[quote]atfkao wrote:
I think there is a slim chance Hendo will find his notorious right hand to connect with a KO-punch. If they get to fight once Hendo’s MCL heals up, I envision Hendo getting submitted in the later rounds like Belfort. I don’t see anyone beating Jon Jones for a long time. Personally, I think the biggest challenge for Jon Jones would be Anderson Silva, and this implies that I also think that Anderson could clean out just about everyone in the light-heavyweight division.
Also, props for Belfort for tweaking Jones’ arm in the first round. That’s the closest anyone’s ever come to beating Jones, and I think if Jones ever loses, it will be because he got caught in a submission from no where like Anderson’s only legitimate loss (some Japanese guy with a flying heel hook). [/quote]
There’s just no way that Hendo is gonna get close enough to land that right hand though. Watch Jones’ last few fights and you’ll see that he keeps smaller fighters at a distance with his legs, and once their legs are worn down he may use his arms (like he did to Rashad). You have to be able to close the gap if you are a smaller fighter, and if much, much more explosive guys like Rashad and Vitor couldn’t do it, Hendo has a snowball’s chance of doing it.
Hendo is a heavy handed, plodding, take a punch to give a punch type of striker. That’s a horrible style to have to try to beat Jones. And even if Hendo can close the gap, he’ll get manhandled if Jones decides to grab a hold of him, toss him to the ground and pound on him.
I tend to agree with you that Anderson is really the only legitimate threat to Jones at this point. I’m not saying Jones couldn’t lose to someone else, but IMO it would be as the result of a lucky punch, stoppage due to freak injury, or totally unexpected submission (there really aren’t many elite submission guys at LHW at this point though). Judging by what Anderson did to Forrest (and assuming he fairs similarly with Bonnar), I’d say that he may actually even be the favorite to win against Jones if they fought (or maybe they’d both be 50/50, still better than anyone else IMO).
If Anderson really felt like he could take Jones though, I think he’d challenge him for the belt. He has moved up to LHW before, and clearly doesn’t have too big of a problem doing it again since he’s fighting Bonnar. This makes me think that he is either planning on retiring very soon and doesn’t want a possible blemish on his unbeaten UFC record (which he probably realizes could be a possibility if he faces Jones), or that he realizes how physically outmatched he would be against Jones and doesn’t like the match-up.