Rashad Evans is picking UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to beat Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 135. But to the surprise of many, he's picking Jones to do it standing up.
The former light heavyweight champion was on hand to talk with Spencer Lazara of MMAInterviews.TV about the eagerly anticipated light heavyweight showdown set to go down on Saturday night.
"I think that Jon Jones uses his range and his speed to keep Rampage off balance, and at the same time, using his ability to take Rampage down to try to impose some of his will," said Evans. "I think Jon tries to get it done, and I think he does it standing up."
After watching Jones do surgery in the striking department to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, it wouldn't be shocking to see him find similar success against Jackson.
It all comes down to Jackson's ability to remain unpredictable. If Jackson settles in the pocket and telegraphs hooks, Jones shouldn't have much trouble avoiding the power punch and finding openings to best the stand-up exchanges.
With that said, Evans understands that Jackson is a different style match than Rua, who tends to rely heavily on his Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Jackson's strong core and wrestling background could make things tough on Jones if he attempts takedowns in the open. In his UFC 114 bout with Jackson, Evans struggled to secure takedowns and had to grind the fight out against the cage with short strikes from the clinch.
If Jones decides to engage in a stand-up battle, things could get dangerous for the young champion. His chin is one of the few question marks surrounding his complete game, and there are few fighters in MMA with the vicious knockout power of Jackson.
Coming off a second-round TKO stoppage over Tito Ortiz, Evans is set to face the winner of Jackson and Jones.
Having already defeated Jackson a little over a year ago, there is likely a part of Evans hoping for the opportunity to get a crack at Jones, his former teammate turned nemesis.
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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/859286-rashad-evans-on-jon-jones-he-will-beat-rampage-standing
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