If you're going to beat Jones, it's going be primarily with striking, not grappling.

[riddleofsteel]

Relying on a single leg shot or high crotch not switching off to a double are low success attacks against a guy significantly taller than you, like 4-6" or more.
Cormier wasn't dynamic in his shots. He seemed surprised in a few finish attempts that Jones wasn't going down - yeah, when the guy is lanky, you lifting his leg to your chest doesn't put him into trouble.

I honestly think that knee injury was worse than let on or Cormier fell so much in love with his single leg shot that he just couldn't switch to anything else (and that is a possibility, that has been a complaint against many international US wrestlers, they fall in love with a move and that is all they do).

 

[blingking]

I maybe crazy but I think DC could do this if given the chance again.

The thing is he stuff Jones takedowns easily in the first 3 rounds but never made him pay for it. And he was hitting Jones with really good shots. He's maybe one or two good punches + getting on top after the slam from being the LHW champion.

 

[Beastman09]

The problem is a wrestling and clinch-centric strategy by the challenger is not favored by the judges in championship fights, UNLESS the challenger absolutely mauls the champion.

Jones showed serious flaws in his game tonight. Cormier backed him up and repeatedly tagged him and Jones' jab was non-existent against an opponent much shorter. Cormier lost this fight more than Jones won it.

 

[Dart Feld]

I once thought the same thing about GSP until I saw Hendricks clinching with him and stuffing takedowns left and right.

There's a grappler out there somewhere that could put Jones on his back, and I think that's how he loses. Maybe not today, maybe not next year, but it would be a lot more legit way to lose than to simply get caught by a hard punch (cause that could happen to anyone)

It's not about Jones getting taken down. What do you do once you get him there?

He's not easy to control or consistently outwrestle no matter the frame, wrestling base, or combination of the two.

He's been addressing his BJJ as well so it's possible that he develops a competent bottom game if he is forced to fight there.

I think down the line Jones is just going to get edged in a decision that will be almost too close to call. You have to be able to stifle his creativity or overcome his creativity with solid fundamentals in boxing. Gus came close but still couldn't stop the varied striking of the kicks and elbowa and that spinning elbow was a major footnote of that great fight.

 

[riddleofsteel]

When Jon leans up against you in the clinch, his legs are so far back that its almost impossible to grab him for a takedown. Alex with his long ass arms didnt seem to have this problem.

That is a big benefit of the cage; Jones got Cormier against it and used his length, hard as hell to fight that off in that position (and a reason guys fight to be the pusher against the fence). That length can be a killer in grappling, I'm rather surprised that Cormier didn't know how to finish on Jones, a lanky guy, figured he would have been training that considering that is a big factor. (lifting and dumping is not the only finish) It is hard to finish takedowns on guys 5-6" difference in height, lankiness on single legs make it hard to finish.
Just like the tall guy trying to shoot in on or pummel in on a guy 4-6" shorter than him, you have to tell with a tree stump.

 

[riddleofsteel]

I maybe crazy but I think DC could do this if given the chance again.

The thing is he stuff Jones takedowns easily in the first 3 rounds but never made him pay for it. And he was hitting Jones with really good shots. He's maybe one or two good punches + getting on top after the slam from being the LHW champion.

It's not about Jones getting taken down. What do you do once you get him there?

He's not easy to control or consistently outwrestle no matter the frame, wrestling base, or combination of the two.

He's been addressing his BJJ as well so it's possible that he develops a competent bottom game if he is forced to fight there.

I think down the line Jones is just going to get edged in a decision that will be almost too close to call. You have to be able to stifle his creativity or overcome his creativity with solid fundamentals in boxing. Gus came close but still couldn't stop the varied striking of the kicks and elbowa and that spinning elbow was a major footnote of that great fight.

How you beat Jones is by doing what Cormier had a lot of success in, collar tie with short punches & upper cuts. Get in close and do the same.
Trouble is that is rough country for 5 rounds and Jones showed he can take a punch, Cormier landed big upper cuts and he ate them. Top boxers don't often eat a few uppercuts in a 10-12 round fight, Jones ate a few or more in almost every round.
And when you shoot a takedown you shoot through for the finish, you don't dally do around.

 

[fleshcross]

I think one of the other problems with Jones (and one of the reasons I enjoy him so much) is he isn't scared to attack an opponents strength, in fact it appears he njoys the challenge of it.

It would have been so much easier in a lot of his fights if he had taken the GSP approach and attacked their weaknesses. The DC fight would have been far more lopsided had he worked his jab and kicks a lot more.

I think that this may be his downfall eventually, as much as I respect his gamesmanship about it (I think it really shows his genuine love and respect of martial arts as a whole).

 

[parzark**]

It would have been so much easier in a lot of his fights if he had taken the GSP approach and attacked their weaknesses. The DC fight would have been far more lopsided had he worked his jab and kicks a lot more

No, it wouldn't have. He has no power and did nothing standing. He fought to his strengths, lean his long, big frame on his opponents against the cage. He has done this against Sonnen, Glover and Cormier. It's his new, standard strategy and his main strength.