Jon Jones - "I'm Alistair Overeem with better wrestling and better jiu-jitsu"

UFC light-heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (19-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) may believe he's faced opponents of similar stature to Jon Jones (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). He may think he had no problems getting inside their long limbs and chopping away with kicks and punches.

But he'd be wrong, according to Jones.

The challenger said he's a better version of two opponents – Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate and Alistair Overeem – to which Rua has compared him in the buildup to their meeting at UFC 128, which takes place Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Rua could claim otherwise until the dust clears from his first title defense. He iced the pair in question as a 23-year-old in the heyday of PRIDE. They both were longer than him and seasoned strikers in their own right, and it mattered little when matched against his intensity.

Now Jones is in Rua's place as a 23-year-old who's shot up the ranks with a freewheeling and aggressive style. The champ is now 29 years old, but he hasn't lost much of the intensity that made him a breakout star.

Both agree there are several comparisons that can be made from their respective careers. But Jones said there are none when it comes to breaking down Saturday's fight based on past competition.

"I'm not 'Snake' or Overeem," Jones said. "Where 'Snake' was really good at striking, 'Snake' had zero physical strength. 'Snake' had zero wrestling, and 'Snake' had zero jiu-jitsu. So I'm not 'Snake.'

"And when he says he's fought Overeem? Me and Overeem have similarities in being tall. I think I'm taller than Overeem. I know that my arms are longer. I think my strength could match to Overeem to where Overeem was in that point in his career. I look at myself as an Overeem with better wrestling, and better jiu-jitsu, and (a) more unpredictable style.

"Where he's mentioned he's fought tall black guys before, (I'm) a lot different than both of those two."

Whether or not Rua thinks he's already got the answer for Jones, his approach isn't going change, the challenger said. That's when he'll know he's in for a different kind of fight.

"I think he's going to rush me," Jones said. "I think he's going to rush me and look for that right knee. Maybe I'll go for a shot, and maybe I'll go for a face shot into an attack.

"But I think he's going to rush me, and if he does, we'll be ready for that."

this is a bit ridiculous.

jones should be quiet already. he is not taller than Overeem, and he whilst he has better wrestling, his "jiu jitsu" as he calls it, and striking are definitley inferior.

Fuck me Bones is coming across more and more cocky!

Overeem his age = Much beter striker
Overeem his age = Biger and taller
Overeem his age = Better Subs

Bones = Better Wrestling

And its Overeem style wrestling with the Trips from Colar ties etc.. I dont know if Bones could reach up to a taller Stronger Overeem and trip him or slam him... even if he could I think his trying to jump into someflashy move would get him KO'd.

I was a massive Bones fan but im getting bored of him blowing his own trumpet. Career wise his record looks better than Overeems at the same age but he is going overboard rating his own skillset. He thinks he can do kick for kick with Shogun! The Kid would probabally go Knee for Knee with Overeem too!

I hope Shogun gets old skool and smashes Jones - illegal soccer an all.

Got to agree wi Ben big fan of jones but he is going well overboard with his recent comments he hasn't faced anyone near shoguns level, still big questions for jones, we do not know if he has a decent chin, I've backed him so far and I've gone for him again tonight but reckon he needs to calm himself down

Ps wait till mryzyz hears about jones saying he's better than the reem he won't be happy

Im not going to comment on his attitude or antics in the build up to this fight at all. So all i'll say is Bones has talked big for this fight, and if he gets the job done tonight. Then all the credit in the world to him.


Really really excited for tonight

I wonder if the weight cut will start being an issue for Bones, especially in a 25min fight, Shogun is HARD to finish, Stone chin and BJJ BB. Bones will have his hands full for a long time cause Shogun doesnt cut much weight and will be able to push the pace, Looking at Bones although he cut from less than Normal I think if this fight goes past the 2nd round Cardio will be a problem in such a high pace fight...

Im hoping so anyway cause the Dude is huge, he really dwarfs Shogun who is one of the smaller Lhw's anyway.

The man is deluded, maybe he has better wrestling than the reem but doesn't the reem have more sub wins than jones has actual wins? Maybe he's trying to hype the fight?

That being said I'd love a K1 Reem v Jones 3 rdr lol

I think were going to see some lay n pray in this fight from Bones. Do not expect him to try and pass straight away to get to side control for those elbows.

Bones thoughts on how fight is going to go down:

“I envision me going out there, fighting my fight, keeping my hands high, exchanging punches with him, taking kicks, and kicking him right back just as hard. I can see myself taking him down at will, even worse than I did Stephan Bonnar. I could see myself submitting him on the ground, I could see myself being way overwhelming and just way too much on top. I don’t think he’s ever fought someone who’s gonna throw leg kicks at him, and basically anything he can do, I feel that I can do better. I’m young, I’m hungry, and Shogun’s smart and a great fighter, but I just feel that there’s nothing he can do that I can’t. I can throw an overhand right, I can swing for the fences, and I can throw a leg kick just like he can throw a leg kick. There’s really nothing that he has that I don’t besides a black belt, and when it comes to that black belt, I want to show that hard work and dedication and just believing can overcome any type of black belt.”

IMO Jones is terrified all these OTT comments don't seem like arrogance or confidence to me I think he is trying to convince himself after seeing the press conference and weigh in's I can see he is mentally gone.

Hope K-1 Jones gets taken a peg or two tonight

I feel sorry for Jon Jones. At first I thought all this talk was just disposable bravado, but now it really does seem he has this idea in his head that he is some kind of invincible otherworldly being.

He is in for a real shock tonight. A real shock.

have to admit,his confidence and some of his statements are becoming abit off putting,but I'm just putting it down to him getting his confidence and head right for the biggest fight of his career.

He's always came across to me as quite a humble guy before this,so I won't be letting these pre fight actions change my opinion of him yet.

Really can't wait for this fight,I've changed my mind so many times on who i think will win,the last couple of days I've been thinking Bones will do it but waking up this mourning I've gone back to thinking it'll be Shogun.

payneNglory1 wrote:














have to admit,his confidence and some of his statements are becoming abit off putting,but I'm just putting it down to him getting his confidence and head right for the biggest fight of his career.

He's always came across to me as quite a humble guy before this,so I won't be letting these pre fight actions change my opinion of him yet.

Really can't wait for this fight,I've changed my mind so many times on who i think will win,the last couple of days I've been thinking Bones will do it but waking up this mourning I've gone back to thinking it'll be Shogun.

agreed, it's starting to grate a bit, but i'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Still picking him, but it's so close, could go either way.

Thank god for everything you've done for me.Thank you for my victory.

(jon jones on twitter)

manschesthair_utd wrote:Thank god for everything you've done for me.Thank you for my victory.

(jon jones on twitter)

John Jones is high..... Even if (big IF) he beats Rua he will fail the piss test lol

Lol why would he fail a drugs test, thats a little silly... as for Reem he'd smash the fuck outa Jones simple as that! Jones is a pussy for fighting at LHW the guy should be HW simple as that until he moves up and fights guys equal to his size and reach he is no "worlds best"

pinsman wrote:Lol why would he fail a drugs test, thats a little silly... as for Reem he'd smash the fuck outa Jones simple as that! Jones is a pussy for fighting at LHW the guy should be HW simple as that until he moves up and fights guys equal to his size and reach he is no "worlds best"

My memory is shite but what weight class did your beloved 'Reem' start at again?

Plenty of unnecessary jones negativity on here. Maybe if he fought for Dream or strikeforce he'd get the props he deserves

Pretty sure he was LHW but he's moved up to HW and become one of the best... unfortunately Jones wasn't a humble contender and has upset a lot of people.

pinsman wrote:Pretty sure he was LHW but he's moved up to HW and become one of the best... unfortunately Jones wasn't a humble contender and has upset a lot of people.

Jones has been in MMA for 3 years, Overeem didn't make the permanent switch to heavyweight until 7 years in to his mma career, aged 28, Jones is 23, to say he is a pussy for fighting at light heavyweight when your favourite fighter appears to be Overeem is a bit hypocritical.

His antics leading up to the fight with Shogun were a bit disrespectful, but i'd much rather him be confident and cocky leading in to a fight than him being a beaten man before he has even stepped in to the cage, something we have seen a lot of young contenders do on their challenge for a title.

In time Jones will move up to heavyweight, where i'm sure he'll be one of the best there too.

at this point Cain would steam roll jones no doubt about it.
and its not a case of simply stopping cutting weight if he wants to be contender at HW, he has to do Overeem style.

Cain vs Bones wouldn't be a fight, it would be a massacre. Cain would maul him.

pinsman wrote:Lol why would he fail a drugs test, thats a little silly... as for Reem he'd smash the fuck outa Jones simple as that! Jones is a pussy for fighting at LHW the guy should be HW simple as that until he moves up and fights guys equal to his size and reach he is no "worlds best"

that's bullshit i'm afraid.

Do you dispunt all of Randy's exploits at LHW just cos he had to cut weight?

What about Anderson Silva? Is he a pussy too?

It's part of the game and if Cain could make 205 you can bet your ass he'd be there too.

Well for a start Anderson has fought and LHW many times and also showed an interest at fighting HW although the UFC aren't about to throw their most prized fighter in again guys twice his size. If Anderson wanted the LHW belts he could get it easily!

Randy did great in his exploits HW and LHW if were guna go into it like that though I feel Randy fought some weak opponents for some of his titles! But he did it a HW so I don't know what your getting at there mate?

And lastly why the hell would Cain fight at LHW when he kicks everyones ass at HW? The HW division like in boxing is the most exciting and talked about division in the world... and Jones should be there with his size.

I feel like you chatting some garbage yourself sonny jim...

Nobody is arguing that Cain VS Jones would be one sided, Jones shouldn't even step up to heavyweight for about another 2-3 years, he had a lot more to accomplish at light heavyweight yet. To say that Jones should be fighting at heavyweight now is ludacris, the guy is 23 years old.