I’m thankful I chose to hit the bar to watch UFC 135. I mentioned that it was a weak card on paper, but sometimes those are the type of events that are the most exciting. However, that didn’t even come close to happening last night. Now that I have that out of the way let’s get right to the fights:

  • Jon Jones came across like a douche tonight in my opinion and illustrated a prime example of why many fans are turning against him. What was the deal with the one handed cartwheel and the crawling at the beginning of the fight? Anyways, I illustrated how he wouldn’t be able to take Rampage Jackson down like he had everyone else in my preview of the fight. Rampage did an excellent job of avoiding the trips that Jones likes to use to obtain takedowns from the clinch position. However, he had absolutely nothing on the feet for Jones as he was giving up a foot of reach against Jones coupled with the fact that he’s a counterpuncher. I have one question though. Was Rampage simply frustrated and looking for a way out of that fight? He gave up that rear naked choked relatively easy for a guy that’s known to have good submission defense. Maybe I was the only one that felt that way. Jones has Rashad Evans next and I’ll be posting the blueprint to beat Jon Jones soon.
  • Josh Koscheck needs to learn how to slip a jab something serious. It appears he learned nothing from the St. Pierre fight. Matt Hughes as definitely winning that round prior to getting hurt. In fact, that may have been the best striking I’ve seen from the aging legend. While I feel that he looked good, I still think he should retire even though he didn’t formally announce it last night. If Koscheck wanted, I think he could have taken Hughes down and really put a beating on him but he chose to stand for some odd reason. I don’t think we’ll see Hughes fight again for what it’s worth. He’s a guy that doesn’t like to draw attention to himself so him saying that he wants the UFC to ‘put him on the shelf’ was his way of saying he was done in my opinion.
  • This was the best Mark Hunt we’ve seen in years, but that doesn’t mean it was a good fight. Credit to Ben Rothwell for not quitting in the cage, but I had the feeling that everyone wish he had in the bar where I was watching. I guess that’s what we get with two heavyweights fighting at high altitude.
  • I wasn’t impressed at all with the performance of Travis Browne against Rob Broughton. I thought Browne should have gotten him outta there. It was clear that Broughton had nothing for him standing and he couldn’t stop a takedown or Browne mounting him at will.
  • Very impressed with Nate Diaz and his boxing, but not surprised given that Takanori Gomi is a shell of his former self. In my preview of that fight I pretty much told you that Diaz could win the fight standing or on the ground. Gomi needs to retire as I’m not even sure he is training because all of his fights consist of him winging a wild overhand right with nothing else.
  • Tony Ferguson is the real deal. The kid has solid striking and has the wrestling background to compliment it well when he decides to use it. A guy at the bar asked why Aaron Riley was throwing so many kicks and I simply stated that Riley didn’t have the hands to hang with Ferguson.

Be on the lookout for the blueprint to beat Jon Jones coming soon. Also, be sure to make Pro MMA Now(www.prommanow.com) your home for coverage of the upcoming UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson event that will take place this coming Saturday!

4 thoughts on “UFC 135 reaction: Thoughts and commentary”
  1. While I’m not sure I’d categorize Jones as coming across as a “douche” in the lead-up to this fight, I will admit he was definitely portrayed in a much less positive light. For one, I found the media tour the UFC had he and Rampage going jointly to be a little weird. That’s not normally how it’s done and I’m not sure why they would arrange it as such. My initial guess would be that it was the result of them not having confidence that Jones would come out as the champion. However, I have a hard time believing Joe Silva didn’t see that coming, especially since most people did.

    I would really be interested in hearing your thoughts on Rashad’s chances against Jones. I previously felt Rashad would be the downfall of Jones but I recently reconsidered. I think Rashad will be able to take Jones down, but once down, he won’t be able t do anything. From Jon’s guard, Shad won’t even be able to reach his head for ground and pound. And as far as submissions go, I don’t actually thing he knows many of them. This, in all, sort of negates my original theory on Rashad beating Jones. What are your thoughts?

    On an unrelated note, how are the twins doing?

  2. Whatever blue print you make, it will be wrong. The blue print simply doesn’t exist to beat him yet.

    Rampage came in with a good gameplan, and in amazing shape. He hasn’t looked better since he outlasted Dan Henderson 4 years ago (and still I thought the Rampage we saw against Jones was better than that). However, that wasn’t even close to being enough. Jones is clearly a level or two above everybody else in the world at 205lbs right now.

    Whenever the lines come out on Jones-Evans I will put money on Jones inside the distance, and I will win.

    What he does to Rashad, will be a lot worse than the Rampage fight.

  3. “Whatever blue print you make, it will be wrong. The blue print simply doesn’t exist to beat him yet.”

    Come on Edub! I think you’ll agree that it makes sense when you read it..

  4. Lucas..good to hear from you bro. Twins are great man..thanks for asking…I thought his actions( after getting inside the cage at UFC 135..not leading up to the event) is what I was referring to as douche.

    I don’t know if Rashad can execute the ‘blueprint’…he has some of the tools you need though…Jones isn’t unbeatable

    -Simply put Bader isn’t a top light heavyweight
    -Rua has zero takedown defense…I told you exactly how Jones would beat Rua in my preview of that fight
    -I told you how Rampage would be able to defend his takedown attempts but had to overcome the reach(which he wasn’t able to)

    How you been man?

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