I just watched this entire fight againt he had with Rampage and I was even
more impressed than what he did with Shogun. Jones toyed with heavy hitter Rampage the entire fight sort of like a young Ali did against another heavy hitter in Sonny Liston...
He gracefully danced away from Rampage's strikes with the elegance of a swan, threw strikes with little to no fear of retaliation and even showboated and toyed with Rampage at the end of rounds--once pulling guard for a triange attempt and another time picking Rampage up on his shoulders like an older brother would do to a little brother playing around in their backyard.
After displaying an exhibition on kicking for two rounds he switched to a more pugilistic attack in the 3rd and 4th, battering Rampage with jabs and hooks that were coming from seeminly out of nowhere. In the 4th round he beautifully pushed rampage against the cage from clinch position and secured a rear naked choke on a veteran who has rarely been submitted. He does this as if he has been practicing jui jitsu for years and years.
The question should be asked:
Is, with the talent and skill he has displayed in such a short time doing MMA, Jon Jones the most talented fighter we have seen in mma?
He has outstruck two of the most crafty strikers in his division back to back at the young age of 23, has outwrestled nearly everyone he has faced and has displayed jui jitsu skills. He outmatches everyone in the clinch. I guess the only remaining question is how he does off his back, but I almost feel like him pulling guard against Rampage was mind games for Rashad who is going to be looking to take him down.
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