Dethroning a legend is no easy task, especially for a 24 year old. There are all kinds of expectation and pressure on young fighters who are on their way to the top. Apparently Jon Jones didn't get the memo.
While everyone is busy scrutinizing the defending light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there is something that people seem to be overlooking. Realizing what this man has accomplished and the way he carries himself is truly something to recognize and learn from. The fact that Jones has been so successful while still exhibiting tremendous potential is just scary. Jones is a diligent student of the game and is quickly proving himself as a true champion. The way he conducts himself emulates the likes of classy veterans such as Randy Couture and Matt Hughes, yet his talent is off the charts. The extremely exhilarating style of the lengthy and athletic Jones has caught the world by storm and has brought the young warrior instant and well-deserved stardom.
Certain times a sport brings out a new athlete who is unlike any other in history of the sport. The comparisons, analysis, and immediate criticism engulf the young competitor. Everyone wants to know who this new star is going to surpass in the history books, and what future championship matchup would be the most exciting. For Jon Jones the constant Anderson Silva comparisons and the pound for pound discussion have not stopped. This mixed martial artist is under scrutiny both in and outside of the octagon.
Jones is impervious.
There is something pretty important that people are missing in this situation. While so many were questioning what he needed to do to prove himself and become a legitimate titleholder, "Bones" was busy doing just that. After wrecking his way through Hamill*, Vera, Matyushenko, Jones derailed the hype train of the light heavyweight division when he put away Ryan Bader with utter ease. These wins by the Greg Jackson protégé were just the tip of the iceberg. Jones' consistent decisive finishing of top tier fighters have been impressive while the New York native continues to improve.
The (at the time) UFC light heavyweight champion, and former pride champion Mauricio Shogun Rua was seriously exposed when Jones beat him up at UFC 128. Without hesitation, Jones dismantled Rua like no one had before and Jones became the youngest UFC champion ever. After such an impressive performance, the world of MMA was both in awe giving Jones tons of credit, while also claiming fluke. Without second thought, the always-hungry Jones agreed to his first title defense against Rampage Jackson.
This highly anticipated matchup with the Pride unified champion became curiously heated. Jones appeared to be thrown off by his new adversaries in the built up to this bout, but the secretly unchanged Jones was mentally and physically immersed in training. After long months of stare-down-warfare between the two fan favorites, Jones walked into the Pepsi Center with a relaxed and focused strut. All the hype, talk, and opinions ended for Jones once the cage door shut. He went to work. The champion patiently and explicitly exposed Jackson with dominant striking and footwork. In the fourth round it looked like Jones had been calmly waiting to submit the former champion, when he seamlessly found the rear naked choke to finish Jackson. After fighting two champions (present and former) Jon Jones earned two supremely decisive wins.
Next on Jones' agenda is another former champion, Lyoto Machida. This 205 pounder is one of the UFC's true mysteries and is dangerous in that nature. His style is so difficult for anyone (especially his opponents) to decode. His lighting fast and elusive stand up game had won him victories over Thiago Silva, Shogun Rua, and most famously Rashad Evans. Machida is very similar to Jon Jones and poses the champion his biggest threat yet.
By matching Machida up with the champion, the UFC is making a smart move that would have been an acceptable matchup even before Rampage got his shot. Should Machida actually crack this Jones-code and win back the belt, the division will have a brand new spin. Jones would then be on his way to make a comeback and prove he is still the best, while Machida looks at a number of very intriguing rematches. Jon Jones is a -375 favorite two and a half months in advance of the December 10th title bout. While we can expect this to increase as fight night approaches, Jones is not fazed.
Jon Jones has a clear mind, and the poise of a veteran. He has been drowned in pressure from all angles with everything on the line, and has interminably prevailed. Jones' yin yang personality keeps him Zen in his demanding journey to triumph in this intricate sport of MMA. He puts all assumption, expectation, and opinion aside and he fights. Jon Jones' swagger is something many athletes’ egos detrimentally and subconsciously don't allow themselves to have.
Jones' next endeavor against Lyoto Machida will simply be five more rounds of doing what the champion loves to do. Fight. Jones will prepare and train tirelessly as always, but come December 10th Jones is faced with just another fight.
As the Champion himself puts it, "Don't fight the legend. Fight his body, and see what happens."
No comments:
Post a Comment