Looking Back on a Looming Legend: Jon Jones vs. Ryan Verrett: USFL War in The Woods (May, 2008)

Posted on | September 26, 2011 | No Comments

By: Rich Bergeron

I was in the audience, very near the area where the above footage was shot at Foxwoods Casino when Jon Jones scored his third first round knockout of his young, promising MMA career. He tore through the local East Coast circuits with virtually nothing but knockouts. There was only one submission win for Jones on his way to back to back UFC fights where he saw his first decisions in the sport. Andre Gusmao (UFC 87) and Stephan Bonnar (UFC 94) went down by way of unanimous decision to Jones in his first two UFC appearances. He proceeded to dominate 99 percent of the competition he faced from then on. Only one DQ against Matt Hamill stains his spotless record.

Jones took Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to the deepest point in a fight he’s ever personally been to. His first time entering the fourth round worked out well for Jones, and he drowned Jackson quickly in the deep water with a rear naked choke. It was his first time securing a win that way with only three of his previous fights ending with a submission, all of them guillotine chokes. Talk of Jones someday battling Anderson Silva is overtaking the chatter calling for a fight between Georges St. Pierre and Silva. Jones is still taking it one fight at a time, but his confidence level is through the roof.

Rashad Evans may provide more of a stylistic challenge for Jones, but the champ’s amazing reach and natural ability is bound to allow him to overcome any obstacle he faces in that fight. By this time next year fans will be salivating over the prospect of Jones fighting Silva to settle the pound for pound best debate. There are still plenty of people not ready to jump on the Jon Jones bandwagon for fear it’s too early and he hasn’t been tested. If he continues to blaze this kind of bold path through the sport, though, there’s little doubt he’ll be dominant enough to demand a fight with Silva someday.

Jones’ success is a tribute to his dynamic fighting style matched with the physique of a true athlete. He is built for the sport with long reach and lanky arms and legs that come in handy on leg kicks, knees, elbows, and long range punching. A slick wrestling background adds a new dimension to his striking, as once you enter his grappling range you can forget about landing any really effective punches or strikes of your own. Jones smothers opponents at close range and picks them apart from afar. At one point against Rampage, Jones casually reached out his hand and gingerly took hold of Jackson’s wrist while the two were going toe to toe. Jackson seemed to suddenly appreciate Jones could literally reach out and touch him from so far away.

The prospect of a steadily improving Jones moving through the short list of potential opponents in his way at this point is exciting. His performances will surely elevate the sport and make him a household name as the UFC’s Fox deal comes to fruition over the next year. He’ll be a huge draw, because he’s really one of the only fighters out there who can dictate the pace and fight a technically sound brawl that pleases the audience… and the judges who don’t have to score the fight.

Looking back on the 2008 Jones fight above, you see him land a smashing right hand in the first few seconds. That’s Jones more than 3 long years ago, and he’s ever evolving. The transition for Jones has gone so smoothly from being a relative unknown into acquiring his new status as a superior fighter who mixes everything together perfectly. His win Saturday night confirms he’s made it to prime time and can handle the championship rounds. The sky is the limit for this young champ, and the prospect of a superfight between him and Silva may be more realistic at this point than the signing of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather in boxing.