The second in a five week stretch of big time PPVs every weekend is upon us as the UFC’s resident wunderkind Jon Jones makes his first bout since nearly losing the title to Alexander Gustafsson. In what could be one of the UFC’s deepest PPV cards of 2014 there are plenty of implications for a number of divisions. Coming off one of the best cards of the past 12 months, UFC on Fox 11, and the UFC is potentially set for a run of great fight cards.
Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira
How good is Glover? So far we have a fairly good idea, as he’s looked like an absolute killer inside the cage, but his level of competition hasn’t been as impressive as his opponent’s. So far Glover’s managed to finish nearly everyone in his wake, Quinton Jackson the lone exception, and looks like an opponent who could take the UFC title from Jon Jones.
The key here will be how Jon Jones rebounds from the Gustafsson fight. From all reports he’s training like a madman to have the best possible performance … and that Gus was a fluke fight. So far he hasn’t had much problem with some very high level guys and Gustafsson was able to stay in the fight because Jones’s normal advantages in terms of reach and distance management were nullified. Gustafsson made him look fairly ordinary for a long time … until Jones turned on that championship gear and took the fight.
How he rebounds is going to be key; Gustafsson wrecked Jimi Manuwa in short order and a similar win by Jones makes that rematch all the more tantalizing. A less than dominant win here, or another squeaker, and the chatter of negativity towards Jones gets louder than the polite asides they are right now.
I think he does so but Glover has that Dan Henderson type of one punch knockout power that can change a fight on a moment’s notice. I think Jones will be in trouble early and rebound, ala Vitor Belfort, and get the finish sometime before the end of the third round.
Prediction – Jones
Phil Davis vs. Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson is finally at the weight that makes the most sense for him after an earlier stint in the UFC as a welterweight who could marginally make weight. He’s looked the part of a Top 10 light heavyweight and now he gets to come into the cage against an actual Top 10 light heavyweight in Phil Davis.
Johnson has big time power but Phil Davis has rebounded from the Rashad Evans win to have an impressive winning streak. He’s also got a very high fight IQ and is starting to come into his own as a fighter. Davis is great at things like clock management and knowing when to turn it on in a close round. I don’t think he’ll have much of a problem getting Rumble down … if he does I think he gets the submission, probably something exotic looking. If he can’t then it’ll resemble something like Machida/Davis, except a bit more exciting.
I like Davis in this one. As much as Rumble has looked the part of a more explosive, modern day version of Chuck Liddell I think Davis is on a Jon Fitch like streak right now.
Prediction – Davis
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch
Rockhold might be the best all around fighter in the division and right now he looks like he’ll be in title contention sooner than later. Shawn W Smith and I once discussed how the next great trilogy in MMA is going to Rockhold/Weidman and I think that’s where Zuffa sees the division going, as well. It’d make for a great poster, at a minimum, and both guys have had similar career progressions. Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman were the future of the division for a long time … now both are hitting that point where they’re proving it.
The one thing Boetsch has in his favor is that he’s a much more powerful human being than Rockhold and has that freakish ability to rally in the third. Boetsch has that big barbarian flurry he’s used to come back, most notably against Yushin Okami, and more than enough power to put Rockhold away if he can. I think Rockhold stays away from him for the distance, out working him, as Boetsch won’t have a response. This will be a kickboxing version of the clinic Mark Munoz put on hm.
Prediction – Rockhold
Jim Miller vs. Yancy Medeiros
Yancy Medeiros asked for this fight, apparently, once Bobby Green went down and he’s taking a huge step in his career. Joe Ellenberger would’ve been an interesting test between prospects and right now he’s going from taking on an intriguing prospect to a Top 10 fighter on less than a week’s notice. He’s got some big time power … but Jim Miller usually roasts guys like this. And I think he does it here.
Prediction – Miller
Max Holloway vs. Andre Fili
Holloway’s a solid young talent but is quickly becoming a heat check guy. So far he’s had some great fights, and good wins, but every time he steps up into deeper waters he winds up losing. He’s still young, though, and being barely old enough to legally drink I can guesstimate that his ceiling still really hasn’t been settled yet. He still has time to grow … and this is a nice test for both him and his opponent. Fili now has time enough for a full camp and looked sensational in his UFC debut despite coming in on short notice.
I think this will be close but I like Fili in this one.
Prediction – Fili
From the preliminary card:
Joseph Benavides > Tim Elliott
Takanori Gomi > Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Bethe Correira > Jessamyn Duke
Vagner Rocha < Joe Ellenberger
Danny Castillo < Charlie Brenneman Chris Beal > Patrick Williams
