Anything MMA, except thumb wrestling

[StillUnknown]

Realistically, how long would it take him to move up?

I think he fights 2 more times at 205 against Hendo definitely, and maybe Gustafsson if he wins his next fight.

After that, he's effectively cleaned the division.

Considering how much he harped on having a strength advantage, I'm surprised Rashad didn't really try to get it to the ground. After the beating he took in the 2nd round, it should've been pretty clear he wasn't going to win that fight standing.

Edited April 22, 2012 by StillUnknown

[Tsoe]

Realistically, how long would it take him to move up?

He will never move up, He is nowhere near the size of the big boys of the division. It's hard for a fighter to go from most physically gifted to one of the smaller guys in the division. Unless he goes on the testosterone(horse meat) diet that Alistair claims, he will stay at that division.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2012 at 12:51 AM ----------

I'm assuming Hendo is up next, if that H-Bomb doesn't land, he's toast.

Oh Great another mismatch so we can listen to Joe Rogan hype him up more.

[StillUnknown]

Oh Great another mismatch so we can listen to Joe Rogan hype him up more.

Nobody matches up well with Bones at 205. That said, Hendo has earned the right to face the champ of the division. He deserves his chance to possibly shock the world and go out on top.

Edited April 22, 2012 by StillUnknown

[Unforgiven]

He will never move up, He is nowhere near the size of the big boys of the division. It's hard for a fighter to go from most physically gifted to one of the smaller guys in the division. Unless he goes on the testosterone(horse meat) diet that Alistair claims, he will stay at that division.

If he's as worried about his legacy as he claims (wanting to be one of the all time greats) he has to move up though.

You can't sit there and just dominate much smaller fighters and never move up for a challenge. Jones probably walks around at what? 230ish? JDS isn't *that* much bigger.

[Tsoe]

If he's as worried about his legacy as he claims (wanting to be one of the all time greats) he has to move up though.

You can't sit there and just dominate much smaller fighters and never move up for a challenge. Jones probably walks around at what? 230ish? JDS isn't *that* much bigger.

Implying JDS is what he has to worry about in that division

---------- Post added April-22nd-2012 at 01:00 AM ----------

Nobody matches up well with Bones at 205. That said, Hendo has earned the right to face the champ of the division. He deserves his chance to possibly shock the world and go out on top.

Maybe Roided hendo in his prime could make a case for this match being close. Now, looks like Rashad Evans .5 with age.

[StillUnknown]

If he's as worried about his legacy as he claims (wanting to be one of the all time greats) he has to move up though.

You can't sit there and just dominate much smaller fighters and never move up for a challenge. Jones probably walks around at what? 230ish? JDS isn't *that* much bigger.

Depends on what legacy he's after. If he wants to be considered the greatest LHW of all time, he needs to defend the strap a couple more times (being the first to stop Hendo with strikes would help out).

He should stay at LHW as long as he is comfortably able to make weight. He's 24 years old, the HW division isn't going anywhere.

[Unforgiven]

Right, I didn't mean to imply he has to immediately make the jump, but in the next couple years.

He just can't sit there at LHW forever though. I mean he could, but it would be less impressive than moving up and losing the massive size advantage (he'll still have the best reach even there) and dominating with pure skill.

[Tsoe]

Depends on what legacy he's after. If he wants to be considered the greatest LHW of all time, he needs to defend the strap a couple more times (being the first to stop Hendo with strikes would help out).

He should stay at LHW as long as he is comfortably able to make weight. He's 24 years old, the HW division isn't going anywhere.

See:

Silva

GSP

[#98QBKiller]

What a snoozer. Evans barely looked like he was even in a fight, yet he lost to the champ. This was worse than GSP fighting.

Whoever paid for that card surely has to be disappointed. It's a farce of a match considering the hype, history of the division, and "personal vendetta" that we have been fed the past couple of weeks.

It wasn't the most exciting fight that Bones has had, but damn I think you're underselling it a bit.

[Tsoe]

It wasn't the most exciting fight that Bones has had, but damn I think you're underselling it a bit.

The fight never got close to finishing. Jones never landed anything that seriously hurt Rashad. Rashad played defensive for 5 rounds even when he knew he was losing. Post fight interview with Rashad showed that he barely took any damage. I can go to any elementary school and find a better pattycake match. That's all that was going on. Both fighters said they could have done so much more but were scared of messing up. When two fighters fight scared, you get Jones Vs Evans I. I don't even know what Jones was afraid of.

[StillUnknown]

The fight never got close to finishing. Jones never landed anything that seriously hurt Rashad. Rashad played defensive for 5 rounds even when he knew he was losing. Post fight interview with Rashad showed that he barely took any damage. I can go to any elementary school and find a better pattycake match. That's all that was going on. Both fighters said they could have done so much more but were scared of messing up. When two fighters fight scared, you get Jones Vs Evans I. I don't even know what Jones was afraid of.

He rocked him pretty good with those elbows in round 2.

You're last sentence emphasizes why teammates don't fight each other. Its not even so much being scared as it is knowing that the guy across from you knows your moves.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2012 at 01:25 AM ----------

Dana just confirmed Hendo is up next for Bones.

Edited April 22, 2012 by StillUnknown

[Tsoe]

He rocked him pretty good with those elbows in round 2.

They were decent elbows, but nothing that would have knocked him cold. I think one of those elbows caused that welt on his temple. Only real damage of the match from what I saw.

[/color]Dana just confirmed Hendo is up next for Bones.

Silva vs Jones after he handles Hendo.

[#98QBKiller]

The fight never got close to finishing. Jones never landed anything that seriously hurt Rashad. Rashad played defensive for 5 rounds even when he knew he was losing. Post fight interview with Rashad showed that he barely took any damage. I can go to any elementary school and find a better pattycake match. That's all that was going on. Both fighters said they could have done so much more but were scared of messing up. When two fighters fight scared, you get Jones Vs Evans I. I don't even know what Jones was afraid of.

Just bleed brah

---------- Post added April-22nd-2012 at 01:32 AM ----------

Dana just confirmed Hendo is up next for Bones.

The h-bomb is definitely his only chance. Honestly, I would've rather seen Hendo just go out on the streak he's on now.

[prsnljournalst3]

Hendo is even tougher to stop than rashad, so it'll probably just go the same way as this fight. No way dan even comes close to stopping jones.

[StillUnknown]

I wish there was 205lb version of Aldo. Punishing leg kicks & takedown defense might be a good recipe to beat Bones. For all the talk about how big he is, his legs are still pretty damn small.

Hendo is even tougher to stop than rashad, so it'll probably just go the same way as this fight. No way dan even comes close to stopping jones.

On the feet I agree, but a battered & beaten Shogun managed to mount Hendo, just didn't have anything left for the finish.

If Bones mounts Hendo, it will get ugly.

Edited April 22, 2012 by StillUnknown

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

If Bones mounts the moon we'll cease to have tides.

Those guys were throwing heat tonight, they're both incredibly good at fighting, and nullify each other generally speaking. I'm sure both of those guys would have buried 99% of the pro LHWs tonight. Rashad could have picked it up late in the fight. He landed a really hard leg kick in the 3rd (I think) which I thought he'd continue to do. Jones was cutting Rashad off and had him backed up on the perimeter of the cage for the majority of the fight. Rashad just didn't have much time or room to get off any solid combos. He was just too busy reacting to the signature high paced array of strikes Bones throws.

I really enjoyed the fight, both guys were throwing massive overhands, Jones threw some wicked kicks to the body and head. His flying knees are ridiculously accurate. I was really impressed with how much they cancelled out each others' clinches. The little things in those situations that are thought of as "boring" to most folks are amazingly technical to me. Even then, it's hard to understand how Jones is so good in those situations. One second I think Rashad will get off a shot on the break, but Jones is the one who does. WTF?

The vast majority of fans have to expect my boy Hendo to get worked, I wish he could just put his right arm in there while his body stays outside the cage.

Edited April 22, 2012 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[StillUnknown]

I really enjoyed the fight, both guys were throwing massive overhands, Jones threw some wicked kicks to the body and head. His flying knees are ridiculously accurate. I was really impressed with how much they cancelled out each others clinches. The little things that are thought of as "boring" to most folks are amazingly technical to me. Even then, it's hard to understand how Jones is so good in those situations. One second I think Rashad will get off a shot on the break, but Jones is the one who does. WTF?

The vast majority of fans have to expect my boy Hendo to get worked, I wish he could just put his right arm in there while his body stays outside the cage.

I didn't find it boring either. Not all fights will be brutal finishes, just comes with the territory of high level fights. I only question Rashad's strategy in abandoning his takedown game. Rashad is at his best striking when his opponents have to guess when he's going to hit that lightning fast level change he does as good as anybody in the game. Without that threat he becomes a lot easier to deal with, especially against a fighter who has a reach advantage on him. He did the same thing against Machida and he's been beaten soundly both times. He can't just be a striker if he wants to have success at 205 or 185.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2012 at 02:44 AM ----------

Edited April 22, 2012 by StillUnknown

[#98QBKiller]

@ scumbag steve

also more Shaub shoops:

[StillUnknown]

[StillUnknown]

[NoCalMike]

Considering 2 out of the 3 judges had it as close as 3-2, it would have been nice to see 'Shad take some more chances in rounds 4 & 5 to actually make the appearance he was leaving it all on the line to take the title.

The first three rounds went about as I expected, but once it hit round 4, 'Shad had to know that it was very unlikely he would get a decision in a title fight where neither guy were looking to go for the kill very much. Leaving out the 50-45 scorecard, the other judges probably could have been swayed if Rashad just tried to do more. Sure, he may have got KO'd or finished somehow in the process but this is a title fight, get in there and leave it all on the line.

This sort of reminded me of the Shields/GSP fight. After about three rounds it was apparent that while GSP wasn't completely blowing Shield out of the water, Shields was not interested in doing anything to take a chance at winning if it meant possibly making a mistake and getting finished.

Not being a fighter, i'll never know the psyche in their head but it's beginning to feel like there is a "dignity of going all five rounds, live on to fight another day" mentality in modern day fighters.

Oh and Henderson has more than his right hand. He is also a great wrestler, which might actually be the way to go.

[Tsoe]

Considering 2 out of the 3 judges had it as close as 3-2, it would have been nice to see 'Shad take some more chances in rounds 4 & 5 to actually make the appearance he was leaving it all on the line to take the title.

The first three rounds went about as I expected, but once it hit round 4, 'Shad had to know that it was very unlikely he would get a decision in a title fight where neither guy were looking to go for the kill very much. Leaving out the 50-45 scorecard, the other judges probably could have been swayed if Rashad just tried to do more. Sure, he may have got KO'd or finished somehow in the process but this is a title fight, get in there and leave it all on the line.

This sort of reminded me of the Shields/GSP fight. After about three rounds it was apparent that while GSP wasn't completely blowing Shield out of the water, Shields was not interested in doing anything to take a chance at winning if it meant possibly making a mistake and getting finished.

Not being a fighter, i'll never know the psyche in their head but it's beginning to feel like there is a "dignity of going all five rounds, live on to fight another day" mentality in modern day fighters.

Oh and Henderson has more than his right hand. He is also a great wrestler, which might actually be the way to go.

You could tell Rashad was broken by the end of round 3. Rashad actually isn't much of a haymaker and hope type fighter. The clinch is where he excells at and I thought he could really work something against bones on the cage.

Even those knees that Jones threw were not his best. We'll get the "virtuoso" jones back for the hendo fight.

[#98QBKiller]

Not being a fighter, i'll never know the psyche in their head but it's beginning to feel like there is a "dignity of going all five rounds, live on to fight another day" mentality in modern day fighters.

I think some fighters have that mentality but there are still a lot of guys who come to fight and I think Jon Jones is one of them, that was the first decision he's fought to in nine fights. I think it was obvious that Rashad was scared to pull the trigger in the 4th and 5th while Bones kept hitting him with with everything from kicks to elbows, to trips to shoulder strikes to pulling guard and working from his back in the end.

[artmonkforHOF]

This sort of reminded me of the Shields/GSP fight. After about three rounds it was apparent that while GSP wasn't completely blowing Shield out of the water, Shields was not interested in doing anything to take a chance at winning if it meant possibly making a mistake and getting finished.

Oh and Henderson has more than his right hand. He is also a great wrestler, which might actually be the way to go.

yeah that fight got boring in the Greg Jackson trained don't do anything to lose type of strategy. I have to say I was impressed that Rashad stood in there that long, if anyone had offered you 2:1 odds on the fight going 5 rounds I doubt many would have taken it. It was obivious those elbows hurt, and I would not be surprised to see Rashad out 90 days + with some sort of facial fracture.

I'm not really excited to see Hendo Jones, Hendo has less of a shot at beating Jones than Rashad & Lyoto had IMO, but he is hot right now so he gets the title shot. Hopefully Jones ends Hendo's career, but taking a beating at an old age has never made him quit yet. I just want to get all the TRT users, like him Chael and anyone from Team Quest, out of this sport ASAP. And Hendo's wrestling ain't going to help at all, just like it didn't help when he got on the ground with Anderson Silva. All he could muster from top position on Anderson was cupping his hand over Anderson's mouth, trying to make it hard for him to breathe, too bad all it did was piss him off and ended with Andy putting a rear naked choke on a guy who is suppose to be a good wrestler. Heck, he couldn't even out wrestle Jake Shields at middleweight, how the hell is is going to handle Jones at 205lbs?

As for my boy Hominick, man did that suck. I though he was barely winning the fight, but said during the broadcast that if he doesn't start pressing the action, Yagin could steal this fight on the judges scorecards which is exactly what happened. Hominick has now lost 3 straight- including fighting Aldo for the belt, but I think the UFC will give him a bit of leash, he puts on good fights and should get at least two more fights before the UFC decides to cut him.

And after what that shot by Rothwell did, I don't think anyone is afraid of facing Brendan Schuab anymore.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Considering 2 out of the 3 judges had it as close as 3-2, it would have been nice to see 'Shad take some more chances in rounds 4 & 5 to actually make the appearance he was leaving it all on the line to take the title.

2 of the 3 judges had it 49-46, with the other giving it 50-45. To me, there was no way Rashad won any of those rounds. He landed 2 strikes that I remember, one being a leg kick. The rest of the fight was all Jon Jones.

Not being a fighter, i'll never know the psyche in their head but it's beginning to feel like there is a "dignity of going all five rounds, live on to fight another day" mentality in modern day fighters.

Probably because they think their stock will drop harder if they end up unconscious on the mat. And they don't want images of them getting tagged used in future highlight reels. Not defending them, just my theory on their psyche.

Oh and Henderson has more than his right hand. He is also a great wrestler, which might actually be the way to go.

A lot to say about this one. Hendo's greco game hasn't translated that well to MMA. He's stout when he commits to it, but even then he's been taken down by non-wrestlers. I think this is due to his obsession with making his right hand a comet. I wouldn't be surprised to walk in to his gym one day and see him throwing that thing over and over again, like a slow-retracting piston. Jones has displayed ridiculously savvy wrestling, Greg Jackson has brewed up some real wizards in that regard. I will seriously give the clinch advantage to Jon Jones.

My question is how will Hendo close that distance? I think he gets torn up on the outside from the get go in this fight. Jones will have him off balance while landing anything he wants. Hendo barely even moves as it is, dear God. This is probably the most defined punchers chance of all time.

I will play devil's advocate, however. Remember that Jones has been tagged by two right crosses in his last two fights. Big shots, but you wouldn't know it by his reaction to them. Man has an iron head, believe that. I'm worried for my boy Hendo, but one thing is for sure, he will bring the intensity. If you aren't excited for this fight, then you'll be pleasantly surprised with the entertainment value. Hendo's experience rivals that of Ron Jeremy. He has balls made of train engine, a chin made of German tanks, and his aggression was taken from the soul of Wanderlei Silva.

Edited April 24, 2012 by d0ublestr0ker0ll