If Jones never fights again, is this the most underwhelming retirement of all time?

[icemun]

Every month that passes it becomes more and more likely Jones will never fight again. Im thinking of Anderson's last fight in the UFC and how that whole event was basically a send off ceremony for him. How GSP's retirement was big in terms of people (media, fans, sherdoggers) just constantly bringing him up.

Jones just went away via Twitter and that's it. Pretty underwhelming for such a dominant champion.

It would be a horrible exit.

Arguable the best fighter in history just walking away without announcement

Hopefully hes taking the appropriate time transitioning to HW, not sure being away too long is beneficial for a fighter, but what do I know.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Jones has never knocked people out with his fists. He did however render the HW champion unconscious with his foot.

Many HW's only have one tool because they are so relatively unskilled, thats their fists.
Jones has demonstrated an arsenal of tools to win fights

He was also on PEDs when he fought DC and Jones won't be fighting the HWs you described, he would be fighting guys like Ngannou, Stipe, Gane or Lewis. I think most of them beat Jones and his lack of striking power will be a big problem.

 

[ModernMatt]

Jones is waiting for a more favourable matchup at HW, waiting for Ngannou to lose the belt first

 

[pick999]

He beat someone coming off of 12 wins so not really

 

[humdizzle]

It would be a very bad exit. He kinda just fizzled out. Dominant reign. then two back to back razor thin decisions.

I think he knows he can't beat francis 2.0. He could have fought lesnar, stipe, and francis 1.0 and probably won all of them. but he got busted and missed out.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Yeah, it doesn't work that way. The fighter may add mass, but everyone he is fighting has that mass, too.

Adding 10-15 lbs of mass to your entire body doesn't magically equate to a huge % increase of KO power. Speed, timing and technique have way more to do with that.

Totally agree and I think late career Tito Ortiz is a good example of that. As Tito got older his punching technique got much better and he started hurting people on the feet like Griffin and Bader.

 

[icemun]

He was also on PEDs when he fought DC and Jones won't be fighting the HWs you described, he would be fighting guys like Ngannou, Stipe, Gane or Lewis. I think most of them beat Jones and his lack of striking power will be a big problem.

I doubt fighters just take peds and get off for specific fights

its very naive to believe pro athletes (particulary with 100k or millions at stake) are natty in any sport.

Those HW fighters are all inferior to DC when Jones faced him, you take away the mass discrepancy I dont see what tools they have other than a punchers chance of beating Jones

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Every month that passes it becomes more and more likely Jones will never fight again. Im thinking of Anderson's last fight in the UFC and how that whole event was basically a send off ceremony for him. How GSP's retirement was big in terms of people (media, fans, sherdoggers) just constantly bringing him up.

Jones just went away via Twitter and that's it. Pretty underwhelming for such a dominant champion.

Jon would've kinda just floated into obscurity if he never fights again.

AS had 1 more fight on contract, wanted to fight his last fight and the UFC publicly cut him an 0-3 dark card fighter. Like they couldn't make Shogun vs Silva for a farewell fight for both.

 

[icemun]

Sounds like you're in some major denial. Jones is nothing without his roids. Cope.

No I was responded to what you wrote as just silly.

I really doubt Jones or any fighters just gets on and off peds for particular fights. Thats like saying Lance Armstrong was nothing without peds

MMA has never been like that, six of his opponents have popped. This thinking is just naive

 

[13Seconds]

Jon would've kinda just floated into obscurity if he never fights again.

AS had 1 more fight on contract, wanted to fight his last fight and the UFC publicly cut him an 0-3 dark card fighter. Like they couldn't make Shogun vs Silva for a farewell fight for both.

That's the fucked up part. Well maybe not fucked up since all his missteps, but it kinda says alot.

A fighter of his resume should not just simply float into obscurity. Seems like it will do.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

I doubt fighters just take peds and get off for specific fights

its very naive to believe pro athletes (particulary with 100k or millions at stake) are natty in any sport.

Those HW fighters are all inferior to DC when Jones faced him, you take away the mass discrepancy I dont see what tools they have other than a punchers chance of beating Jones

DC isn't as good at LHW as he is at HW and Jones isn't close to as good as he was when he fought DC either. I don't think LHW DC is better than Ngannou, Stipe or Gane.

Jones hasn't looked good since Gus 2 when he was on PEDs and has struggled to take down LHWs since. I think Stipe, Gane, and Ngannou are all harder to take down than Santos and Reyes and Lewis is most definitely harder to keep down than them.

In most of those fights I see Stipe, Ngannou, Lewis and Gane stuffing Jones' takedowns walking through his weak punches and KOing him.

 

[icemun]

DC isn't as good at LHW as he is at HW. I also don't think LHW DC is better than Ngannou, Stipe or Gane.

Jones hasn't looked good since Gus 2 when he was on PEDs and has struggled to outgrapple LHWs. I think Stipe, Gane, and Ngannou are all harder to take down than Santos and Reyes and Lewis is most definitely harder to keep down than them.

In most of those fights I see Stipe, Ngannou, Lewis and Lewis stuffing Jones' takedowns walking through his weak punches and KOing him.

Again its unlikely fighters just get off and on peds for specific fights, pretty certain thats not how it has ever worked.

DC is one of the best fighters ever and infinitely more skilled than any HW. He's lost one round in his entire HW career and Jones handidly defeat him twice.

HW's rely on punching because being so relatively nonathletic and unskilled, thats all they have at their disposal
It will be interested to see an actually highly skilled fighters with insane fight IQ hop into the HW mix.
Hopefully he does it, and we will see.

 

[icemun]

Not really a retirement just a permanent ban from the sport for being the biggest cheat and the icing on the cake is the fact that he ducked Francis/priced himself out. Facts are facts.

also the fact that he's moving up to HW because the faster LHW were piecing him up so he had to run to HW supposedly.

LOL!
"Jones is afraid of HW"
now
"Jones is afraid of LHW"
lmao!!
Dude stays scared!

 

[jeff7b9]

I have watched MMA for about 25 years. I have never seen a fighter with below average KO power go up a division and all of a sudden have decent KO power in a higher weight class. I find that scenario extremely unlikely.

Daniel Cormier has KO power at HW but didn't ko anyone in his long run at LHW.

KOed prime Stipe and TRT Bigfoot at HW.


As far as someone who only went up in weight, Masvidal had negligible KO power at LW and knocked Darren Till and Ben Askren the fuck out at WW.

Generally speaking you are correct but there are instances where the extra mass helps.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Again its unlikely fighters just get off and on peds for specific fights, pretty certain thats not how it has ever worked.

DC is one of the best fighters ever and infinitely more skilled than any HW. He's lost one round in his entire HW career and Jones handidly defeat him twice.

HW's rely on punching because being so relatively nonathletic and unskilled, thats all they have at their disposal
It will be interested to see an actually highly skilled fighters with insane fight IQ hop into the HW mix.
Hopefully he does it, and we will see.

Based on Jones recent performances compared to Gus 2 and his last fight with DC where he failed drug tests there was a huge difference in his performance. I don't know if he wasn't on PEDs for Reyes and Santos but if he was I doubt he was on as much/as many as he was for DC and Gus.

 

[Ghostpepper]

Is it naive of me that I genuinely believe he’s taking this transition to HW seriously and is just allowing his body to acclimatise to the new weight etc.

Whenever new footage appears of him (which is mainly of him performing in the gym) he’s looking bigger and more appropriate for heavyweight. Playing devils advocate, perhaps we are just not being patient enough?

His shins will never be heavyweight material.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Daniel Cormier has KO power at HW but didn't ko anyone in his long run at LHW.

KOed prime Stipe and TRT Bigfoot at HW.


As far as someone who only went up in weight, Masvidal had negligible KO power at LW and knocked Darren Till and Ben Askren the fuck out at WW.

Generally speaking you are correct but there are instances where the extra mass helps.

DC didn't move up though, he moved down since he started at HW.

Masvidal does seem to fit though.

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Nope. Phillip Miller.

who?

edit: wow he retired undefeated.

Why doesn’t Sherdog suck his dick?

 

[VinceArch]

Hopefully he remains gone, he knows he can't win without a speedball and steroids in his system.

 

[genecop]

Nah, nothing underwhelming about driving around coked up, crashing into random vehicles, and abusing PEDs …that kind of shit gets written about for years..