Bigga said:
I agree with some aspects of what you say, but we will never know where Jones would have stood as a pure wrestler as he was forced to quit early. But, even going from the strength game drawn from beating a fourth placed Olympian, I would hazard a guess he would still be pretty good. He's a smart guy, but he's unique in that his methods are stupid/ dangerous, but it pays off for him big style.
I know of no other fighter willing to see how much punishment he can take in order to see the weakness in his opponent; or not the way Jones does it. It's like he works on theories after studying his enemy', tests it out in the ring and changes it if he feels he's wrong.
The only time that came close to backfiring was against Gustafsson, but I believe unless the Big Swede can change his fight style, then he'll be dispatched pretty easily next time, should he come through 'Rumble' (which I doubt). Jones has the measure of the fighter from last time.
As for AJ, both he and Gus will make it a slug fest and 'Rumble' can take a shot and walk through. He'll win that one. Pitching him and Jones will give him a puncher's chance cos of 'Bones' willingness to take the shot to see how deep he can go.
This is where I see the upset.
Yeah you're right we won't ever know, but Cormier was about as elite as they come and at the age Jones was he was much further developed in the wrestling game (Matt Riddle placed higher the Jon at a wrestling meet). Cormier even got close to beating Cael Sanderson! But JJ is a quick learner, he progressed a lot towards the end of his junior wrestling career and its probably actually helped him with his MMA wrestling to not be so engrained into the pure wrestling ethos. The way he controls people isn't pure wrestling, Chael P said that if he caught one of the kids in the class he teaches doing some of the things Jon tries in wrestling, he would have them doing press-ups, but that's what makes JJ great.
Jones is like no other, his height and more importantly the length of his limbs is just an amazing combination, but he uses it brilliantly. Like you say he's willing to put himself into dangerous positions to test himself and that's the Martial Arts spirit at it's core IMO. I don't like him much, he's a bit of a twat, but if he took his attitude away I don't think he would be the same fighter.
I've said it before, I think Gus beat him in the last fight, but you really do get the feeling that Jon would have learnt from that fight and he'll dominate Gus if there is a rematch and it probably won't even be close. I think Gus will outpoint AJ in their fight, his footwork and constant circling will keep him away from the power and the way he sets up takedowns is sweet. AJ is great, but in the past his weakness (as well as ridiculous weight cutting) has been his ground game. Although it was at a different weight and AJ was clearly diminished in the cut, the driving double that Kos used in their fight seems the way to get him down rather than the single that Davies was trying without a setup.
So how do you think JJ would fair against Cain?
