UFC 128 - Shogun vs. Jones

[DixieDestroyer]

Here's the card for the (in progress) UFC 128 from Newark, "Noo Joysee"...

Preliminary card

* Featherweight bout: Raphael Assunção vs. Erik Koch

Koch defeated Assunção via KO (Punch) at 2:32 of round 1.

* Catchweight(195 lb) bout: Nick Catone vs. Constantinos Philippou

Catone defeated Philippou via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

* Bantamweight bout: Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland

Benavidez defeated Loveland via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Preliminary card (Facebook)

* Lightweight bout: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau

Tibau defeated Pellegrino via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

* Welterweight bout: Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle

Preliminary card (Spike TV & Rogers Sportsnet)

* Lightweight bout: Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani

* Light Heavyweight bout: Eliot Marshall vs. Luiz Cane

Main card

* Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus

* Heavyweight bout: Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko FilipoviÄc

* Middleweight bout: Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller

* Bantamweight bout: Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland

* Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Maurício Rua (c) vs. Jon Jones

UFC 128 - Shogun vs. Jones

***The ol' Dixie outlaw is pullin' for Rua, CroCop, Miller (vs. persian Shalorus), Kane (vs. jude/afrolete Marshall), Pellegrino (vs. amerindian Tibau), Loveland (vs. amerindian Benavidez) and Catone.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Cane TKOs Marshall in round 1, Schaub TKOs CroCop (who needs to retire), Marquardt beats Miller via UD & Jim Miller TKOs persian Shalorus in round 3

.

 

[hawkeye]

Shogun got destroyed.

 

[Liverlips]

Yeah, Shogun looked horrible. He also appeared to be about 4 inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than Jones. They looked like they should be in different weight classes.

Jones can fight and is somewhat humble. But I hope one of our guys like Forrest, Randy, Gustafson, Kingsbury or Hamill can earn a shot against him and pull the upset.

I still want to see how Jones handles being hurt, tired, injured, cut and/or confused.

Rashad Evans is unlikely to provide any challenge in this regard.

 

[Liverlips]

And why has no one targeted those pelican legs of Jones? Rua said he was going to but didn't throw one leg kick.

 

[JD074]

Yeah, Shogun looked horrible. He also appeared to be about 4 inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than Jones. They looked like they should be in different weight classes.

If there were a division between 185 and 205, I imagine a lot of these 205ers would be there. Guys like Shogun, Machida, and Evans aren't that big. They're definitely not that lean. They could cut more weight if they had to. Whereas guys like Jones and Griffin are very big guys.

A 20 pound jump between divisions is just too much. 10 would be better.

 

[hawkeye]

Their were a lot of possitive things on the card. I actually had the Pellegrino fight a draw, Schaub looked good, Marquardt looked good, Jim Miller impressed the hell out of me, and Erik Koch had a nice KO. I also Think Jones is very beatable and as the sport continues to evolve I think you will see him get dominated the same way Sonnan was dominating Silva.

 

[white is right]

Part of the problem for that is there is no depth in the sport as it is. A bunch of junior divisions like boxing and you will have literally 3 quality fighters in each division. The way UFC is it reminds me of boxing back when there was only 8 divisions in boxing. To jump a weight class you have to be a near hall of fame fighter to compete against the bigger stronger guys.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

IMO, Fedor should cut to 205. He could then use his Sambo to sub Jones.

 

[Thrashen]

Jones can fight and is somewhat humble. But I hope one of our guys like Forrest, Randy, Gustafson, Kingsbury or Hamill can earn a shot against him and pull the upset.

Matt Hamill already fought Jones and was utterly obliterated. Jones was disqualified during a brutal ground-and-pound for illegal "12-6"Â￾ elbows. But yeah, Hamill has a puncher's chance, assuming he earns a rematch.

Forrest Griffin is hot and cold, especially against non-white fighters (Silva, Evans, Ortiz). I would be very nervous if he were to fight Jones.

Alex Gustafsson has looked great the over the past few months. His slight size advantage (6' 5"Â￾) and technical fighting style could neutralize Jones. I'd love to see the young Swede raise the belt someday. With a few more quality victories, he could get a title shot in 2012.

Kyle Kingsbury looked great against Romero a few months ago, but he hasn't fought any upper-level contenders as of yet. He has good size and power"¦so he'd certainly have a chance.

If Randy Couture defeats Machida in April"¦he'll be 48 if he fights Jones for the belt in 2011. It would amazing to see Randy defeat a guy (Jon Jones) 25 years his junior.

Jones is a great fighter and seems like a good person. Supposedly, hours before his fight with Rua, he helped a woman who was being robbed by tackling the thief and holding him until police arrived. Nevertheless, I'd love to see him brutally smashed by one of our fighters.

 

[hawkeye]

There is actually more depth in mma than in boxing, especiallyin the US. Boxing prospects are composed of mainly inner city blacks and prisoners. There are a lot more gyms and MMA has been much better marketed than boxing thanks to the espansion of weight classes, and the fact that white America hasn't been shut out of the sport the way it has with basketball and now football. MMA is closing in on the wrestling fan base and now the NASCAR fanbase. The more white people that are active in the sport the strongr it will get.