Jones vs. Machida

This is the official discussion thread for Jones vs. Machida. Let's see what you've got.

@greg I didn't want my last post to imply what I think you think. It's just the conclusion I jumped to, which I guess makes no sense.

 Anyways, I am surprised to see you admit that he has a 50% chance of winning his next 3, because I seem to recall myself saying he probably won't defend the belt 3 more times after the Rampage fight (I argued that almost no one will beat Evans/Machida/Shogun/Henderson in a row) and I seem to remember being scolded...

I think you're right about that past conversation. But math is math, odds are odds. 

My issue is that you don't seem to appreciate just how good Jones is, and that I think you look at his matchups in a biased way because you HOPE he is going to lose.

@kayak you do know that in this tread it already shows your pick so you don't have to post the screenshot of it.

I have been saying for a long ass time that I think Machida matches up really well with Jones. I also think Hendo matches up decently well with him based on huge power and aggressiveness.

 I constantly acknowledge that Jones is a great fighter but I can't stand him, I dislike him more than I've ever disliked any fighter, damn straight I hope he'll lose. 

@mino as of late i have started to like Jones less and less as well.

I don't see how Machida matches up good with him though.

Well this fight isn't a sure thing for me. I'm about as confident in Machida as I would be if I were picking a plus 200 or 250 guy, but I know Jones has a weakness, I just don't know what it is yet. Machida will atleast give us the blueprint, I think. 

Also, I think this fight will happen on the feet, and I consider him the better striker despite the freakish reach. I could be wrong about that. That's just what I think.

Like there are some fights where I'll tell you, this guy is going to sprawl, and win on the feet. On this fight, I don't know that. I just think/hope that. 

@mino ya you make some good points and i agree Jones has a weakness someone just needs to find it.

I just don't think Machida's in and out counterstrike style will work against Jones because of his freakish reach haha

@justyn i agree everybody in the LHW is going to have to come up with a way to get pasted that 84 in reach... which is hard for anybody to deal with even at HW

Yeah, I'm kind of thinking that it may not work too. Like one is going to completely shut down the other IMO. Jones is either going to be able to keep Machida completely at bay, or Machida is going to be able to pop in and land. I'm not sure either way so I'm picking the guy I like. If I were picking Jones it would be by decision though. Machida isn't going to gas like Rampage and he isn't going to get ragdolled like Shogun. If Jones wins, imo, it will be like the first 3 rounds of the rampage fight, where he just lands jabs, teep kicks and those lame savate kicks for a decision. I think Machida is too smart to lose like that though.

I also think it's interesting that this is the first Team Nogueira guy Jones has fought. I believe training with Anderson was a huge part in Wanderlei's win over Cung and Nogueira's win over Couture. Machida is great at imitating specific styles, I don't know if you guys have seen this, but theres a video on youtube where Anderson is sparring with Feijao and he just start imitating peoples styles. He does Wand, Couture, Machida, and a few others, and they were all really, really good. It was a joke, but at the same time, it was all accurate. There was a vid of him training at Kings with Wand where he was throwing all these Cung Le style kicks against Wand, and they were coming up with specific ways to deal with each one, and you could see that it worked tonight.

Anyways, that's a really long way to say that I think Anderson will be an invaluable part of this camp. Anderson will be able to imitate Jones style really well (without the ridiculous reach, but he'll have other people for that) and by the time they fight, it will feel like Machida has fought him before. And it's guys like Jones who have the puzzling styles where that is so useful. 

@mino good post dude! I didn't know that Wanderlei had trained with Anderson for his fight tonight with Cung Le.

I kinda agree though that it will be a one-sided fight either way. But i honestly think it will be Jones who wins, i think Machida's style just isn't gonna be able to work very well against 'Bones'

I honestly don't really like either of these guys all that much and no matter who wins they are gonna lose to HENDO!! haha

Jones is more well rounded than Machida however I foresee a boring fight with Machida circling and Jones just using his length to coast. If not then Jones is gonna open up on Machida from range and is going to hurt him BAD. If Jones gets this to the ground I see him having great success there as well.

Il be here live and I will be booing Jones alll night! Im hoping Machida takes a TKO. 

I think Jones picks him apart get him in the clinch and works for a takedown. Machida will be a game opponent, but just wont be enough for Jones.

It's gonna be a destruction as usual for Bones Jones.

I dont see Machida having an answer for anything Jones does. Im going to have Jones by second round ko

I thought Rampage had a better shot of beating Jones then Machida does...Will be interesting though, because Machida isn't the easiest out there to gameplan for

I have to give this fight to Jones here...both fighters a extremely skilled in their chosen fighting styles and it will be an interesting matchup between Jones's wild aggressive style and Machida's defend-and-counter approach. The only large factor in this match that I see is that Machida is 1-2 in his last 3 fights dating back to his title loss against Shogun. That and his only win in those three fights is a win against Randy Couture and, though that's by no means a small feat, Couture is definitely passed his prime in his career. I honestly would have liked to see Machida tested one more time before getting the title shot.

Basically, with Machida coming in with less momentum than most fighters who get a title shot I think Jones will win this in a tightly contested fight, especially if he can take Machida down and control him from the top.

Machida KO