Shogun, coming off a victory over the seemingly unbeatable Lyoto Machida, will be fighting for the first time since winning the title, and undergoing yet another knee surgery. Jones, the MMA savant who seems to absorb knowledge rather than simply learn it, will be getting his shot at gold a bit ahead of schedule, due to the injury to Rashad Evans and the hype train that smashing through everyone will inevitably set in motion.
The odds makers have made Jones the favorite. The casual fan can't seem to envision a Jones loss. Those who remember the Shogun who once dominated the Pride ring know that the champion is as tough, complete and dynamic a fighter as you'll find. While Jones has buzz-sawed through his competition, leaving them with a deer in headlights look just before "Bones" is announced the winner (even the one time he was foolishly given a loss), Shogun is not Ryan Bader. Rua has been to the mountain top, fallen and climbed back to the top. He has beaten unbeatable men and made big name opponents feel the way Jones has his B level adversaries. And Rua, unlike the others, will not be shocked by the tornado of talent that is Jones.
In other words, Shogun has been the man longer and on bigger stages. He'll need every bit of this big game experience to conquer a young man with seemingly limitless potential. It is said that Jones submitted Bader with a move that he hadn't himself practiced, but simply one which he saw GSP use in training. Jones decided he'd try the move in the Bader fight, to make him tap.
That is the difference between Jones and everyone else (except for Anderson Silva). He can see something and make it his own through sheer talent. Combining this gift with hard work and intelligence, fans can not be blamed for jumping on the bandwagon of the man that will probably do what Brandon Vera once dreamed of, wearing the light heavy and heavyweight UFC titles. Will his belt collecting begin this soon, or will destiny have to wait a bit longer? A healthy Rua could derail the Jones train, but if Bones is as mentally tough as he is physically gifted, it could be the beginning of a new era in MMA.
Julio Rivera
Omni Martial Arts
www.OmniMartialArtsNY.com
