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Anderson Silva: I don't think I can defeat Jon Jones

6K views 68 replies 36 participants last post by  sucrets 
#1 ·
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, considered by many the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all-time, doesn't like his chances in a potential superfight with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Speaking in English without a translator at a Monday media luncheon, Silva was asked his opinion of Jones, one of two fighters often named as potential superfight opponents for Silva, along with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

"Jon Jones, in his class, is the best, Silva said. "If I fight Jon Jones, I don't think I'm going to win."

Silva, who puts his UFC record 16-fight win streak on the line when he meets Chris Weidman in the main event of Saturday's UFC 162 in Las Vegas, was asked by MMAFighting why he feels as he does. Silva said that it comes down to seeing a little bit of his younger self.

"Jon Jones is different," Silva said. "He's large. He's young. But, in the fight, I see in Jon Jones, I see myself from a long time ago. He's very smart."

Asked in what ways he might have advantages over Jones if such a fight were to take place, Silva (33-4) gave himself the edge in experience and not much else.

"I don't know," Silva said. "In my opinion, Spider has more experience than Jon Jones, but that's the only advantage."
http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/7/1/4484656/anderson-silva-i-dont-think-i-can-defeat-jon-jones
 
#52 ·
I doubt Jones will gas, his elbows soften up his opponents with every strike to the point you can see them become visibly softer and less in control of their extremities until the fight is over. If Jones is beating on Silva for long expect it to end, it's up to Silva to delay the takedown and deliver an equal amount of punishment before it goes down. Silva being one of the toughest there is can probably only take one round at most two of Jones on top, he's gotta hurt Jones and fast, that being said I expect him to actually try. Silva only really tries quite rarely, in round 2 vs. Okami you saw Anderson trying hard, that Anderson needs to show up against Jones and Weidman. If the fight happens Silva needs to hit Jones once and move, applying the same softening up strategy that Jones does. Hit and move, if he stays too long and gets dragged down without delivering enough damage it's probably fight over even round one. Jones is so good with his elbows that they will even soften up Anderson.
 
#53 ·
I see your view of Jones going technical and picking his elbows once a guy is hurt or panicking.
I disagree with Silva only being able to last one round with Jones on top.

In the second Sonnen fight we saw Silva stopping Sonnen from landing significant strikes. Sonnen dominated him for position but couldnt really land big strikes. Sonnen always has his way against anyone in the division when on top. He definetly has the chance to frustrate Jones and sway him from his gameplan. I have never been a fan of Silva but I respect his skills.
 
#54 ·
The difference between Sonnen and Jones is that you can roll with Sonnen's attacks because he telegraphs nearly everything and punches with volume, an entirely different attack than what Jones uses. He waits for a moment when his opponent leaves a hole, just a split second, and he strikes with his elbows one at a time, each one successfully weakening his opponents Achilles Fist or whatever GSP called it. Each elbow weakens the knees and dulls the senses just a fraction more until his opponent is so overwhelmed he can finish them. Sonnen just attacks like a maniac with no real strategy besides attacking constantly, comparing the two is not a good comparison in terms of being able to finish Silva.

Silva trains on his back to take punches and he is a professional at rolling with punches as can be seen in the video below, elbows when the opponent is leveraging weight is entirely different.



there are many videos like this and it's why he survived Sonnen
 
#56 ·
Please. Having a dude with 84.5 inches of reach in your guard is something no fighter can appreciate till it happens. You cant train for it. There is simply no way to prepare for such freaky dimensions and leverage. The elbows alone almost have the reach of many of Silva previous opponents. Its a black hole with no escape. And thats with Bones in your full guard. God help anybody if they end up fully mounted by Jones.
 
#57 ·
God help anybody if they end up fully mounted by Jones.
I can be wrong, but I think as long as Jones can defend attacks from the bottom like the one which almost cost his belt/arm, I think it is safer for him to stay in the guard and use those ridiculously long elbows you mentioned. Being so tall and lanky, with his center of gravity up there, gives more opportunity to lose the mount position rather than the full guard, IMO.
 
#59 ·
Those brutal elbows he dropped on Matt Hamill came from mount didn't they? Gotta feel for Matt Hamill ending up on the receiving end of those.
 
#64 ·
Anderson doesn't want to fight Jones cause of the size difference and he knows all things being relatively event he bigger man wins, GSP does not want Silva for the same reason and that my freinds is why BJ Penn will always be the man. Mixed results but nobody will ever look back and wonder if he could have done it. But the fact that some have the nerve to question BJ's legacy also explains just what the risk is for a guy like GSP or Anderson to move up.
 
#65 ·
Anderson doesn't want to fight Jones cause of the size difference and he knows all things being relatively event he bigger man wins, GSP does not want Silva for the same reason and that my freinds is why BJ Penn will always be the man. Mixed results but nobody will ever look back and wonder if he could have done it. But the fact that some have the nerve to question BJ's legacy also explains just what the risk is for a guy like GSP or Anderson to move up.
Enters Royce Gracie... :wink01:

 
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