Because his "Frankenstein" footwork is just too plodding to catch the champ.
That's according to former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans, who weighs in on the UFC 135 title fight booked for Sept. 24 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
The "Mile High City" will play host to the "Jones vs. Rampage" pay-per-view (PPV) event, featuring reigning division champion Jon Jones defending against former 205-pound straphanger Quinton Jackson.
And "Suga" has the scouting report on both fighters.
He's already gone three rounds with "Rampage" back in May 2010 in addition to the countless practice sessions he's spent with "Bones," his former Jackson's MMA teammate in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
So what happens on fight night? Evans tells Tim Marchman of SI.com that unless Jackson "makes himself a student of the game again," this one could end early -- and violently:
"Listen, Rampage is a bunch of untapped potential. He showed sparks of great potential in the Pride days, and I don't even think he was as good as he could have been even in the Pride days. But the thing about it is, now, Rampage has gotten lazy. He's gotten lazy, and he's gotten comfortable. He's got some money, he's got fame, and everything else like that, and he's gotten lazy, he doesn't have that same hunger. And you're going against someone like Jon Jones, who technically is a better fighter, who is younger, and who's hungrier. So how's he going to match that? His footwork is bad, his boxing is not good, and his wrestling, he got away from. So I don't see -- I really don't see how he can win this fight. I can see if he catches him with a punch, because he's got a lot of power, but that may be the only thing, if he catches him with a punch. But if he don't catch him with a punch, he's going to get finished off. Unless he makes himself a student of the game again. It would have to be a complete transformation from what I've seen from him in the last few fights. The guy who fought Matt Hamill? He won't last a round with Jon Jones."
But what about the power and dangerous counter-punching of the Memphis slugger?
"Rampage is good at countering. He's not really fast if he initiates a punch, but he's very fast off of the counter. But then again, Jones is so long, is he going to be able to get close enough to catch him with a counter when Jones strikes him? He has to work on his footwork. He's too flat footed. When he walks, when he's fighting, he doesn't shuffle his feet or move them. He just plods and plods and plods and plods. He moves like Frankenstein. You can't catch Jon Jones moving like Frankenstein."
Evans has, of course, a heavily-vested interest in this fight, considering the fact that if he defeats Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 this Saturday night (Aug. 6) in Philly, he'll likely take on the winner.
Do you agree with his UFC 135 prediction? Or will Jackson shock the world on Sept. 24?
Anyone?
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