After his dominating "loss" against Hamill who should he fight next? After seeing him against Hamill, I really think he is a top fighter in that division. I know it might be hard to justify ranking him in the top ten because he doesn't have a lot of fight's and the best person he "beat" was only Hamill. But If I had to be honest, based on just what I see and not on peoples wins and losses, I would rank him 3rd in the division behind Shogun and Machida (that's right, I think he would beat Rashad and Rampage and any other top 205'er). I really think he is that good and he is only going to get better.
I feel like the UFC has to pick who they want to lose to him next and not who they want him to fight next. He's definitely ready for a big name, but who should it be? Maybe Lil Nog?
I would definitley give him somebody at the top to see how he does. I wont jump in and say he could beat one of the best stand up guys in the world like rampage yet.
1st off, Jardine is no stepping stone. He's not consistent, but when he fights well he's a top fighter. He was dangerously close to beating Rampage. Also, I don't know if he will fight him because they now train together at Greg Jackson's camp.
I agree, I didn't symbolize it will in my text but that was meant to be sarcasm. I like Jardine, and like you consider him a top fighter, but lets face it. That is not what the UFC uses him for. He's the scary looking guy who has wins over Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin, so if someone beats him, they must be a contender.
I feel like the UFC has to pick who they want to lose to him next and not who they want him to fight next. He's definitely ready for a big name, but who should it be? Maybe Lil Nog?
Hmm ... somehow I can't see that happening - it'll probably be Forrest v Lil Nog next.
And the thing with Jardine is that now they train together so who knows. Who else is there? Machida is taking on Shogun, Rashad v T.Silva then Rampage. Perhaps Jon Jones v Franklin? assuming he's not going against Cote.
I agree, this kid is going to be champ sooner or later. He is fascinating to watch as a fighter, so unpredictable. I think Jones vs lil nog would be amazing.
I don't see him getting through Lyoto or Shogun in the next 7 years or so. But he will become champion one day but i pretty sure Bones fans have to wait a long long time for it.
I would love to see Jones fight Machida, Shogun, or Anderson. I absolutely would not count him out against any one of those fighters. Some people claimed Machida was the best in the LHW division way before he won the title but he had to prove it to everyone before people ranked him #1. Jon Jones might still have to prove it, but that doesn't mean he can't beat Machida or Shogun already. I don't have any idea how to game plan for Jon Jones. His reach in his arms and legs is not even human and he has great take downs and take down defense, and he seems to have solid jitz. And of course he hasn't even reached his full potential yet as he is just 22. He's just such a monster.
I don't know about Jardine he has always been one of the top dogs but he is a roller coaster. Griffin is a good challenge he sticks to a game plan well and i think he would be a better test then Jardine. I think Jardines ego gets in the way and one of the wacky spinning elbows is just the thing that Jardine would walk right in on.
I think little NOG would be the best fight to setup, he is the best step up for Jones who technically loss and Little nog is out to make a name(although any die hard fan knows he is already established) in the UF. It would be a good test to see if Jones can handle a crafty vet and if Little Nog can handle the new young breed of fighter
Watching that fight, I found myself marveling at the length of Jones. Not only is he tall, but his limbs are so...long. As he becomes more technically skilled, he'll use that length even better than he does now and will become very hard to hit. Combine that with his champion-wrestler pedigree, remarkable creativity, and explosive athleticism, and I think he has a ceiling higher than anyone else in MMA right now.
I agree with those who think that Jones will be champion in 2-3 years. He is like a pre-Hughes GSP in that everyone sees the greatness, but he may take a loss or two while he becomes more polished. And, like GSP, he will be almost unstoppable by his mid-twnties.
Whoever he fights next, I'm looking forward to it. It's refreshing to see a young guy with so much talent who is also humble and respectful. The dude is a class act.
Vera I think is the best choice, he is not super high in the rankings but is a solid fighter and a step up from Hammil IMO. I think he would destroy Jardine and Forrest easily but Veras Muay Thai might give him some trouble but I still think Jones would smash him.
I agree with the fight should have been over long before the illegal elbow(s). That being said, Jones is still a little rough around the edges albeit highly impressive IMO. Vera would be a great match up for him and I think he has enough speed and defense to nullify those legkicks. Jardine would also be a good fight just because of the awkwardness of style. Personally I'd rather see Lil Nog fight Forrest and if Jones gets past his next oppponet the two winners would face off. I also don'tt think the UFC would put of their top prospects up against each other but I would also love to see a Bader/Jones fight.
On a side note, and I may be stretching this a bit, however I think that Jones' style is similar to that of AS, just lacking the precision of the Spider. This dude's potential is scary good and after a couple of fights against some of the Top 10, I wouldn't count him out against anyone in the division.
Now that Tito is locked in for a Liddell fight and we know he won't be fighting Forrest Griffin again soon, I'd match Forrest (or Rich Franklin) against Jon Jones. Big step up in difficulty of opponent but not moving Jones up too quickly (as he has so much potential that it would be a shame to bump him up too quickly and have him fight Little Nog).
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