There’s no doubt about it: for a moment, I wasn’t sure Jon Jones would make it to his April 23rd showdown with Daniel Cormier. I wasn’t sure that the king of the light-heavyweight division would return to the kingdom he ruled mere months ago. In fact, I was almost certain the UFC would need to find a replacement to face “DC” at UFC 197. Outside of Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, the options for an understudy to Jones in this month’s title fight are very limited. As fate would have it, Daniel Cormier turned out to be the one unable to make the appointed date, and Ovince St. Preux will take his place in an interim title bout. Before the announcement came, it was easy for me to ponder an alternative; a fantasy match-up between Jones and someone who apparently has more than a few bones to pick with him: The Iceman, Chuck Liddell. If both men were in their prime, UFC197: Jones vs Liddell would’ve been worth the watch.
So how then, would the legendary Iceman fare against the returning king? Liddell is far from a slouch; in his heyday as light-heavyweight champion, a title which he defended four times, he was involved in a series of classic fights against the likes of Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Wanderlei Silva. Being retired for well over five years, Liddell acknowledges that he’s past the apex of his career. That fact though, doesn’t seem to be a problem when discussing Jon Jones. Liddell even went so far as to claim that he’d be a handful for Jones right now, much less than in his prime. I’m inclined to agree with him, but only to an extent.
When discussing Chuck Liddell or any aspect of his highlight reel career, the first thing that comes up is his striking prowess and seemingly God-given power. The Iceman has finished opponents in so many ways that his power cannot be disputed; he has knockouts from punches on the ground, advancing into their range, and even disengaging and moving backwards. To complement his natural kickboxing ability, Liddell was also a Division I wrestler out of California Polytechnic State University. He’s displayed good takedown defense; in the event that he is taken down, has shown the wherewithal to return to his feet in a short space of time. Given the wrestling pedigrees of both men however, in tandem with their respective styles, lead me to believe that this bout would be contested largely on the feet.
The problem most fighters face at the very onset of a bout against Jones, is dealing with his massive range advantage. Measuring a reach just shy of eighty five inches, Jon Jones is a very lengthy fighter. A reach disadvantage in itself wouldn’t be an incredibly difficult handicap to overcome, were it not for the fact that Jones understands how to use his reach well. He is among a surprisingly low number of long fighters that understand how to manipulate a reach advantage in a proper manner. Jon Jones regularly uses straight punches and push kicks to maintain his range against shorter opponents. While this seems like a textbook maneuver, the difference in Jones’ case is that he recognizes the value of being accurate.
An unusually long reach is completely worthless if the combatant to which it belongs is inaccurate. Consider the long arm of Jones to be a spear; if stuck out directly to the opponent’s face or body, it pushes them backwards in a straight line, but only if it lands cleanly. Any deflections, or worse, complete misses mean that the danger and utility of the weapon is neutralized. In their first bout, Daniel Cormier saw his best efforts bear fruit when he avoided Jones’ long jab and worked into the clinch to deliver uppercuts and body shots. To counter the negation of the reach advantage, Jones has been known to resort to close ranged elbows in attempts to ward off a clinch exchange.
Jon Jones’ penchant for straight shots and a variety of leg kicks, by my analysis, would be the story of this bout. Fantastic and entertaining as he was, Liddell often displayed a tendency for hooks that left him open for straight counters, as seen in Randy Couture’s victory in their first bout. Another hole in his otherwise rounded arsenal would be his susceptibility to leg kicks; Keith Jardine made a meal of these against Liddell, and won a close decision. Naturally the aggressor, I’d expect Liddell to lead the action, causing Jones to keep him at bay with the oblique kick that he loves so much, and go to work on his legs. While moving backwards, Jones would take potshot jabs and crosses at Liddell, before retreating again.
Jones hasn’t knocked out anyone for a while; his last stoppage came against Chael Sonnen. Though Liddell’s chin has shown signs of deterioration in the later stages, I still doubt he’d be knocked out in this one. Instead, Jones would most likely spend the five rounds picking whatever straight shots he finds, avoiding Liddell’s wide hooks and breaking his legs down progressively. If Liddell could work past Jones’ range and land a few bombs, he’d have a real chance at victory. Jon Jones has never been finished, or beaten for that matter, but are there any chins that would hold up against Liddell for too long? Either way, this would be an entertaining bout that we’ll have to be content with in a hypothetical setting, given the queue being formed to face Jon Jones and Chuck Liddell’s status as a retiree.
It’s fun to dream though right?
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