Saturday’s UFC 235 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas will feature two title fights, led by ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world: Jon Jones.
Jones will look to defend his light heavyweight title against Anthony Smith in the main event. In the co-feature, welterweight champ Tyron Woodley will take on Nigerian challenger Kamaru Usman.
Here’s everything you need to know about UFC 235, courtesy of ESPN’s Cheat Sheet.
Jon Jones (23-1) vs. Anthony Smith (31-13), light heavyweight championship
Odds (via Westgate): Jones -950; Smith +625
When Jon Jones enters the Octagon at UFC 235 on Saturday, it will mark his quickest turnaround between fights since 2011, when he won his first UFC title at age 23.
Jones, now 31, defeated Ryan Bader at UFC 126 in February 2011 and was offered an immediate title shot against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua the following month. He was afforded only six weeks to prepare for his first UFC title fight — and it remains one of his proudest moments to date.
“There are two times in my career when I feel I really took myself, mentally, to another level,” Jones said. “The first was against Stephan Bonnar in my second UFC fight [in January 2009]. He was famous and I was nobody at the time. I actually made my name that night. And then, after Ryan Bader, I had to had to take my mind to the next level, to think I could be a world champ.”
These days, of course, Jones isn’t fighting to make his name anymore. He’s fighting to repair it and further build it.
It’s very obvious that Jones doesn’t relish the idea of talking about his past at this point. UFC fans know the issues that have limited Jones to just four appearances over the past four years, and he has offered no indication he wishes to rehash them any more.
If Jones has his way, this will be one of the most active years of his career. His goal is to fight four times in 2019, which, considering he fought in December, could mean he will have fought five times in 12 months if he follows through.
“A lot of it is for the fans,” Jones said. “The UFC could use some big-name fighters being active. I feel like I’m the guy to do that. Khabib [Nurmagomedov] is dealing with [suspension], Conor [McGregor] is dealing with his time off. We lost Ronda [Rousey]. Georges St-Pierre just retired. I feel I’m one of the bigger names, and it’s good for business to be active.”
Whether he’s truly doing it for the fans, the UFC or himself, nobody is likely to complain about Jones’ quick turnarounds. And the best part about moving forward, for Jones, might be it leaves the past further behind.
Fight breakdown
Anthony Smith says he has identified holes in Jones’ game, which he intends to exploit. I sure am curious to see what these holes are.
If anything, Jones has made a career of beating opponents at their own game. There’s almost a sadistic feel to it at times. Jones will take you to an aspect of the fight in which you should feel confident and demoralize you. He wrestled Chael Sonnen, boxed Alexander Gustafsson and fought Glover Teixeira in a phone booth. He out-grinded Daniel Cormier in a five-rounder in 2015.
Smith is a massive underdog for good reason. He doesn’t have a clear path to victory. He lacks any discernible skill that would allow him to dictate where this goes. He can’t outwrestle Jones, nor can he consistently cut off the cage and back him up. He’s not a slick, one-punch knockout counterstriker. Ask three observers what Smith’s greatest strength is and you might get three different answers.
That said, Smith knows how to fight. He has a tremendous amount of experience. He has felt the highs of a prolonged winning streak and the lows of an extended skid. He has 44 professional bouts under his belt, plus a handful as an amateur. He has heart, durability and fight IQ. And he boasts a ridiculous 90 percent finishing rate.
Smith’s punching power isn’t the type that leaps off the screen in your living room, but he really knows when to turn it loose. Watch Smith throw combinations; he rarely misses on an attempt he throws his entire weight behind. He just has a very good fight feel. He’s comfortable in every position, which allows him to fight intelligently and with purpose wherever the fight goes.
That’s very important in an underdog situation, because Smith is not going to win the majority of this fight. He’s just not. But he’s also not going to fold easily, mentally or physically. He’s a danger for as long as he’s in there, because he’s never simply trying to survive. He has a Rolodex of experience stored in his mind and he will seize an opportunity if Jones affords him one.
Prediction: Jones via TKO, second round.