a ragdoll.
And that's the key. For all Cormier's pressure, his hand speed, strikes and movement are primarily used as a means of getting inside and imposing his wrestling. However Jones is the one man that Cormier cannot out-wrestle. And in a game of striking, Jones has few, if any peers.
Cormier put all he could into winning the second round. For me he just edged it. But again at no point did he hurt or rock Jones. He was again putting money-in-the-bank, working Cormier's legs, head and most importantly his body.
Jones dropped the pace in the third round. Cormier pressed and just when he had Jones scurrying away from him a la Alexander Gustafsson Jones struck.
Poetry in motion
It was a thing of beauty. Not just the execution of the left head-kick, but the set up. For this head-kick was three years in the making. Before their first fight, in a pre-fight Press Conference. Jones and Cormier went back-and-forth about a flaw in Cormier's game that left him susceptible to left high kick. Jones hinted at it but it was Cormier that brought it up explicitly,
Do not think you're going kick me in the head with your left leg
I'm sure Cormier wishes he could grab those words and put them back in his own mouth!
During the course of this second fight, Jones sucked Cormier into falling in love with his hands and defending his body from kicks. Then as Jones set himself to kick, Cormier fell into his bad habit highlighted 3 years early. He lent to his right, with his arm down defending his body from 'yet another' body kick. However Jones switched it up and landed the sweetest left high kick imaginable on the side of Cormier's jaw. Wham! It was the beginning of the end.
Jones was merciless in hunting Cormier down and finishing him with vicious ground-and-pound.
The 'What Ifs'...
Don't let anyone play the What If game with you... and suggest that if the head-kick hadn't landed Cormier could have won. The fact is Jones had many routes to victory. Taking Cormier down. Out-striking him. Out-grappling him. Catching him with a crazy elbow. All Cormier could do is pressure and hope to hustle his way to a 5 round decision. However we've already seen Jones out-hustle Cormier in their first fight!
What next for Cormier?
In any other era Cormier would be lauded as one of the greatest of all time. Unfortunately this is the Jon Jones. If Cormier were a few years younger I'd suggest him making a run at heavyweight, gaining the belt then and then inviting Jones up for a trilogy.
However at 38, I'd like to see Cormier retire. He has a great gig on Fox. As heartbreaking as the post-fight interviews was, it was the kind of scene that will endear him in the eyes of meaning. Also with the touching words sent his way by Jon Jones, it seems a fitting end to the feud.
But we'll see. If Cormier does come back. I still cannot see any other Light Heavyweight beating him. I can also see him making a good title run at Heavyweight also. So he has options.
What next for Jones?
Jon Jones made it clear who he wants next,
Brock Lesnar if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you... meet me in the Octagon.
A Jones- Lesnar match-up would a superfight with enough to intrigue and split the hardcore and the casual fan alike. Jones 2.0 is taking a leaf out of Conor McGregor's playbook and aiming for the biggest money fights out there. And I don't blame him.
As good a fighter Conor is. Jones is the real deal when it comes to the pound-for-pound best fighter in the planet. If the UFC can match him right and market him right, they could have the genuine biggest draw in combat sport the planet has ever seen.
holly molly
That is a helluva good post man and I agree with about everything you said. Jon Jones is the most incredible talent I've seen in the UFC. He's not simply gifted at all the disciplines, but "world class " at all the disciplines. I once thought I would never see another striker like Anderson Silva, but Jones is equally as devastating. His length alone poses so many problems at 205 but his understanding and creativity in the octagon is truly something special to see. I could go on and on about his greatness, for I feel he is truly the greatest fighter I have ever seen, he does so many things extraordinarily well.
As far a Brock Lesnar is concerned, he'd be best off leaving this alone. Brock's only hope would be to take Jon down and keep him down. Jones would eat him alive on their feet and Brock would be taking shots from so many different angles he'd think he was in a fight with 3 or 4 guys. I can see this definitely happening b/c this would be a monster pay day, but I'd also love to see Jones challenge Stipe and try to hold both belts simultaneously ala Conor. The added strength Jones has added will serve him well in taking on bigger fighters, but to think of a Jon Jones with another 10-15 lbs of muscle is a very scary proposition for any heavyweight, hell, he's the scariest man on the planet as it is now.
I almost feel like Brock would certainly have to get a couple of fights under his belt to knock the ring rust off before he fights Jon Jones
I want to see @Brianphobos in the ring haha :)
I would get destroyed. I always liked the sport and the reason I never started training for it is because I didn't have a wrestling, boxing, or martial arts background and my cardio even in the best scenarios has never been that great. Not on the level of those guys. Also cutting weight would have really taken a toll on me for sure.
Did you ever train pretty seriously? It looks like you are heavily involved in the sport and look like you are fight ready!
Your big guy, seen you Dunkin basketballs 😂... I'm a short dude, I'm 5"10 and use to grab the rim with two hands but I got old and lost it all lol
I never trained in my whole life, my twin brother owns a UFC gym for 5 years in Vegas... you can use it anytime you want 😂
Na, I'm not that big. I'm 6' mainly on Tinder and on athletic rosters. White boy got bounce though!
You can set up a fight and try to pull off what Jose and Ozzie Canseco tried to do by sending in the twin brother! LOL
Dude, so funny. They were my best baseball players in the late 80's and early 90's... even though Ozzie sucked haha
That is crazy. Yeah I have a lot of thoughts about those guys.
I actually beat Jose in a home run derby a couple of years ago. He was still on drugs and I'm 100% natty. Kind of crazy but I had some crazy facial hair at the time. That day I hit a grand slam in the game and then defeated Jose in the home run derby. Good memories. Maybe someday I will do a post about it.
I can tell you love some Jon "Bones" Jones, lol. Truly though, for having such a long layoff, he looked superb. It puts Ronda's layoff and comeback performance even more to shame.
Bring on the Lesnar super fight!
Hell of a fight... Jones is just the best ever. If he just can get rid of those demons and vices that he has but yet again, I think thats what makes him great.
People like him just comes along once in a lifetime. @nanzo-scoop ... If you're ever in Vegas for a UFC fight, I'll get ya some tickets! :)
nice videos sir like ur always videos
Please make it happen! Brock Lesnar is Suspended though. This Match would be Epic!
I could easily see Dana White offering enough money to get Lesnar to do that fight.
Dana white will be all over this like white on rice...... Pun intended lol
Hahaha. Brock lesner will defeat him.
Great videos! thanks for shairing @fkofficials
I'm glad he got the "W". But with all the bad blood and Jones looking for a fight with a heavy weight..... well why not Cain Velasquez?
He can be like Daniels big brother and go fight for him after crying on his shoulder for a while. That seems alot more interesting to me than fight Brock Lesner.
Bones is the King. He just let DC borrowed the belt. Hope to see Bones vs the Mauler 2, or Lesnar is a bit better deal.
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I agree with you