Is Jones becoming a "GSP like" champ?

[rerun406]

They were both better finishers early in their careers due to their talent relative to the level of competition. Once you're the champion, you're fighting higher level opponents who are harder to finish and who have done nothing but aim at the champ. It's all about the competition at the upper echelons.

bolded statements are certainly true, but when Jones won the title in 2011 and defended it 2 more times that year (vs Rampage and Machida) Jones was able to finish both men.

I'll give it a couple more fights before Jones becomes the LHW GSP, but some of the framework to make that comparison is there, particularly the limited urgency to finish

while their is truth that Cormier has never been finished, the last 2 rounds Jones just seemed okay with clinching against the fence and riding out the clock. He did score a couple takedowns but Bones didn't want to take risks to possibly finish the fight

from a strategic standpoint I get it, why take risks when you already have the fight sealed. but from an entertainment standpoint, a little disappointing. Look at the title fight vs Rampage, which Jones had in control and he went out and got the finish

the next fight for Jones will be the real indicator as he's made some comments that he'll be training in the off season this time and Jones wants his next fight to be a better performance (in his own words his best) so I want to see if their is truth to it, or it's the same ra ra crap we hear fighters say time and time again.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

This guy actually thinks it's "easy" to finish Daniel Cormier.

in rd 4? The easy part is in context. DC was dead tired and did practically nothing that entire rd. Jones went for a half assed guillotine and then let go of it and was content on just holding him there.

I think Jones could've finished him there by TKO, at that point, Jones would have to just keep hitting him and the ref would've stopped it.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

bolded statements are certainly true, but when Jones won the title in 2011 and defended it 2 more times that year (vs Rampage and Machida) Jones was able to finish both men.

I'll give it a couple more fights before Jones becomes the LHW GSP, but some of the framework to make that comparison is there, particularly the limited urgency to finish

while their is truth that Cormier has never been finished, the last 2 rounds Jones just seemed okay with clinching against the fence and riding out the clock. He did score a couple takedowns but Bones didn't want to take risks to possibly finish the fight

from a strategic standpoint I get it, why take risks when you already have the fight sealed. but from an entertainment standpoint, a little disappointing. Look at the title fight vs Rampage, which Jones had in control and he went out and got the finish

the next fight for Jones will be the real indicator as he's made some comments that he'll be training in the off season this time and Jones wants his next fight to be a better performance (in his own words his best) so I want to see if their is truth to it, or it's the same ra ra crap we hear fighters say time and time again.

This is what I mean when I say I think Jones could've finished DC in rd 4 and rd 5. Jones pretty much laid on him the entire 5th rd.

I understand Jones is tired, but at that point, any kind of sustained offense would've probably halted the bout because DC had nothing.

 

[J180]

This fail ass thread and posts

Jones said in the post-fight conference that Randy pretty much leaned on people his whole career, and he's a legend. It's a comment that seems to have been pretty universally overlooked.

Yeah Jones is a little too content to just ride an advantage. He has some great finishes but in the last few years it's just MWs. He's obviously capable of more, but he seems content to ride the decisions a bit.

No question he's the LHW GOAT, but his grindy decisions are not performances you want to rewatch or anything.

You don't think he should have finished Glover?

I agree that he seems to not go for the throat when he has the chance. I saw the same thing in the Glover fight.

5th Round, with the win already in his pocket. But still went out and fought like this:

What fight did he settle in? He went after Gus, and Glover (Who kept spitting out his mouth piece when in trouble).

All you have is DC left, which was a grinding type fight and he beat him at his own game.

Nothing like GSP.

 

[ligthandshadow]

Jones looked for submissions last night and threw strikes, but I think taking down the Olympic wrestler and beating DC mentally was more his game... he landed a lot of strikes to the body that hurt and slowed DC and made the win possible.

It is hard to finish someone when they are getting inside and clinching (like DC was doing)... but I don't know if I would say he is just looking to ride a decision... he is winning rounds, but when the finish is there he takes it.

 

[DeathByBeer]

GSP along with playing it a little too safe, also made his opponents go into full defense mode after every single thing they tried just got them put on their back or an elbow to the face.

Is Jones getting so good that thats what happening here?

DC certainly did nothing to break the final stalemate that everyone blames on Jones....Just too gas'd and beaten to do anything about offence.

....more to this than most can see obviously.

 

[dawnslayer]

even when gsp was touted as boring you could count on him to sell ppvs. he didn't even have to make drama, but when he did he broke a mill buys [diaz]

i thought jones popularity peaked at rashad. waiting on the ppv numbers for this to see if i was wrong.

so far he's been a draw but a dissappointing one. honestly i have no clue why - he's dominant and american, people should be flocking to see him a la money mayweather.


maybe jones has been marketed all wrong from the get go. not sure. i mean his greatest battle was the war against gus and that was like 300k buys or something, pathetic for a champ of his caliber, and i think a lot has to do with the way he hasnt been promoted.

 

[ligthandshadow]

Yeah, I honestly though DC was going to try to KO JBJ in the final round, but instead he seemed like "I've lost, so I will try to get a takedown for my own ego" and it didn't make for a great round.

 

[s karlyle]

Same could be said for GSP as far as the level of competition. Perhaps wanting to stay champion is the driving force behind playing a safer game.

Basically. Bones is certainly not as a fun fighter to watch as he use to be.. But it's like you just said.

 

[Rittsy]

You guys have watched more then one Jon Jones fight, right? Where was he trying to grind out a decision vs. Glover or Gustafsson? DC's whole strategy, which he was very public about, was to grind out a victory and exhaust Jones. Jones just did it to DC.

 

[s karlyle]

Who would have figured smart game-planning and wanting to keep a belt worth millions would come into play?

Just out of curiosity, what is it you think coaches and camps do when coming up with a game plan? Tell their guy ignore the areas where they can dominate the opponent and instead purposely do the one thing that would give the other guy any chance to win?


Like i said, no half-assing it on Sherdog

Bro... I know. I understand completely. But damn dude I just want him to exchange a little bit so I could see what gsp was about! I think gsp was injured or something that fight so it is what it is. But I'm saying bones is still more exciting than gsp. Even though he tuned down his style.

 

[kic**]

The trend suggests yes. None of his strikes had truly bad intentions on them.

 

[Fro]

Jones still takes a bunch of risks unlike GSP later on in his reign who would do the safest stuff possible in each situation.

 

[kurtwpg]

My great regret for GSP was the Dan Hardy fight. He finished with a long streak of decisions and surely could have broken that up near the middle with a little more aggression.

 

[ermac88]

I think GSP said it best and I'm paraphrasing.
"This isn't easy"

 

[J180]

You guys have watched more then one Jon Jones fight, right? Where was he trying to grind out a decision vs. Glover or Gustafsson? DC's whole strategy, which he was very public about, was to grind out a victory and exhaust Jones. Jones just did it to DC.

Exactly, this thread proves how delusional some get. And a Mod came in here actually agreeing, wow!

 

[MrCarano]

Yes, he is. He's becoming less flashy, and pacing himself and not trying to berserk his opponent. There are shades of GSP.

That said, it's not up to Jones to entertain. He's there to win. If fans have a beef, they can complain with their wallets (by not buying his fights). People still bought GSP fights, they still buy Floyd Mayweather fights, so these guys have had no incentive to change.

Also, fans are fickle and hypocritical. They love when guys like Anderson Silva and Manny Pacquiao take risks when they fight, but shit all over them when it backfires and they get knocked out.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

I feel it's more the caliber of opponent is slightly higher, at least in two of the three cases. DC and Gus are just that good. They're tough to finish and took everything the champ gave 'em.

Jones handled Glover pretty handily, so that's the only one I'd really say I felt like he was coasting at any point. Not sayin' he played it safe, but i feel he could have pressed a bit more in this fight.

 

[swole420]

Most finishes in UFC lhw history

 

[Navy_Chief]

Exactly, this thread proves how delusional some get. And a Mod came in here actually agreeing, wow!

Perhaps because there is merit to the opinion. Posting what amounts to 10 seconds of a 5 round fight does not disprove the theory, in fact it may prove my point.