...Shogun had torn through Rampage, Lil Nog, Reem and Arona. The final two in one night. Just in case you wanted to make a comparison between him and Bones.
Johnny Bones is the real deal but you cant compare them IMO just yet. Bader, Vera, Vlad, Bonnar to Rampage, Lil Nog, Overeem and Arona :yep
No doubt about it but Rua is an all time great and he is only 29 years old! If he recaptures that form, oh shiiiiiiiit!
Maybe if these recent injuries take their toll, but based on recent performance I don't see how you can say that.
Like Scurla said...that version of Shogun...(the 2005 version)...is long gone. Don't be fooled by his latest victory against Machida. (which is undeniably a solid one)...But it's not the same. Furthermore , even the rules cant be compared. Back in the day , Rua would go crazy with the soccer kicks and stomps and knees on the ground.... This is all gone. (forced to since the UFC doesn't allow it)
Was really shocked at how easily he handled Arona. Arona had looked beast-like against Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva in the previous rounds of that MW tournie.
I would hardly say long gone if he was able to perform like he has in his past 2 fights. I agree that kicks on the ground were a huge part of his game and UFC fighters should thank their lucky stars he can't use them.
I dont think anyone would deny that Shogun has had the better career but does that mean he will win in March? tough fight to predict for me esp when you consider that Shogun is coming off another surgery and has not fought since last May..Plus Jones has run through everyone and has improved so much in such a short period of time..Should be an interesting fight for sure though come March!
Tough to predict. The only thing i know is that Dana and co really want to make this kid their new "it" fighter. Their new anderson silva. He's younger than Anderson and less boring. (to anyone who thinks anderson is always super entertaining , be my guest and watch his fights against Maia , Leites , Cote and the only reason why his fight against Sonnen was entertaining was because his opponent was very active and dominating him the whole time , silva's sub was a nice final touch though)
That was an MMA generation ago. With how Shogun looked against Forrest (who was much bigger), I wouldn't be surprised to see the bigger, faster, stronger Bones ragdoll him. Things in this sport change fast. Just ask Pride GP winner Cro Cop or Fedor. You can dominate one generation of fighters and then get quickly left behind.
I agree with you in a sense but shogun is not really in that older generation he is still a fairly young guy/
But he's had a lot of mileage, especially on his knees, and his best days were fighting in a ring against guys who don't cut 20 pounds to make 205 and with stomps and other tools at his disposal. He's still a darn good fighter and great champion, but I don't think Bones can be wholly discounted (as some folks seem to be doing).
The whole "Shogun's had an exceptional career" basis for him being the more likely to win is starting to annoy me. True, a lot of people are hyping Bones up a lot, but it's as much nostalgia as hype at this point. Who knows what's gonna happen, I certainly don't think Bones is gonna blow Rua out the water because he's walking through everyone but I don't think Shogun's gonna destroy him because of his outstanding achievements. Maybe proper analyzing is needed, instead of "Shogun did this, Shogun did that" because at the end of the day, achievements don't mean **** when they're in the cage.