What should Tom's gameplan be against Jones?

[Captain Herb]

He could try to mix in the takedown early in the fight, but it doesn’t make sense for him to blow out his gas tank trying to take down one of the most dominant MMA wrestlers of all time beyond a shot or 2.. That would be a mistake. Keep in mind Jones doesn’t gas out. He gets stronger as the fight goes on.

Sure, he would have to find the right opportunity. If he can get a KD, obviously that would be the best but it could be off the clinch or in a scramble, a naked shot on Jones probably won't work. And as far as Tom gassing and Jones not gassing, we have no idea if that's true. Just because Tom finishes fights in the first couple rounds doesn't automatically mean he's going to gas in the third. Also, because Jones has had good cardio in the past doesn't mean it's still true as an older heavier fighter. If you noticed in the Stipe fight, he only grappled one round and his grappling even at LHW was becoming more and more scarce to the extent that he only tried one TD on Santos had to panic wrestle against Reyes after getting lit up on the feet for 3 rounds. I'm not sure he has the cardio for a grappling-intensive fight at HW. He can try to tire Tom out but I have a feeling he will also be tiring himself out.

 

[michhmoggan]

Punching and kicking

 

[GordonMMARamsey]

it seems like everyone Tom hits gets hurt. We've never really seen Jon get rocked/stunned/dropped. Yeah, Reyes caught him in the chest when he was throwing a kick or whatever and knocked him down but it wasn't like he clipped him and dropped him. It was more perfect timing than hurting him. And we haven't really seen Tom have too many weaknesses. I think they're both absolute monsters and this is one of the most intriguing fights we've had in years. If Jon can use his striking defense to drag the fight out, how much gas does Tom have? And can Jon use his wrestling the way he has in the past to negate dangerous strikers? I think it's a really really close fight and hope we get to see it. It seems everyone is convinced one guy sucks and the other is great though so one of them probably destroys the other or something.

 

[Gregoire1]

One and only gameplan: he will need to pray,that Jones would age overnight

 

[mkess101]

One and only gameplan: he will need to pray,that Jones would age overnight

Judging by how slow Jones looked vs Stipe, looks like Tom's prayers were already answered.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Sure, he would have to find the right opportunity. If he can get a KD, obviously that would be the best but it could be off the clinch or in a scramble, a naked shot on Jones probably won't work. And as far as Tom gassing and Jones not gassing, we have no idea if that's true. Just because Tom finishes fights in the first couple rounds doesn't automatically mean he's going to gas in the third. Also, because Jones has had good cardio in the past doesn't mean it's still true as an older heavier fighter. If you noticed in the Stipe fight, he only grappled one round and his grappling even at LHW was becoming more and more scarce to the extent that he only tried one TD on Santos had to panic wrestle against Reyes after getting lit up on the feet for 3 rounds. I'm not sure he has the cardio for a grappling-intensive fight at HW. He can try to tire Tom out but I have a feeling he will also be tiring himself out.

In situations like this, I always go with the championship level experience. Jones has done it all in the cage against top competition since he was in his early 20s. He doesn’t gas out. I can’t imagine now at HW he’s gassing out. I’d be stunned. He’s just so tactical and nasty in the cage. Each round he’s learning more and more about you.

 

[Gregoire1]

Judging by how slow Jones looked vs Stipe, looks like Tom's prayers were already answered.

Yep, so slow, that he punched and kicked former HW champion (who in his prime was much much much better than unproven Gane-esque bum Aspinall) 104 times for incomplete 3 rounds.

 

[seanb1979]

Knock him out.

Yeah pretty much this. Avoid grappling, use movement to hit with a wide variety of attacks, keep Jones guessing. Jones doesn't have great KO power so Aspinall can work from the outside without too much fear

 

[seanb1979]

Yep, so slow, that he punched and kicked former HW champion (who in his prime was much much much better than unproven Gane-esque bum Aspinall) 104 times for incomplete 3 rounds.

Well yeah? Stipe was much slower. What fight did you actually watch?

 

[Captain Herb]

In situations like this, I always go with the championship level experience. Jones has done it all in the cage against top competition since he was in his early 20s. He doesn’t gas out. I can’t imagine now at HW he’s gassing out. I’d be stunned. He’s just so tactical and nasty in the cage. Each round he’s learning more and more about you.

I don't mean that Jones would gas out, he wouldn't, he's too smart but in order to prevent gassing, he's had to lower his output especially in the grappling department. That's my opinion

 

[burningspear]

Simply get the fucker in the cage, the rest will play out ..

 

[Intermission]

Eye poke and 2 low blows? Or 2 eye pokes and a low blow? Clearly Jon has been using fouls in just about every fight, he's admitted it. Why has not one person tried this on Jon? Why not beat him as his own game and use Jones gameplan but more effectively?


I know one thing, I wouldn't even care if Tom got disqualified trying this out. If you only lose a point, it's totally worth it. If Jones says he can't see and the fight is stopped, still worth it

Punch his lights out

 

[mkess101]

In situations like this, I always go with the championship level experience. Jones has done it all in the cage against top competition since he was in his early 20s. He doesn’t gas out. I can’t imagine now at HW he’s gassing out. I’d be stunned. He’s just so tactical and nasty in the cage. Each round he’s learning more and more about you.

He didn't gas out at LHW. He's now older with a beer gut. He's had 2 HW fights, one where Gane quit early at the first sign of adversity, and one that was mostly one way traffic vs the ghost of Stipe. I don't think we can say for sure that Jones cardio is the same now as it was in his prime. It **might** still be great (no weight cutting, etc) but he's a different guy with a different body so it's still pretty unknown.

 

[mkess101]

Yep, so slow, that he punched and kicked former HW champion (who in his prime was much much much better than unproven Gane-esque bum Aspinall) 104 times for incomplete 3 rounds.

"In his prime". Dude...you literally owned yourself.

First, you have no idea if prime Stipe is better than Aspinall. None. More proven? Sure. Better? Eye test says no to those of us that know what we're watching.
But more importantly, Jones didn't beat up a guy in his prime. He beat up an even slower 42 year old coming off almost a 4 year layoff (in a fight where he was brutally KO'd).

If you don't think Jones looked slow and far from his own prime, it's because you don't want to see it. Was he faster than the utterly washed version of Stipe who wanted one more big payday and then instantly went back into retirement? Sure. That's not saying a whole lot though, sport.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Turn the fight into a car crash

 

[djacobox372]

His best chance would be to offer jon no warmup period, just go after him with all he has.

 

[m249viking]

Stay out of eye poke range. Either way out or way in

 

[USA!USA!]

twist his dick

 

[KO Shotz]

He'll lose a striking battle all day everyday against Jones. If he can defend the takedown & can get Jon to the ground then he'll have a chance to win.

 

[snaportap21]

Eye poke and 2 low blows? Or 2 eye pokes and a low blow? Clearly Jon has been using fouls in just about every fight, he's admitted it. Why has not one person tried this on Jon? Why not beat him as his own game and use Jones gameplan but more effectively?


I know one thing, I wouldn't even care if Tom got disqualified trying this out. If you only lose a point, it's totally worth it. If Jones says he can't see and the fight is stopped, still worth it

Tom just has to set up that 1-2 he’s fantastic at. I’m curious as to the other offensive striking tools he has in his arsenal. He’s only had to use that same combo to take out the vast majority of his competition.