Shogun's my boy but he has a TON of mileage and has clearly lost a step He's knees are shot. Jones represents a stylistic nightmare for Rua. You cant compare his win over Overeem back in PRIDE where the rules really favoured ChuteBoxe fighters. In the octagon he has his work cut out because Jones has a ton of length and uses his elbows very well. Plus he has a great wrestling base and Shogun has always struggled somewhat with strong aggressive grappler's like Coleman back in PRIDE. Jones will become a prototype in the light heavy division you mark my words.
I wouldn't rule that out, because Jones is a special talent for sure. But I hope you're wrong, and I believe in Rua, so I'm sticking with Shogun. I don't think Jones is yet ready to withstand Rua's artillery.
Rua "was" great. Was being the operative word. His lay off was because of injury's and two badly shot knee's. He's not the same fighter he was in PRIDE. Its very clear he's lost a step. Plus the unified rules hamper his style in the Octagon. Rua was able to fight much better in PRIDE because he was in the ring and had foot stomps and soccer kicks which were an integral part of his arsenal. The room that the ring allows was also very complimentary to his style. Vs Bones i dont give him much of a chance.Hopefully im wrong but i just dont see it. I believe he'll be controlled from the mount. Up against the cage and even on his feet. Expect alot of dirty boxing with Rua getting a hiding up against the cage.
Good fight for the fans but bad for Jon Jones. If Shogun wins as I think he will, if will probably be brutal the type of loss a young inexperienced fighter might not recover from mentally. Why not have jon jones fight Machida or Forrest Griffen or Rampage first they would be more suitable opponents to gauge Jones skills better than a up and comer with 9 fights. then fight Shogun. Hate to be all negative about this ****, I do look forward to this fight but you can ruin talent by throwing them to the wolves in this way.
If Rua comes in as motivated & healthy as he did against Machida, I think he can pull it off. Despite Rua being the champion, I see him almost as the underdog. after seeing Jone's performance the guy looks like a hard guy to beat for various reasons. Athleticism, size (reach), strength and skills mixed in with some unorthodox methods make him a tough cookie to crack. Questionable?? Chin? Lets see how he does in taking some solids shots from a top striker like Rua, if Rua can manage to get in range and land and not be taken down. I am looking forward to it... Go Rua!!
The UFC are trying to build Jones into a champion. Thats pretty obvious. His calibre is quite clear and he certainly has the ability and skills to hang with the elite. What are you seeing in Rua's ability post PRIDE that makes you think he can deal with a unique fighter like Bones?
I am gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you sir. Jon Jones is in a bad spot against Rua, he wont win standing and he has never faced someone as dangerous on the ground as Rua is. Jones is impressive but I dont feel he is ready yet for this type of opponent.
His striking is solid. Rua has power in his hands, rua has power in his kicks and knees. Have we seen Bones take a solid punch from a real striker? no. Have we seen Bones escape a submission from a BJJ black belt? I dont think so. Lets get real Jones is a fantastic prospect so was Sokoudjou (even though Bones has more fights Sokoudjou had better wins) but mentally he wasnt ready. Brock lesnar was also pushed too hard and not allowed to mature before being thrown into the deep waters. MMA seems to make that mistake often and depending on the fighter it can be career ending. Light heavyweight has many stars, let the anticipation build just a little more before making that sort of fight Rua has never even defended his belt yet and people are saying he has no one else to fight?
Apart from Lil Nog and Arona, Sokodjou isnt anything remotely close to the talent or prospect that Jones is. Additionally Jones has been dominating his opponents. Soko landed two hail mary's and thought his career was made. He's essentially a far worse version of Kevin Randleman who blows hot and cold. But more cold than hot. Either way i dont see that as a valid comparison. I see where you are going though with the way Brock was given the "push". But hey this is the UFC and to be honest it isnt far off from the WWE in terms of the way it treats its "stars". This is just typical good business by the UFC. Cash in on Jones. Even if he does loose he can rebuild vs the likes of Griffin and co. And still loose no real credibility in the eyes of the fans. Yes we need answers about his chin but i dont think Rua is that man to take him there. Rua can crack but he doesnt have the type of one punch KO power that Rampage and Wandy had back in PRIDE. Additionally even though he is very good and capable from guard he's knee injurys are going to be significant in a bout vs a high calibre talent like Jones. Nonetheless its an interesting bout.
Completely agree, I would add to this his two victories over Machida shows he can overcome even an elite MMA striker and figure out their weaknesses. Please dont count out a guy of Rua's calibre people.
way more interesting than rashad vs shogun !... Dana wants to create a new star/cash cow , and will be crossing his fingers for a Jon Jones victory. It's a risky decision , (kinda like what he tried with Liddell several years back when he was part of the pride gp)....but a big payoff if Jones is successful. He'll have a new young star , he'll be able to say "he's the best fighter in the world" etc...etc..(pretty much like he did for the likes of Anderson , Lesnar etc..) Jon Jones has big potential and his hype is through the roof....it's now or never. (even if it's a bit premature) Shogun is still human afterall...and a fight against Jones could be as dangerous as a fight vs Machida. It will not be a peace of cake.
While his recovery from the latest sugery is certainly a worry Shogun looked as good as he ever has vs Machida to me. As far as Coleman goes I don't think those two fights are really a fair representation of his abilty to deal with strong wrestlers either, freak injury first time round and coming back too soon from injury the second time round.