{"id":16091,"date":"2011-09-24T02:23:48","date_gmt":"2011-09-24T06:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=16091"},"modified":"2011-09-24T02:23:48","modified_gmt":"2011-09-24T06:23:48","slug":"ufc-135-rampage-jackson-vs-jon-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=16091","title":{"rendered":"UFC 135: Rampage Jackson Vs Jon Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Siri Karri<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ugh, after working 40 a week and going to school I completely forgot that there was a UFC this weekend. Fortunately, I remembered halfway through my 4 \u2013 hour Street Fighter IV session that Quinton \u201cRampage\u201d Jackson and Jon \u201cBones\u201d Jones would be settling their petty war of words in the Octagon and it was my duty to analyze this card. God I hate school . . .<\/p>\n

Ben \u201cNorth Star\u201d Rothwell ( 31-7) vs. Mark \u201cThe Super Samoan\u201d Hunt (6-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay both these guys could kick my ass, but it\u2019s the battle between two of the . . . em . . . \u201cjiggliest\u201d heavyweights. Both these men are rather doughy in physique but both are battle tested veterans with hands that could drop a horse.<\/p>\n

Ben Rothwell:<\/p>\n

Granted, Ben Rothwell never really gets the attention he deserves because a great deal of his success came in the IFL which wasn\u2019t really a great fight league. However, scrolling through the list of names reveals some pretty solid wins. He finished off feared submission artist and striker Krzysztof Soszynski TWICE with strikes and actually owns a hard fought win over recent TUF winner Roy Nelson. Rothwell\u2019s biggest strength is that he\u2019s actually very well conditioned for a man his size; at 6\u2032 5\u2033 and topping out the scales at 265 lbs he still has the energy to grind out wins over the course of multiple rounds. He\u2019s a jack of all trades, possessing solid firepower on his feet but very adept at take downs as well.<\/p>\n

Mark Hunt:<\/p>\n

Oh Jesus, I feel like I\u2019m about to spend the next 5 sentences defending Mark Hunt. Yes, as an MMA fighter under contract of the UFC his record is absolutely abysmal but the fact is he earned his place through his famed kickboxing career. Though he is rather stout at 5\u2032 10\u2033 and close to 260 lbs, Mark Hunt garnered a 30-13 record in K-1 in which he beat legend Gary Goodridge while lasting the fearsome Mirko Cro Cop for a decision loss. Despite a heartbreaking, quick loss to Sean McCorkle in his UFC debut he followed it up by doing what he does best; knocking heads. He smashed Chris Tuchscherer with an uppercut that dropped the poor man face first onto the mat and walked away . . . the referee didn\u2019t even hesitate to declare the fight over. He hits that hard.<\/p>\n

Matchup: I love Mark Hunt, but I\u2019m a realist. Ben Rothwell can take a punch while Mark Hunt flat out sucks on the ground.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Ben Rothwell via submission 2nd round<\/p>\n

Nate Diaz ( 13-7) vs. Takanori \u201cFireball Kid\u201d Gomi (32-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now the Diaz brothers always come to game, but the real story here is The Fireball Kid. Anyone who watched his days in Pride understands that Gomi has the skills to put on a show and possibly make a career inside the Octagon.<\/p>\n

Nate Diaz: Baby Diaz has always had the same skills as his older . . . more volatile brother. He has a loopy, unorthodox boxing style that allows him to catch opponents from awkward angles. Just ask striker Rory Markham . . . who came in almost 7 lbs over the contracted weight limit and STILL got decimated by Diaz\u2019s striking. Powerful boxer Marcus Davis found himself severely cut by Diaz\u2019s strikes before finding himself being strangled by Nate\u2019s vice like grip. He is the definition of wiry strength.<\/p>\n

Takanori Gomi: Just like Rothwell or Hunt, I feel as though I need to justify Gomi\u2019s place on this card. He\u2019s an old pride legend with great wrestling and powerful hands. Just ask Tyson Griffin who face planted onto the mat within a minute of standing with Gomi. If you want to see more of his brilliance, it\u2019s necessary to YouTube his Pride fights.<\/p>\n

Matchup: As much as I love Gomi, his two losses have come to stronger and larger ground fighters such as Kenny Florian and Clay Guida. Unfortunately, Diaz fits the bill as well and the chances of Gomi landing the necessary haymaker to win the fight.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Diaz via choke in round 1<\/p>\n

Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs Rob Broughton (15-5-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both these heavyweights hail from the land of chips and tea (that\u2019s England for you culturally ignorant slags) and they will potentially put together the best heavyweight fight in recent memory.<\/p>\n

Travis Browne: I want to go ahead and point out that in one of my previous articles I pointed out that Travis Browne had the potential to be the breakout. Coming into his fight with highly touted prospect Stefan \u201cSkyscraper\u201d Struve, he had 5 straight finishes (barring a no contest in a dirty fight against Cheick Kongo). Many counted on the lengthy Struve to quickly submit the still fairly new Travis Browne. I quickly pointed out that Travis Browne was 6\u2032 7\u2033 AND around 250 lbs meaning that he was not only big but also fast. Sure enough, Browne is a frontrunner for knockout of the year with a flying superman punch that smashed the back of Struve\u2019s head against the back of the canvas. The fact is that Browne is not only strong, he\u2019s athletic. This means that unlike fighters such as Frank Mir or Shane Carwin, Browne has the speed to apply his punching power instead of solely relying on brute strength. Go ahead, YouTube that knockout I can wait.<\/p>\n

Rob Broughton: At 6\u2032 3\u2033 and close to 260 lbs, Broughton comes off as shorter but much more powerful than Travis Browne. Interestingly enough, his MO isn\u2019t using his muscle to land powerful shots on the feet; 3 of his last 4 finishes have been via submission. It\u2019s interesting to note that this not a case of a man being able to come back from a disadvantage in order to secure a submission (a.k.a. \u201cNogueira syndrome\u201d); his submissions are mostly offensive submissions. A keylock and rear naked choke are not submissions one can achieve from a disadvantageous position while his guillotine submission of Neil Wain was a standing guillotine from simply outmaneuvering his opponent. It\u2019s very interesting to see such a powerful hefty guy use deft ground tactics instead of slugging on his feet because we haven\u2019t had a good one since Frank Mir.<\/p>\n

Matchup: Browne is such a powerhouse on his feet that we haven\u2019t had the opportunity to see how he fairs on the ground off late. If Broughton can get the fight to the ground, there\u2019s a good chance he holds a significant advantage and can secure a submission. That being said, Browne is the strongest and largest fighter Broughton has ever fought in my opinion and the likelihood that he gets tagged with a powerful punch as he comes in for the clinch is extremely high.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Browne via KO round 1<\/p>\n

Matt Hughes (45-8) vs Josh Koscheck (15-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now we get to the prime cuts, the \u201cmeat\u201d of the card if you will. The most heralded welterweight of all time will now match up against the perennial bad boy of the UFC as they both try to avenge devastating losses at the hands of the rivals.<\/p>\n

Matt Hughes: This is going to be Matt Hugh\u2019s twenty-fifth fight. Many MMA fighters are lucky to have their entire careers last that long yet Hughes has had over 50 fights with almost half of them occurring in the Octagon. In that run, he is 19-6 and has fought the who\u2019s who of MMA meaning that he has literally watched the game evolve before his eyes. He has a stellar college wrestling background and has primarily out grappled all of his opponents for his 19 UFC wins. That\u2019s not to say he\u2019s a one trick pony though; he decimated Renzo Gracie on his feet with powerful leg kicks and pinpoint punches that dropped the grappling legend. He also has wins over B.J. Penn, Frank Trigg and Georges St. Pierre cementing his status as one of the best welterweights of all time.<\/p>\n

Josh Koscheck: If Matt Hughes is the \u201cgrizzled veteran\u201d, Josh Koscheck is the young lion hungry for the crown. Despite his recent (and frankly devastating) loss at the hands of welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, Koscheck remains the best athlete in the welterweight division. He\u2019s the only fighter since Rich Clementi who has legitimately beaten welterweight phenom Anthony \u201cRumble\u201d Johnson and he has forever cemented his place in the highlight reel annals with cringing knockouts over Frank Trigg and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Koscheck\u2019s strength lies in his athleticism; he has a balance between physical strength and speed that allows him to take down his opponents with ease instead of grinding it out in the clinch like many wrestlers are forced to do. When the fight does stay on its feet, Koscheck has the nastiest overhand right in the division that he loves to throw in the manner of a fastball. It\u2019s not technical, but the knockout over Yoshida proves that it\u2019s lethal nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Matchup: Hate me for saying this, but I always that Matt Hughes was highly overrated. His greatest streak of dominance came against rather lackluster competition: Carlos Newton, Sean Sherk, an aging Royce Gracie? Meanwhile he is 1-2 against B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre both who flattened him in their rematches and got knocked the hell out by Thiago Alves. This isn\u2019t to mention that the man has gotten slower with age. Koscheck is the new Hughes, brimming with wrestling talent and rudimentary stand up while having the advantage of youth on his side.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Koscheck via unanimous decision.<\/p>\n

Quinton \u201cRampage\u201d Jackson (32-8) vs. Jon \u201cBones\u201d Jones (13-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is it, the main event. One the one hand, we have a large angry howling man who nicknames himself \u201cRampage\u201d after the style in which he beats his opponents. On the other hand, we have a very tall and very young champion who seems to be the result of a genetic experiment that bred a giraffe with Bruce Lee. That\u2019s right, it\u2019s Quinton Jackson vs. Jon Jones!<\/p>\n

Quinton Jackson: There\u2019s so little left to say about the man they refer to as \u201cRampage\u201d. He has been one of the UFC\u2019s most marketable fighters and defined the light heavyweight highlight reel. He\u2019s 7-2 in the UFC after an amazing stint in Pride FC in which he first made his mark by stopping UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. Then in the UFC, he knocked out Liddell again and recorded one of the greatest fights in history against Dan Henderson. Even his loss to Forrest Griffin was spectacular. The man has dynamite in both hands and is blessed with enormous physical strength, evident in his trademark slam that knocked out Ricardo Arona. He has now recorded two wins in a row over ex-champion Lyoto Machida and the tough as nails veteran Matt \u201cThe Hammer\u201d Hamill. He positively begged for a title fight, so it\u2019s clear this Rampage is motivated.<\/p>\n

Jon Jones: The phenom, the star, the prodigy. The man who is so good that many are calling him the spiritual successor to Anderson Silva. The odd thing is, his fight resume wasn\u2019t that impressive leading into his title shot against Mauricio Rua. Stephan Bonnar, Jake O\u2019Brien . . . Ryan Bader? Yes they\u2019re good fighters, but nothing that justified a fight against one of the most terrifying strikers in the history of the 205 lb division. So the young, green fighter rose to the challenge and knocked . . . him . . . out. Jones is known for his very flashy fighting style; suplexes, flying knees, long range liver shots, spinning elbows. He can afford to do this for two reasons; he has the longest reach in the UFC at 84.5 inches and possesses superb athleticism with a college wrestling background. He proved his ground prowess against Bader by taking down the heralded wrestler and submitting him and decimated famed striker Rua on the feet. This man has nowhere to go but up.<\/p>\n

Matchup: While this fight is the most hyped, it\u2019s also the most predictable. Jackson showed against Rashad Evans that his wrestling defense is nowhere as good as it should be with all of the stellar light heavyweights lurking around and his failure to knockout either Machida or Hamill despite tagging them multiple times leaves many questions to be asked. Against an athlete of Jones\u2019s caliber, it\u2019s quite possible that the champion will run laps around Rampage in the manner of a sheepdog rounding up a group of particularly dumb sheep before taking him down and unleashing ferocious ground and pound.<\/p>\n

Result: Jones via unanimous decision<\/p>\n

Read more of Siri’s work, click here!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Siri Karri Ugh, after working 40 a week and going to school I completely forgot that there was a UFC this weekend. Fortunately, I remembered halfway through my 4 \u2013 hour Street Fighter IV session that Quinton \u201cRampage\u201d Jackson and Jon \u201cBones\u201d Jones would be settling their petty war of words in the Octagon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2514,3521,5517],"class_list":["post-16091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-jon-jones","tag-rampage","tag-ufc-135"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}