Hey, remember when UFC welterweight blanket, Colby Covington, told the MMA world that Conor McGregor was “one dimensional” and everyone was like whuuuuut. I thought of that when light heavyweight title contender, Anthony Smith, explained how Jon Jones wasn’t better than anyone he’s already defeated, before claiming “Bones” was “delusional.”
I guess the bookies screwed up that opening line.
Jones will put his 205-pound title up for grabs when “Lionheart” meets him in the UFC 235 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this March in Las Vegas, Nevada, though fans expecting a one-rounder are likely to be disappointed.
“I think it’s goddamn amazing that all these people are assuming that if me and Jon Jones fight, he’s going to get me out of there in one round,” Smith told MMA Junkie. “He doesn’t hit any harder than (Volkan) Oezdemir and Hector Lombard. He’s not any better of a wrestler, for the most part, of guys that I’ve fought. And he’s not any better a jiu-jitsu guy that all the guys I’ve fought. He puts it together better than anyone that’s in the game right now. But he doesn’t wow me anywhere, especially the fight that he just had.”
Jones recaptured the light heavyweight crown in the UFC 232 headliner last month in Inglewood, California, a stellar performance (highlights) that helped divert some of the attention away from his drug-testing woes in Las Vegas, where “Bones” is still waiting for clearance.
Smith wasn’t exactly shaking in his boots.
“I wasn’t impressed,” he said. “And I don’t mean it wasn’t a fantastic performance, because it was. But I didn’t watch the fight and think, I couldn’t handle that. I saw a guy that has holes that can be exploited as long as you attack it in the right way. I also saw a guy that wasn’t nearly as arrogant. Jon’s biggest attribute is his genuine delusion. Jon is genuinely so delusional and so arrogant that he is unbeatable that it works in his favor, and he almost creates the illusion that is. He fights with this complete arrogance and disregard for his opponents. And if he loses that, he loses a lot of his ability.”
It’s hard to make a case against Jones (23-1, 1 NC), based on his winning resume.
Smith (31-13) knows a thing or two about winning himself, having racked up three straight victories at 205 pounds. That includes consecutive knockout wins over Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua, as well as a submission finish over Volkan Oezdemir.
Whether or not that streak makes him a danger to Jones remains to be seen, but the best way for Smith to prove his theory is correct is to show up at UFC 235 and upset the light heavyweight apple cart.
See you in March!
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