Did Jones really decide to stand with Santos?

Natesblackshirt

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I’ve heard this many times at this point and I think it’s bs. A calculated fighter like Jones didn’t just decide to stand with Santos to prove a point.

To begin, Jones was 0/1 on takedown attempts in the first round so he did try at least once. There were also just over 100 strikes thrown in the whole fight. (Jones-59 Santos-43) The way I see it Jones felt Santos’s power and simply didn’t want to risk getting knocked out on the way in.

Sure it’s possible he could have dominated him on the ground if he tried more but the current logic makes Jones sound like Justin Gaethje or something when from what I saw Jones was simply very tentative that night out of fear of Santos’s power.

Thots?

edit: Jones also landed most of his strikes to the legs and body so that also supports the idea he was scared to stand anywhere near the pocket with Santos homie.
 
Jones would NEVER lie to make himself look better. How dare you imply that!
 
Agree with you TS,
Jones isn't the one to play stupid games like these. He probably had too much respect for Santos' power and therefore chose to stay out of closer ranges for the most part, resulting in so few takedown attempts.
 
All i know is its a damn shame thiago blew his knee out. That fight was going to get good. Santos came to fight.
 
I will give Jones credit, he has a great poker face. Did you see him being carried out on one leg? He was hurt really bad that fight, and did a great job of hiding it. If he had 2 good legs he would have taken it to the ground. Santos was probably closer to winning that fight than anyone truly realized.(including Santos)
 
He played it incredibly safe like he did against OSP. Didn’t want to risk damage or getting KO’d
 
I remember Jones saying that he was scared of something coming up the middle and knocking him out. Masvidal vs Askren was earlier in the night so that might have spooked him.
 


Downright terrified

<JonesLaugh>

That didn’t prove anything he was literally moving away from him and just threw and elbow up as a counter strike that caught Santos the same way he was worried about getting clipped, while coming in.
 
He didn't make any takedown attempts. There were times Santos was on the ground but Jones let him stand up. Jon faced a 20 year Muay Thai veteran and beat him at his own game. Goes to show you how talented and gifted Jon Jones really is.
 
I have to wonder if it was his ego in play.

Jones has probably the best fight IQ of any fighter other than GSP. Yet he has taken a ton of public flack and ridicule.

Santos doesn't have the best TDD and Jones had a vast reach advantage. Guys like Anthony Smith were able to take Santos down.

Perhaps he feels he has to prove he is the best playing to his opponents strengths? Kind of stupid but we have seen what Jones does in rematches. I expect if they fight again, Jones will say fuck it, take him down and finish him.
 
Jones and his coach are ALL about strategy and gameplan, no way he decided to not wrestle because is stupid, anyway for how the fight finished (Jones arguably won) was not exactly a good strategy.
 
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Its hard for me to believe the guy with the best fight iq in the world wouldnt recognize he was dealing with a dude with 2 busted pegs.

Maybe he was having an off night , had a cold , had a nightmare the night before about getting caught , or maybe he really did want to stand and strike. I think Jones is a bit of a headcase and with him there is really no tellin
 
Not sure about proving a point...

I think it relates more to how champions should fight, ie take no unnecessary risks and make the challenger beat you.

He finished Gus when the title was vacant.

Two defenses and two decisions since he is now the champion again.
 
I think the best way to neutralize a fighter with one shot KO power is to put him or her on their back. GSP fought lots of guys with KO power and took them down so maybe Jon isn't as good at TDs as some think?
 

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