Upcoming UFC 128 Shogun vs. Jones

Upcoming UFC 128 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon "Bones" Jones March 19th, 2011 from Newark, New Jersey.

This fight card has been altered, flipped and switched around so many times but I'm finally happy with it! First the major title fight was supposed to be between Shogun and Rashad Evans. Evans had earned the title shot after defeating fellow TUF season 10 (the heavyweights) coach, Rampage Jackson in 2010 but because of a recent knee injury during training he is not able to fight. Joe Rogan announced that Jones would be offered the opportunity to step up in his place after his first round finish of Bader at UFC 126. A little hunting and I found out that Rampage was actually offered this fight first but refused saying he currently weight 250 meaning he would have to drop 45 pounds in 4 weeks and he would not take a fight on that kind of notice. I'm guessing that means he will have the chance to take on the winner of this fight if Evans is still not healthy. Brendan Schaub was also supposed to demolish Frank Mir but instead he will be fighting Cro Cop. Tito Ortiz and Little Nog (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira) were to fight on this card as well but instead were moved to headline Fight Night a week later. (Following that switch Tito suffered an injury and won’t be fighting then either; I really think he needs to go away now). Chael Sonnen was also initially on this card but because of his recent run in with the law (pleading guilty to money laundering) he will not be fighting until that is sorted out. For those that may not know, Sonnen tested positive for performance enhancing drugs after his fight with Anderson Silva. It was later determined that those drugs were for a medical condition. Since then of course he has been suspended because of the legal charges against him. I still want to see that rematch, he has been the closest man to defeating Silva in a looong time... and I liked it! Nate Marquardt has stepped up in his place. So on to my predication bout the fights that are actually happening on the 19th... Hold that thought, one more last minute change. On March 12^th it was announced that Marquardt’s opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama pulled out of the fight because of the recent tragedy in Japan. No surprise here, everyone continues to send their best wishes to those suffering in Japan. Dan Miller will take Akiyama’s place.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (Champion) vs. Jon "Bones" Jones - light heavyweight championship

Here's the trailer nick the face (see my post here for the rest of his trailers)

This is such a tough call. It’s like the veteran versus the rookie (I was calling it that before I saw the countdown, just sayin). Jones has only been fighting in the UFC since the summer of 2008 and only started fighting mixed martial arts professionally a few months before that. Shogun, on the other hand, has been in the UFC since 2007 and fought in pride the four years before that. 

Jones has a very unorthodox fighting style. Watch any clip compilation of his fights and you are sure to see more than one flying knee and spinning elbow. Usually these kinds of moves annoy me. (Like what Ebersole did in his recent fight against Chris Lytle at UFC 127 when he attempted a couple weird cartwheel kicks) But Jones has mastered them so well that they have become a legitimate tool in his arsenal. His fights are always exciting, usually ending in TKO or KO. Jones’ only loss was a disappointing DQ for illegal 12-6 elbows against Matt Hammill in 2009.  I wasn’t too impressed when I saw that, but he has totally redeemed himself in my eyes with his three fights since then with two first round TKO finishes and one submission. Shogun is also a beast! When he first fought Lyoto Machida in 2009 in Abu Dubai it was a very controversial loss for him. Personally I thought that Shogun won the fight but I didn't feel like he did enough to take the belt so I was happy with the instant rematch. Shogun did not waste any time in that second chance opportunity. He came in fierce, guns blazing and finished the fight via TKO in the first round. In a 5-round title match that's pretty impressive. He has not fought since that rematch almost a year ago so he may have a bit of ring rust to get over. Since this will also be his first time defending his belt that is another thing to put pressure on him. 

There is no pressure on Jones in this fight. If he wins, he will be the young gun that took out the vet. If he looses, he'll be the young guy that couldn't quite take advantage of the opportunity and will have to work back up the ladder after that small slip. Personally I see the first scenario happening. He has so much momentum since taking out Bader in a quick win. There has been no break in his training. He trained hard to prepare for Bader and just over a month later he takes on the champ. When Shogun took the belt I was excited for a new champ in the light heavyweight division but now that people are talking about the beginning of a Jon Jones era I’m pretty pumped for that. He’s a bit of a goofball but a completely cool and humble guy and I think he would make a fantastic champion and inspiration to other young fighters. Jones also has the biggest reach in UFC history and I am looking forward to him using it in this title fight to take home the belt. 

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland – bantamweight

Faber was basically the poster boy for WEC. He’s a pretty cool guy but definitely reminds me more of a BMX dude or a snowboarder. Until you see him fight… This guys is crazy talented. When he started fighting MMA he won 11 of his first 12 fights. This will be his first fight in the UFC but he has faced a couple names already well known. One being two big victories over Jens Pulver and current UFC bantamweight champ, Dominick Cruz. Faber is also a big family guy, which I like. He grew up in a very Christian family in a community that, as his dad says, “Shared everything but their toothbrushes and their wives”. He took part in fashion shows and commercials, and was a pretty boy that knew how to entertain a crowd at a young age. One other thing I really like about Faber’s life outside of the cage is how he wakes up to goals he has written on paper and posted on his bedroom wall. He’s just a really awesome guy that makes you want to see him succeed.

I’m definitely not counting Wineland out for this fight though. He has more of a bad boy image, tattoos and shaved head but he is just as family oriented as Faber is. He became close with his family when his brother battled through a devastating accident. When he was three years old he was trying to fill a lawnmower gas tank and it ignited the garage. As a result of the inferno, 98% of his body was burned. The family spent most of the next year by his side in the small hospital room. This scenario runs through Wineland’s head when he’s fighting and training, he may be in pain or hurt but is he willing to walk through the wall of fire, as his little brother did. Odd that I think Faber looks the part because Wineland actually was BMX champ at 17 years old. Ironically he decided that was too dangerous so he switched to fighting. Going into this bout, Wineland believes the UFC is using this fight to introduce Faber. A similar story to Joe Lauzon’s first fight in the UFC against Pulver; expected to be a stepping stone. This is definitely giving Wineland motivation and he is looking for the big upset.

Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus – lightweight

I am without a doubt going for Miller in this fight. After his submission victory at UFC 124 I realized how good this guy really is. I don’t know anything about Shalorus because he is an import as a result of the WEC merge but with his nickname “Prince of Persia” and a 7-0-2 record I can only assume this will be a great match up. In my opinion Miller is right up there with the top dogs in the lightweight division and but there are two people in line before him to get their title shot so he has a bit of time to wait, may as well spend it beating people up.

Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller - middleweight

Marquardt's most recent fight was a loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 122. That fight was to determine the next fight to get a title shot after the Silva Belfort fight that just took place at 

UFC 126. Oddly enough, just two fights before that Marquardt fought for the title challenger position against Chael Sonnen. He lost that fight as well. He seems to get so close to that title shot but just barely misses out. If he wins this fight against Miller I can only assume that he will be involved in one more fight where the victor will go on to take on the champ, whomever it is at that time.  As far as I know this will be Miller’s first time on a UFC main card. He recently defeated Canadian Joe Doerksen at UFC 124 but he has lost to big names like Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping before that. I’m hoping that Marquardt finishes the fight strong with a decisive win and gets closer to that coveted title shot again.

Mirko Cro Cop (Filipvic) - Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub – heavyweight

I’m absolutely cheering for Schaub in this one. I really like watching him fight. He was initially supposed to take on Frank Mir, which would have been amazing, but instead Cro Cop stepped up. Cro Cop recently lost in the most boring and ridiculous fight ever to Mir at UFC 119. I’m hoping Cro Cop just gets the snot kicked out of him. When the kickboxing side of him shows up he is deadly but he has not been doing that recently and has become boring in my opinion. The saying regarding Cro Cop’s lethal kickboxing moves has been, “Right kick hospital Left kick cemetery”. Shaub likes to see himself as “Left hand fight of the night, right hand knockout of the night”. Not quite the same ring but I like the confidence. 6 out of his 7 wins have come from a first round finish but I like that he has shown he can go the distance by going all 15 minutes with UFC big gun Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121. Obviously I would prefer a first round KO again but its good to see his endurance too so he doesn’t pull a Shane Carwin and gas out his first time seeing a second round. Shaub for 


Last minute addition, I didn't even notice the Captain is on this card!
Edson Barboza vs.  Anthony Njokuani - lightweight
Again I have no idea who his WEC imported opponent is but after seeing Barboza's lethal leg kicks at UFC 123 I am a fan. Plus the whole Captain Barboza thing is just plan cool. (Thats not actually what he calls himself, but I like it)