It has been a bit of a topsy-turvy year for Jon Jones, but you can check returning to the Octagon off his list of things to do for 2016. The former light heavyweight champion headlined UFC 197 against late replacement Ovince St. Preux on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Jones was presented with an interim title after his victory but let everyone know that it wasn’t the one he was looking to put around his waist. He wanted his old belt back, the one Cormier has been toting around for nearly a year. With that said, he was fortunate to get the chance to fight at least once before going up against “DC.”
I’m not going to join the chorus and say Jones would have lost if he had fought a healthy Cormier instead of St. Preux -- I still think he would have likely found a way to get the W -- but it would have been much tougher than the sparring session he put in against “OSP.” I’m not trying to disrespect St. Preux, but he got humbled by a former champ who was running at least one cylinder down. However, I think a confident, active Jones would have made short work of his latest victim.
Now, with five rounds of work in the bank, it’s going to be even tougher for Cormier to hang onto his title. I know he thinks he has solved the Jones riddle, or at least that’s what he’s intimating, but unless he’s able to get to Jones’ chin early, I think we’re going to see more of the same as the last fight.
I have to say, it was interesting hearing “DC” break down the fight from the booth as it unfolded. He continuously noted how Jones tries to back his opponents to the fence, where he’s able to trap them and take them to the ground. He highlighted that strategy before and as it played out on more than one occasion in the cage. I’m sure “OSP” and “DC” both knew coming in that it was what Jones likes to do, and neither of them was able to fend off the attack.
That’s the problem everyone has with Jones. Never mind the creative, on-the-fly attacks he brings to the cage, fighters can’t even stop the most basic offensive moves they know will be coming their way. He really is a monster. Even on an off day, he can make other high-end fighters look helpless. I know some people might be encouraged after watching his performance, but if I was gearing up to square off with Jones, I’d be even more apprehensive. If he can smash up a guy with ease without his best stuff, then what is he going to do now that he’s shaken off the rust?
It’s a bad matchup for Cormier, but I’m still really looking forward to those two getting after it again. Hopefully that happens sometime soon, like this summer soon. I hear there may be an opening atop the UFC 200 card.
Mightiest Mouse
I know I should just enjoy the brilliance of Demetrious Johnson for a little while before I start trying to move the chess pieces around the matchmaking board, but I just can’t help myself.
I’ve been pining for a rematch between Johnson and Dominick Cruz for years, and now, all that stands in the way is Urijah Faber. This fight is so close I can taste it, provided Johnson decides he wants to do a super fight at 135 pounds. I don’t see why he wouldn’t want it, but you never know. One thing is certain: There isn’t much left for him to prove as a flyweight.
Henry Cejudo was supposed to be the toughest challenger to date for one of the sport’s most accomplished champions. He lasted all of 168 seconds and really didn’t get anything going other than a brief takedown. Johnson, on the other hand, hammered Cejudo to the body with a flurry of vicious knees that sent him retreating. Johnson pounced and battered his turtled foe with strikes until referee John McCarthy intervened.
It was a statement win for Johnson, who has had trouble drawing the attention of fans despite consistently being one of the best fighters in the world. His lack of desire to promote himself and his fights has been a big reason, but people are going to find it tough to ignore him now that he has mopped up the entire 125-pound division. His impressive wins have piled up and his list of vanquished foes reads like a who’s who of the flyweight division. There really isn’t anyone left for him to fight, unless were looking at a rematch or even a trilogy with fighters who haven’t even come close to beating him in the past. I get that he wants the title defense record, but there aren’t four more fights in the division that are even remotely interesting at this point.
That brings us to the asinine idea that the most dominant champion in the sport today should put his title on the line against a reality TV show winner. Hopefully, we’ve put that nonsense to bed, but it does highlight a tougher aspect of Johnson’s title reign. He still hasn’t gotten traction beyond the hardcore fans.
That’s another reason I feel the super fight with Cruz makes all the sense in the world. He’s the last man to beat Johnson and, when healthy, has had a sensational run in his own right. These are two of the best champions in the sport, they have history together and they could go a long way in putting over each other with the masses. What’s not to like about any of that?
Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or via Twitter @TheSavageTruth.