Jon Jones is still a kid. Try to get your mind around that for a second.
The athletic, 6-foot-4 dude with the 84-inch reach who tosses around high-level opponents like rag dolls. That guy. He’s really just a child trapped in a Greek god’s body.
Jones announced his exit from UFC 159’s post-fight press conference Saturday night in Newark by telling the gathered media, “later, gators.” When he found out the big toe of his left foot suffered a compound fracture, he lamented that he wouldn’t be able to go on a planned vacation to Jamaica.
Jones, 25, is goofy, immature. He’s also going to be the greatest MMA fighter in the history of the sport.
Look at what he’s done in just two years. He manhandled “Shogun” Rua in March 2011 at Prudential Center to become the youngest UFC champion ever. Then he ran through three former light heavyweights champs – “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans. In October, the destroyed Vitor Belfort and Saturday night back at Prudential he bullied, battered and embarrassed Chael Sonnen at Sonnen’s own game.
That one loss on his record? An inexplicable disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009 when he was penalized for dropping 12-6 elbows on Hamill’s head. Hamill would have been done in moments if Jones was hitting him with open-handed slaps.
Jones tied Tito Ortiz’s record of five light heavyweight title defenses by beating Sonnen. Someone asked White if that makes Jones close to becoming the best 205-pound fighter in UFC history. White couldn’t help but crack a smile. He knows the deal. Jones was the best light heavyweight to step in the Octagon last year. Maybe in 2011. Even Anderson Silva wasn’t this good this quickly.
Ortiz’s first title defense came against some guy named Yuki Kondo. His third came against Elvis Sinosic, who finished his MMA career with a losing record. Ortiz was superb for his time; he’s not even in the same universe as Jones as far as skills.
And scarier yet? Jones hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential.
Jones joked Saturday night that he’s more grown up, more mature now than he was in New Jersey two years when he won the title. He’s engaged now, he said, has brought another child into the world.
His goatee connects – barely.
His full game has not. Not yet. When it does, he’ll be the best who’s ever done this.
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Michael Bisping continues to look impressive in every victory that isn’t a title eliminator. I used to think Bisping was overrated. Some people says he’s underrated. In reality, he’s neither. Bisping is ranked right where he’s supposed to be – ahead of everyone except the very best of the middleweight division. That will probably not ever change. He’s the UFC’s gatekeeper to the stars and, you know what, he’s made a pretty good living that way.
Bisping’s boxing looked crisp in a decision win over Alan Belcher. He owned the final two rounds before poking Belcher in the eye accidentally, resulting in the end of the fight. Let’s hope Belcher is OK. That right eye has been operated on multiple times due to a detached retina. What terrible luck to have another incident with it. The first injury almost ended Belcher’s career.
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How can you not love Roy Nelson? He comes into the Octagon with a beer belly, mullet and ratty beard and proceeds to knock out everyone except the very top guys in the heavyweight division. He absolutely unloaded on Cheick Kongo with an overhand right Saturday night. UFC president Dana White says he and matchmaker Joe Silva are targeting a bout between Nelson and Cormier next. Sign me up for that. But hide the donuts.
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Phil Davis’ boxing was far better than Vinny Magalhaes’ Saturday night in a decision win. But take that for what it’s worth. That fight would have been 10 times more interesting if it went to the ground – where both men are at their. But Davis fought the fight he needed to fight and kudos to him for that. After an agonizing few days, Davis showed poise in victory. On Friday, an article on TMZ came out showing documents of Davis’ ex girlfriend accusing him of sexual assault and threatening to kill her. The two are battling for custody of their daughter. That sounds extremely ugly.
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Pat Healy and Jim Miller put on the night’s best fight, almost by default. Not that Healy-Miller wasn’t good – it was. The surrounding bouts just left a ton to be desired, which was a fear I had coming in. Healy was probably the biggest winner of the entire card with his submission upset of Miller. He’s the third former Strikeforce lightweight in the last two weeks to look fantastic in his UFC debut after Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 7.
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How bizarre was UFC 159? There were two fights finished due to eye pokes. Sara McMann’s dominant TKO win over Sheila Gaff had to be shown twice on the FX prelims to fill time. The unflappable Bruce Buffer announced Miller as the winner instead of Healy. Nick Catone had to pull out of his fight Saturday morning after being hospitalized due to a rough weight cut. Jones broke his toe in the main event. Does it get weirder? UFC 159 was the Jersey Shore of UFC shows – a train wreck, but you couldn’t look away.