UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans

[Turd Ferguson]

[YOUTUBE]WZ9cBX3WZEU[/YOUTUBE]

Main Card (PPV)

• Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans
• Welterweight Bout: Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills
• Heavyweight Bout: Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell
• Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald
• Featherweight Bout: Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin
• Lightweight Bout: Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio

Preliminary Card (FX)

• Heavyweight Bout: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs
• Welterweight Bout: Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
• Lightweight Bout: John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani
• Lightweight Bout: Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

• Welterweight Bout: Keith Wiesnewski vs. Chris Clements
• Featherweight Bout: Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage

Let's be honest, this is a card that's really only about one fight. But the fight between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans is a fight that's a year in the making. It's an actual grudge match, and it pits the true #1 and #2 in the division against each other. This is a huge fight, with a huge storyline, and I can't wait for it.

Words can't describe how big this fight is. The story between these two is well documented at this point. Rashad was the long-time training partner of Jon Jones, his friend, and his mentor. It wasn't until Diego Sanchez accidentally (or was it?!) injured Rashad during a practice session, forcing him out of his title fight against Shogun Rua, allowing Jones to swoop in and get the shot. Speculation that the two would eventually have to fight was nonstop from the media, and Jones said that if it came to that point, he would do it. This offended Rashad, and here's our fight.

Not many people are giving Rashad a chance in this fight. I think he has a good to great shot of pulling off the upset, and I actually like him to win here. Not enough people give him his due as being one of the best in the world, and his record absolutely speaks for itself. Rashad is the total package where he has one punch KO power, and dominating top control. We're still trying to answer some questions about Jones. He certainly didn't like getting hit by Machida when he got to him in their fight, and we still have no idea how he's going to react to getting taken down. Chances are, there will be a time when Rashad plants him on his back. Rashad is also pretty quick with his takedowns, and they're powerful. I could easily see this being a five round wrestlefucking. Furthermore, Rashad has exceptional footwork. He got caught against Machida, whose attack on Rashad was also fast and furious in their fight. Jones isn't exactly quick on his feet.

The more I think about this fight, the more I think Rashad will pull it off. If Rashad wants to get you to the ground, he's going to plant you there. I've got Rashad by KO in the third.

The rest of the main card is filled with showcase fights. The co-main event is Rory MacDonald vs. some guy. Brendan Schaub will likely knock Ben Rothwell out of the UFC. I have no clue who Eddie Yagin is, it's totally a fight to get Hominick back on track.

One fight I'm really excited about is Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald. Torres is still a top Bantamweight, and McDonald is 21 years old, and the future at 135. If you haven't seen McDonald fight yet, he's well-rounded in every facet of MMA and has terrifying KO power, probably the best in the division. If McDonald keeps this standing, he has this won. He should avoid going to the ground where Torres is an animal. Regardless, this should be your Fight of the Night. Really, really looking forward to this fight.

Bocek-Alessio, honestly, who cares.

I feel that the FX Prelims have more interesting fights than most of the fights on the main card.

Travis Browne will look to stay undefeated against Chad Griggs. Griggs is nothing special, neither is Browne, but Griggs has a knack for winning fights he has no business winning. It should be a sloppy Heavyweight slugfest.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson is going to be a great fight as well. Brown always comes to fight, and Thompson is coming off an incredible KO of the year candidate. Thompson is the guy who is the protegee of Chuck Norris and went 57-0 in Kickboxing. He's a top prospect at Welterweight, and Matt Brown is a real good test for him.

John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani should be another fun fight as well between two guys who have serious kickboxing credentials.

Danzig-Escudero is another who cares fight between two bust TUF winners. Probably a loser goes home fight.

 

[Pedigree1]

Lets face it there is only one fight on this card worth talking about

Schaub will KO Rothwell out of the UFC!! I like mark Hominick respect the hell out of the dude he should win (RIP Shawn Tompkins)I think Marks head is okay in this one he should easily win!!

Miguel Torress vs Michael Mcdonald!! I have no idea what the hell has happened to Torres at one time he was the badass of the 135 division!! Unbeatable at one point but he better be careful Mcdonald can Knock anyone out in this division!! Torres better get this to the ground ASAP or Mcdonald will win this fight running away.

Rashad V Jon Jones!! Rashads last fight was totally unimpressive to say the least!! He dry humped phil davis to a decision and we all know what jon jones did to Machida!! Interesting matchup here I am picking Jones to win i kinda like his smugness in a way hes not as cocky as rashad is but cocky!! Rashad is a beast of a wrestler and has great standup (look at UFC 88 he put the iceman to sleep i mean he put his ass to sleep) but rashad only chance in this one is to GNP!! Get JOnes to the ground and rough him up take his spirit away leg kick him to disable his speed advantage!!

Use the cage rashad but for jones to win use his reach and his totally unorthodox standup. Jones is something out of a video game spinning elbows backfist and he totally demolished hamil at his own game. I pick jones to win by stoppage in 4th round

 

[BaconBits]

I think Rashad beats Jones. He's got a significant speed advantage and has adapted his wrestling to mma better than anybody else in the UFC. He's actually become a much better fighter since leaving the fabled Jackson camp in terms of rounding out his game. He's also got a knack for pulling out the fights he's supposed to lose.

But if Bones wins, I won't be surprised either.

I think McDonald beats Mills in what will resemble a snuff film.

Brendan Schaub isn't quite as good as the rather significant hype behind him, but he's much better at this point in his career than Ben Rothwell. I think Schaub uses his superior boxing and athleticism here and takes a lopsided decision, as Rothwell is tough as nails and will likely survive all three rounds.

I hope Torres jumps back on the hog gets a win here, but I'm not so sure it's going to happen. He just isn't the killer he once was and McDonald is a very game opponent.

Mark Homnick should and will look very impressive.

I think Bocek smokes Alessio. Bocek is extremely underrated IMO.

I think Griggs beats Browne, ending another prospect's hype train. He's got an ugly style and all, but he hits like a fucking truck and has great cardio for a heavyweight.

Matt Brown picks up the victory in a keeping busy fight.

I hope Njoukani gets back on the winning side, as he is fun as hell to watch. Unfortunately, his wrestling still isn't up to snuff and I'm never confident in his ability to win. I think Makdessi will look to take the fight down after getting hit a couple times. Let's hope he doesn't though.

I think Escudero beats Danzig in a fight nobody really cares about. And it'll show during said fight that even the fighters involved don't care about it.

 

[Fizzy]

He's got a significant speed advantage

So did Machida. Didn't help him much.

and has adapted his wrestling to mma better than anybody else in the UFC.

Not quite.

Who will win? I don't know, but my money is on Jones. He's simply to big and long for Rashad. Rashad needs to cover such a large distance all while avoiding Jones's strikes and takedown's. Rashad will have so much to think hard every time he wants to throw a punch and that will undoubtedly make him somewhat hesitant and he cannot be hesitant against Jones or he will never hit him. If Rashad comes in and brings the fight to Jones, he has a chance, however small it may be, to hit Jones, and we all know Rashad have power in those hands. He will need to use his speed to take advantage of every single opportunity to hit Jones, because he will not have many.

So what does Rashad do when if he cannot hit Jones? Rashad has shown he has very good wrestling. He's fast and has a heavy, strong base. That said, much like in the striking department, he will need to bypass the reach of Jones's legs and arms to secure a takedown. Jones has very good kicks to keep his opponents at bay as well as well timed, accurate knees. Even if Rashad gets close enough to clinch Jones, that is arguably Jones's best, most dangerous position. Jones is a Greco-Roman wrestler who is extremely deadly in the clinch. If Rashad does manage to clinch with Jones, he needs to get a takedown at all costs because if he allows Jones to break the clinch, Rashad will eat jabs, kicks, and knees much like Shogun.

In my mind, Rashad must fight the absolute perfect fight to beat Jones. He needs to come into the cage with no fear and absolute confidence in himself and his skills. He needs to bring the fight to Jones as soon as the bell rings. He cannot sit back and be hesitant or he will get picked apart. Every opportunity he gets, he needs to be up in Jones face throwing bombs. That is the only way Rashad will have any success standing with Jones. To get a takedown, Rashad needs to avoid putting Jones up against the cage. Against the cage, Jones can work his trips and throws as well as some of his crazy spinning elbows and everything else he has in his arsenal. I think the only way to beat Jones is by KO. He is simply to dangerous to try holding down for five rounds and to good to outpoint on the feet.

The next fight is a showcase for Rory. Che is a good striker with big power, but his grappling is non-existent. Rory should throw him around the cage with much ease.

I hope this fight ends in a double KO. I hate Schaub and I don't think Rothwell is UFC material. Rothwell is a zomby so I don't see Schaub KOing him and Schaub has a weak chin, so maybe Rothwell can KO him? I don't really care enough to break this down.

Hominick will beat this guy, whoever he is. Hominick is better than he showed in the KZ fight and should show that here.

 

[jmt225]

Rashad Evans is definitely Jon Jones' toughest test yet.

Evans is probably the only person in the division who matches Jones' in all of speed, athleticism, and wrestling credentials. Striking wise you have to give the edge to Jones because of his reach advantage and his intelligence on using it properly, and Submission wise you have to give the advantage to the black belt, Rashad Evans. It's a fairly even match-up.

It's an impossible fight to call, but my gut feeling has Rashad winning a very close fight via decision. I think Rashad will be able to trick Jones with his mixing of faints, strikes, and takedown attempts, and be able to catch him off guard here and there, take the fight to the ground and control the round, stealing them by being on top. I hope Rashad doesn't just lay there and looks for submissions, though. Obviously Rashad should know where Jones is vulnerable at on the ground considering how many times they've grappled together, so maybe we'll see Rashad exploit a weakness of Jones on the ground and catch him with something.

Then again, maybe Jon Jones is truly unbeatable at Light Heavyweight for now. Maybe he goes in there and puts on yet another dominating performance. If he dominates Rashad then I don't see myself picking against him again anytime soon.

Hopefully it's just a great fight, because this as said is a one fight card. Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills should be a great fight too, but they're not really names yet. And the rest of the card is God awful. I won't be ordering this one, but I do hope the Jones/Rashad lives up to expectations for the good of the sport regardless. I'm rooting for Rashad to "shock the World," but I won't be upset if he doesn't. Jones is a good dude and a great champion, so it's impossible to wish any ill will on him, but I just like Rashad a tad bit more now that he's finally become an aggressive fighter.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Quick thoughts on last night:

I've already stated this in its own thread, but Jon Jones is the best Pound for Pound fighter today, and I think you could even say he's the greatest of all time. I thought going into this fight, Rashad would pull off the upset because he's so proficient on the ground and has one punch knockout power. We still didn't know how Jones would operate off his back, and we all knew Rashad would manage to crack him, and you could tell he didn't like getting hit by Machida. Not only did he stuff each one of Rashad's takedown attempts, but he made him pay by almost choking him on one occasion, and really getting to him, making him eat shots the other times. Rashad cracked him a few times, and he recovered just fine. He didn't finish Rashad, but dominating the second best light heavyweight in the division like did throughout the entire fight is still extremely impressive. Rashad has never been dominated like that. Some will call it boring, I thought it was still a very good fight regardless.

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills went pretty much how you'd expect it to go in what was primarily a showcase fight for MacDonald. Mills did get to MacDonald in the standup, but MacDonald remembered Mills was British, took him down, and that was pretty much all she wrote. Some brutal ground and pound showcased by MacDonald, and I think giving him the Hendricks vs. Koscheck winner makes a lot of sense to see where he really is. MacDonald is too talented to be facing middling fighters like the Mike Pyles and Che Millses of the world. And honestly, I thought Joe Silva messed up here and should have switched Che Mills and Matt Brown around on this card. Mills' face after the first round... good god.

I think it's time to give up on Brendan Schaub. Dude cannot take a punch and Ben Rothwell, who really has no business in the UFC, gets a stay of execution.

Michael McDonald... what more can you say? He's ready for a title shot now and I believe he could beat either Cruz or Faber. That is some serious KO Power, and he's only 21 years old. He is going to dominate 135 for years to come and become the face of that division. I didn't expect him to run through Torres the way he did.

I really can't comment on the first two fights on the main card. Bocek vs. Alessio made me fall asleep and luckily I woke up during Hominick/Yagin, but I was brewing up some coffee during that fight.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Yeah this card was really only about one fight, the others were decent but couldnt hold a candle to the main event. Brimmage vs Blanco went just about how I expected, Blanco was riding some crazy hype that I thought was a bit undeserving but he did bring it, unfortunatly for him Marcus brought a little more.

Glad to see Danzig, Njkouani and Brown win, didnt really care for the fights but glad they won. Bocek won his fight no problem, I feel bad for Alessio but hopefully in his next fight he finally gets a win in the promotion, 5th time's a charm eh?

I hated seeing Hominick lose, Yagin came to fight and put on a great show. I cant help but think that were it not for the recent loss of Mark's trainer Shawn Tompkins that he may have been more focused and pulled it off, but if you have an off day in the octagon it'll cost you.

I am officially on the Mcdonald fan train, this guy has been entertaining as hell since he came to the UFC but I wasnt sure what would happen when he got in there with a top level guy, and he passed that test with flying colors. He kicked ass and I loved the KO, sure it isnt the Torres of old that he beat but he's still a tough ol guy and a true veteran, cant wait to see whats next for this guy.

Rothwell is back in the mix baby! Oh ive been waiting so long to say that, I loved seeing Big Ben come in looking bettter than ever fight wise and physique as well, he really slimmed down and put on some muscle. Awesome KO and loved that it was Schaub on the recieving end.

Rory Macdonald is scary good folks, he made Che Mills look like a little girl in their co main event match up. He dominated and frankly I see him right up there with Ellenberger waiting for the winner of GSP-Condit, hell of a promising fighter.

And ofcourse the main event of the evening, Jones and Rashad had a great fight and although Jones was the clear winner he got the toughest fight of his career and might have come close to losing his title courtesy of rashad's heavy punches and kicks. Now if he beats Hendo in september he'll pretty much have the division wiped out, things are looking good for Jon Jones. Rashad got knocked down a peg but I could see him winning some more and then getting another crack at Jon.