Bet on Jones vs. Matyushenko: Fighter Spotlight - Jon Jones
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By Craig Macleish - San Jose, Costa Rica
Bet on Jon “Bones” Jones: He is an MMA human highlight reel. At just 23 years old, the UFC knows that it has premier attraction in Jones. All his fights in the UFC have produced an assortment of electrifying “WTF” moments and he’s left his rapidly growing fan base wanting more. Let’s take a look at what makes the fighter so special.
Physical Attributes: Jon Jones is only 23 years old, and his lanky 6’4 frame will likely fill out as he matures and adds more muscle. The most eye-popping stat is his 84.5 inch reach, good for the longest wingspan in the UFC. He can also chop down opponents with lethal kicks while staying outside of anyone’s range. He’s shown great flexibility and balance in avoiding takedowns as well. His explosiveness can be attributed to genetics—both of his brothers played Division I NCAA football and are NFL hopefuls.
MMA Background: Before getting into professional fighting, Jones was JUCO National Wrestling Champion, a Greco-Roman All-American, and a state wrestling champion in high school. Greco-Roman wrestling has been touted as one of the most translatable wrestling styles in MMA; legends Randy Couture and Dan Henderson are notable fighters with decorated Greco-Roman backgrounds. He currently trains at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, home of fighters such as welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, Shane Carwin, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquadt and other marquee fighters.
The X-Factor: An unorthodox style and an ability to be creative in all MMA techniques. What does this mean? Here’s what I’m talking about:
— Against Stephen Bonnar, an excellent striker, Jones unleashed a spinning back elbow that came in a downward arc from top to bottom. The elbow lands on top of Bonnar’s head and instantly floors him onto his stomach. Outside of the cage, you can see Dana White scream and leap to his feet as this occurs. Also during the fight we witness a plethora of unbelievable throws by Jones, including a rare belly-to-belly suplex that stuns Bonnar.
— After grappling with Jake O’Brien, a collegiate wrestler, for a round and a half, Jones puts O’Brien on his butt with his back against the cage and immediately goes for what looks like a headlock. Seconds later, O’Brien is tapping. Jones had locked in a standing guillotine and used his long arms and frame to crank O’Brien’s neck while he was still sitting down. Ouch.
— It may have technically been a loss, but everybody knows it was Jones that came out the winner against Matt Hamill, a highly touted light heavyweight who’s wrestled at the international level. Hamill, a fringe top-10 light heavy, had no clue how to get within Jones’ range and when he tried, he got foot-swept and slammed to the mat like a rag doll. This is a particularly amazing feat because Hamill just happens to be one of the strongest fighters in this division and an awesome wrestler in his own right. Once Hamill was on his back, Jones used his freakish length to rain down blow after blow in Hamill’s full guard.
— Brandon Vera, once one of the UFC’s hottest prospects and still a very good fighter, got his face broken by one of Jones’ elbows. It was confirmed that Vera had three facial fractures and was medically suspended for an indefinite period of time immediately following the fight. Breaking somebody’s face is usually a threat made by fighters during pre-fight hype, but Jones actually did it.
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