What is it like to fight against a fighter who is #2 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound and most dangerous heavyweight in the UFC? How does it feel to be kicked by the “baddest dude” on the planet, Jon Jones? Well, it’s a question his opponents, Daniel Cormier, Quinton Rampage Jackson, and Stipe Miocic might be able to answer. The heavyweight champ is not afraid of going all out inside the cage with his slick oblique kicks that can debilitate opponents if perfectly landed.
Jon Jones once said, after the Thiago Santos fight at UFC 239 post-fight presser, “Our coaches teach us to be malicious,” and well, it worked in his favor—everyone is scared of that oblique kick. Even ‘Rampage’ Jackson could not help but speak about the same with the one of the only men who came close to putting ‘Bones’ in serious danger.
During the JAXXON podcast, ‘Rampage’ spoke to 19-8-1 Rashad Evans, who retired in 2018. The Hall of Famer is the only fighter who came close to knocking out Jones. ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans, who earned Jones’ respect with his powerful striking, said that ‘Bones’ had an amazing oblique kick that was mesmerizing.
He said the following to Jackson about Jones, “Yeah the thing him is he kind of mesmerizes you the way he moves the way he kind of then he throws that kick. And the thing with Jon is that I know you look at him and know that he’s long but when he’s in that cage with you he’s like super damn long like you just like this son of a b– is all over me. You know, he gives you that presence like he is going to attack you, but then he reaches out, and he is just there all the time. So it makes it hard for you to catch your breath because you can’t catch your breath without being in that striking range.”
Back in 2012, Jones took on Evans in his third light heavyweight title defense. Speaking to Adin Ross, Jones said, “The hardest punch I ever received was from a guy named ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans. He caught me with an overhand right, the same punch he hit Chuck Liddell with, and dropped him.” He further added, “Bro, that was by far the fastest I’ve ever been hit, and thank God I didn’t become unconscious because I probably should have been.”
However, ‘Rampage’ Jackson experienced what Jones was capable of when he ate oblique kicks at UFC 135. Meanwhile, Jones justified his oblique kick against Thiago Santos at UFC 239 by saying that the 22-11-0 fighter tried to give him “brain damage.” He further stated that MMA was a ‘malicious’ game, “Where a guy could give you a stutter for the rest of your life or memory loss.”
The legality of the oblique kick, however, remains a debatable topic in the combat sports world. Yes, it gives range control and tactical strategy, but there is also the risk of severe injury to the opponent.
Jackson admitted Jones’ viciousness during an interview with Chris Van Vliet and said, “Jon Jones is a great fighter. Even if he were standing in this room I would say it. But he’s the dirtiest fighter ever.” ‘Rampage’ and Rashad Evans were both bitter rivals of Jones in competition but now, they cannot help but complement Jones on his fight IQ and technical mastery. So what was the reason for Evans’ beef with Jones? Weren’t they team-mates at one point?
Rashad Evans revealed the betrayal before fighting Jones
The former light heavyweight champ and an old rival of Jones talked about his feelings on their feud. The bromance they had at Jackson Wink MMA gym turned into bad blood before they fought at UFC 145 in 2012. ‘Suga’ talked about his rivalry in the OverDogs Podcast and said, “You know, Greg and Mike Winkeljohn and I… I had to leave my New Mexican family. So, it was me having to give the same sound bites… it got to the point where that personal aspect of it just drained me”
Now, what is this betrayal about? ‘Suga’ was supposed to fight the then-champion Mauricio Rua. An injury forced the Florida resident to withdraw from the fight, and the 23-year-old ‘Bones’ strolled in to fight for the title at UFC 128. In fact, ‘Bones’ blatantly said that he was ready to fight Evans if UFC wanted him to—yes, he was ready to fight his friend.
But all that is in the past now, as both ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Rashad Evans have put their beef with Jon Jones and between themselves, behind them. What do you think of Jon Jones’ rivalry with these two? And what about the oblique kick? Do you think it’s a thing of beauty, or should it be banned? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
The post “He Kind of Mesmerises You” – Ex-UFC Rivals Forced to Swallow a Tough Pill On Jon Jones’ Lethal Oblique Kicks appeared first on EssentiallySports.