The 35-year-old Jon Jones, from Rochester, New York is one of the biggest names in the world of professional fighting right now. The former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has recently moved up a weight and has taken to it like a duck to water.
He is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion and, in his most recent bout against Cyril Gane, demonstrated why everyone within the sport is so excited about his future as a heavyweight.
A favorite in the online betting due to his devastating speed and ruthless efficiency, Jones has been tipped to dominate the heavyweight division in the coming years.
Are these predictions right? Will Jon Jones continue to brush aside everyone who stands in his way? Read on to find out.(Cyril Gane became the latest in a long list of fighters to prove incapable of stopping Jon Jones.)
Stepping up a division is a challenge for any fighter, regardless of how talented and motivated they are. Undoubtedly there will be hurdles and challenges for Jon Jones to overcome with his step up to heavyweight, but he is well placed to meet those challenges head on.
One of the biggest advantages that Jones has is his height, coming in at 6 foot 4 with a reach of nearly 85 inches, Jones is physically more than capable of competing in the heavyweight division so there’s no chance of him being bullied.
What of his other talents though? Which specific abilities and areas of prowess will serve him well in his bid to dominate the division? Take a look below…
Fighting IQ
Mike Tyson famously said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth, which is true of many fighters. Too many times we see a fighter rigidly sticking to their pre-game tactics even when they are blatantly not working, or we see someone abandon their strategy at the first sign of danger.
Jon Jones is from that special breed of fighter that not only plans meticulously what they are going to do in the Octagon and how to defeat their opponent, but he is incredibly competent at changing up his style and tactics to suit an in fight scenario.
Throughout his career he has demonstrated an ability to not only outfight his opponents, but to outsmart them too. This ability, referred to as many as a ‘Fight IQ’ will stand him in good stead against opponents that may be bigger and stronger than him.
(Jon Jones has one of the most underrated but important attributes in fighting.)
Striking Ability
We are told from an early age that, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’, which whilst it might be comforting to children, isn’t true in a fighting sense. Typically, the bigger the fighter the more punishment they can endure, making it harder for a smaller fighter to take them down.
Fortunately for Jon Jones, he is renowned for his ferocious striking ability and has a destructive leg kick in his arsenal that is more than capable of taking down the biggest and most resilient of fighters.
BJJ Background
One of the reasons you don’t want to be hit with a devastating kick from Jon Jones is because of how painful it is, but another is because of what it means for the future of the fight.
Typically once Jones connects with one of these huge kicks, he knocks his opponent to the canvas before moving in like a Boa Constrictor to finish off his prey.
Jones’ history as a high level wrestler and a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu make him a lethal fighter on the canvas. This will not only serve him well in terms of finish fights, but will give him the edge in evading ground attacks from other fighters.
(Jon Jones shows off his wrestling prowess.)
In Summary: Will Jones Dominate The Heavyweight Division?
The biggest question marks against any fighter moving up a division tend to centre around their ability to inflict damage and adapt to the rigors of a new division. Jon Jones has the ability to answer all of these questions and the talent to overcome any hurdles in his way.
His striking ability combined with his fight IQ should put him in the ideal position to dominate the heavyweight division for years to come and to cement his status as the GOAT.
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