UFC 135 - Press Conference Highlight - "Shut Up"

[Radical Plato]

I know that's life. Out with the old in with the new. I just want to hang on just a bit longer. Just a little bit longer. I've been with these guys for years. Just a little bit more. 

Come on Rampage. Tap into that thug life you grew up in and made you mean. Jones childhood was pretty much smooth sailing. No housing projects and gangs. Had a pretty nice life. Got to go to college, didn't have to work so he could concentrate on wrestling.

I love rampage, like you I have followed MMA and UFC for long time, sad to see greats retire like Randy, Chuck etc.. We still have TITO though. Chuck must be pissed that TITO is still going and he's drinking beer on the sidelines. Oh well, ya gotta love the UFC. Anyway Heart wants Rampahe to Win, but head says maybe Jones to strong and will lay and pray if he has too and eek out a win.  But Rampage is hard to keep down, he likes to get at it and bang, and if he hits Jones, Lights OUT BABY. Prediction JONES in unanimous decision after realising he cant stand and bang with rampage so ties him up and lays on Rampage for the following four rounds.  Should be good fight though.

[coltrane]

This wont be going to a decision.  Jones will do the same thing he did to Rua to Rampage...  only worse now that Jones' confidence must be a little higher now since toppling Rua.

[Benny B]

LQ=Latin Quarter

Yep. A club where I had many a fun night back in the day. 
 It is also now known as the place where Plaxico Burress shot himself on his way into the club.   

But I digress!

[Benny B]

This wont be going to a decision.  Jones will do the same thing he did to Rua to Rampage...  only worse now that Jones' confidence must be a little higher now since toppling Rua.

Nope.
Rampage can take shots MUCH better than Rua. 'Page only has to survive the first couple of rounds without accruing major damage. After that, he will be relentlessly checking that young boy's chin and heart. 

[Swede!]

Nope.
Rampage can take shots MUCH better than Rua. 'Page only has to survive the first couple of rounds without accruing major damage. After that, he will be relentlessly checking that young boy's chin and heart. 

lol, a few rounds in and Rampage is GASSED combine that with the range Jones can hit rampage at and Rampage will look like a fool that can never reach the target.

Hopefully jones stops him before that. RTampage hasn't been stopped since 2005 either. So if Jones stops him. That might be the last we see of Rampage.

[coltrane]

Nope.
Rampage can take shots MUCH better than Rua. 'Page only has to survive the first couple of rounds without accruing major damage. After that, he will be relentlessly checking that young boy's chin and heart. 

You can't possibly believe that Benny.  Hopefully you're not hiding post fight come saturday night.  You'll have some explaining to do.

[The Wizard of Truth]

As long as Jon jones doesn't try anything retarded like deciding he HAS to finish it with a spinning elbow or something risky, cos rampage can hit hard and punish mistakes (not as well as rua though), then he will coast it. Rampage isn't all that great anymore. He's boring and not dangerous compared to jones, machida or rua, I think this could be a handier fight for jones then the shogun fight was. Unless rampage wrestles very well and gets mount, that'll be all new to jones

[Swede!]

Unless rampage wrestles very well and gets mount, that'll be all new to jones

I doubt Jones will Ever get mounted in mma.

I wonder is UFC has fighters thats never been mounted.  Has GSP been mounted?

[The Wizard of Truth]

I doubt Jones will Ever get mounted in mma.

That is rampages only chance other then the big uppercut. Can't see it happening unless he hurts jones first though

[Swede!]

That is rampages only chance other then the big uppercut. Can't see it happening unless he hurts jones first though

The only chance I give him in a lucky overhand right or something simular when jones comes in of he drops his hands etc.

If Jones wanted he could play this safe as HELL and just pick rampage a part from a distance. RAmpage has however in EVERY single interview hes given claimed that he KNOWS jones will take him down. Only to get insides Jones head to make him stand since rampage knows what little chance he has is standing up.

[The Wizard of Truth]

Easy win for jones. Shogun rematch, machida, and especially rashad will be jones biggest tests. Rampage is just target practise

[Swede!]

Easy win for jones. Shogun rematch, machida, and especially rashad will be jones biggest tests. Rampage is just target practise

imo shogun will never even stand a chance, machida is good when he stays on the outside and moves in fast and out. Jones will be the first one to reach machide = ruining machidas gameplan and Im confident claiming he could just throw him to the fucking ground if he wanted to.

Rashad on the other hand, Fast and a great wrestler. Then again Hammil is a great wrestler also and we know what happened to him.

[Dreadlifter]

I would love it if Rampage ko's Bones. Let's just say i'm not gonna put money on it though. Rampage doesn't seem at all hungry anymore and doesn't seem to be developing at this stage of his career(as the lack of kicks shows).

I like Jones, but i seem to be liking him less the more he prospers. I don't know why, he's great for the sport. 

[pellius]

Rampage has Ko'd One guy since the beginning of 2007. And that was Wandy being crazy and just banged with rampage and got caught (and piece of shit rampage threw a Few extra shots WHILE the ref tried to pull him of which EVERYONE ignores, and that made me lose respect for Rampage since he did it as "payback" when Wandy ko'd the shit out of him) Since then he has looked like a bad boxer.. No kicks, no slams no nothing.

So even though I agree with you on a lot of your points, Fuck rampage, Cant wait to see him get destroyed and hopefully he doesn't drive into someone pregnant again after the loss again.
Rampage is getting cut a lot of slack because hes funny and popular. If not, combine the punches after wandy was out with causing a miscarriage for driving into someone and people would Boo him ...if he wasn't rampage.

You're right. He's not a particularly good guy. I've never rooted for him in a fight. He's a thug. A womanizer. No class. The Japs, if they didn't hate him, always squirmed in their seat when they saw him. Japs don't like loud, rowdy guys. The especially don't like loud, rowdy Black guys. But you're a young guy. Rampage is part of those glorious days of Pride. People forget, or never knew how young he was, he was only 22 years old when he was fighting in Pride beating guys with more experience and skill level by sheer guts and ferocity. Guys like Vovchanchyn, Randleman, Lidell, Bustamante, Murilo Rua, Arona... I mean, those are high level guys with much better training and experience. Arona was an Abu Dhabi champion. I remember watching that fight with Jean Jacques Machado (Eddie Bravo's instructor and also an Abu Dhabi champ) and when Arona tried to pull that triangle and Page just picked him up and slammed him. It was a wake up call for us BJJ guys always thinking we ruled. That wasn't how you were supposed to escape a triangle. There were specific techniques you had to learn to escape and particular techniques you had to learn to counter that counter. Rampage didn't know any of that shit. There was no Jiu-Jitsu in Memphis. And even if there was you weren't going to escape a high level Black Belt in BJJ's triangle. We never considered that someone will just pick you up and slam your ass (and head) on the ground. So for me, if he loses, it's just another mark of the passing of an era. A really, really good era.

You'll see when you get old. Those that you pretty much went through your best years with start fading away. Like I said, Jones future seems pretty much preordained. He's definitely a new breed of fighter on another level. He's better than Rampage. But he's still green. I want to see experience and sheer brutal force of will overcome talent and progress. Just slam his ass on the ground. 

[pellius]

Nope.
Rampage can take shots MUCH better than Rua. 'Page only has to survive the first couple of rounds without accruing major damage. After that, he will be relentlessly checking that young boy's chin and heart. 

Exactly, Rampage is a much stronger, physical and brutal fighter than Rua (no disrepect and he's one of the greats). That skinny boy isn't going to man handle Page like he did Rua. I just pray that Page is still hungry and comes in top shape and out for blood.

[coltrane]

Pellius & Benny:

You're both living in an unrealistic fantasy land right now.  Have you watched any of Bones' fights?  The guy is a monster.  No one has come close to hurting him.  He has been destroying some very good names. 

I know you both love Page, but he is not the old Pride version we all loved.  He hasn't been for quite some time.  He surprised us all by beating Machida...  but really, what else has he done?  Barely got by Hammil.  HAMMIL!!

Page isn't fighting a normal fighter here.  He's not fighting a Hammil or a washed up Wandy or Chuck.  He is fighting a fighter who is a phenom (no, not vitor.. or victor if you're SMM).  Jones is such a special fighter..  who who rarely comes along..  he's on the same plane as a A. Silva. 

THis isn't to say Jones will never be defeated or stopped.  Who knows, maybe Page will sneak in a great bomb and KO him.  BUt this is for certain:  Bones will always be in the top 3 light heavies. 

Bones TKO mid second round if Page isn't agressive.
Bones TKO end of first round if Page comes out aggressive.

[che]

.  He has been destroying some very good names. 

Rua and 

[coltrane]

Remember, Jones is fighting in the UFC and UFC names.  All great talent.

Page will just be another notch on his belt.

[pellius]

Pellius & Benny:

You're both living in an unrealistic fantasy land right now.  Have you watched any of Bones' fights?  The guy is a monster.  No one has come close to hurting him.  He has been destroying some very good names. 

I know you both love Page, but he is not the old Pride version we all loved.  He hasn't been for quite some time.  He surprised us all by beating Machida...  but really, what else has he done?  Barely got by Hammil.  HAMMIL!!

Page isn't fighting a normal fighter here.  He's not fighting a Hammil or a washed up Wandy or Chuck.  He is fighting a fighter who is a phenom (no, not vitor.. or victor if you're SMM).  Jones is such a special fighter..  who who rarely comes along..  he's on the same plane as a A. Silva. 

THis isn't to say Jones will never be defeated or stopped.  Who knows, maybe Page will sneak in a great bomb and KO him.  BUt this is for certain:  Bones will always be in the top 3 light heavies. 

Bones TKO mid second round if Page isn't agressive.
Bones TKO end of first round if Page comes out aggressive.

I can't argue with you. Bones is unlike anything I've ever seen before.  It's a sentimental thing.
Like I said, I never was a fan of Rampage and never rooted for him in any fight. It's the era he represents. An era that is dying off. But just one more for the gipper. You get like that when you get old. And when you have knock out power like Page you can always get lucky.

Just one more, God, for old times sake. (And Page is going to need the hand of God for this one.)

[The Wizard of Truth]

Unless rampage can hit jones very very hard at the start of the fight and frighten him into engaging then jones will have his way. Then again jones has never fought a scary loudmouth like rampage before and this could get in his head. But to ppl who say jones hasn't beaten anyone...rua is a top 3 fighter, mathechenko is a hard hard fucker with a great mma record, hamill was at his peak at the time, Vera is very technical and experienced and Bonnar has never been stopped. My official verdict, jones by beatdown rd 3

[suckmymuscle]

  I made this post answering Coltrane's question regarding what will happen in the Jones vs Rampage fight in the MMA board. It is a brilliant read.

  Coltrane, I will stop hating on you and take your question seriously. I was going to start a thread on this. What I am going to say now will no doubt make me the subject of ridicule but I am going to say it anyway: I think Jon Jones is overrated. He is supremely athletic, yes, but being the most athletic guy does not necessarily make you the best fighter. Anderson Silva is more athletic than Chael Sonnen and if it weren't for that last minute submission, Chael would have won if it went to a decision. Everyone is awed by Jones speed and coordination and forgets that he hasn't faced any serious opponent. The best he's fought is Stephen Bonnar, and he can't bust a grape. Sure, he's fought Shogun, but Shogun was coming from knee surgery and hadn't fought in almost two years. Also, Shogun doesen't have the reach to fight Jones. He couldn't even get close to Jones. This is, in fact, the fundamental problem with Shogun fighting Jones: if Shogun could get close to Jones' head he could have won. Whilst Rampage's reach is not much greater than Shogun, Rampage is more athletic and fast and will no doubt close in. What will happen when Jones gets hit really hard? Before we proclaim Jones as this live super-hero, we first need to answer a few questions:

  1. Can he take a seriously strong punch to the chin and remain standing?

  2. What about cardio? He always finishes fights in the first round. What if the fight goes the distance? Will he crumble after 3 rounds or such?

  3. On the ground, despite being a superb wrestler, can he avoid being defeated by a grappler who is great at catching submissions from his back?

  Until we answer these questions and see Jones face someone with real KO power that he can't just keep at a distance from him and a BJJ guy who is great at submitting wrestlers, it is premature to call him this invincible force of doom that came to dominate all. He has the potential to be the GOAT, but not yet.

  Answering your question, it all boils down to KO power. Jones will almost certainly win as he is superior to Rampage in everything from athleticism to his ground game. But Rampage's KO power gives him a serious shot. If Rampage closes in and connects, he can knock any man out. Anyone. Rampage is one of the hardest hitters in the history of MMA and certainly of the light-heavyweighr division. Jones has an 80% chance of winning this fight. It would be 100% if Rampage didn't have such insane KO power. His KO power gives him a 20% chance of winning by connecting.

  Jones 80%

  Rampage 20%

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[apply85]

I hope rampage schools him, I can see him losing, hope not.

[pellius]

  I made this post answering Coltrane's question regarding what will happen in the Jones vs Rampage fight in the MMA board. It is a brilliant read.

  Coltrane, I will stop hating on you and take your question seriously. I was going to start a thread on this. What I am going to say now will no doubt make me the subject of ridicule but I am going to say it anyway: I think Jon Jones is overrated. He is supremely athletic, yes, but being the most athletic guy does not necessarily make you the best fighter. Anderson Silva is more athletic than Chael Sonnen and if it weren't for that last minute submission, Chael would have won if it went to a decision. Everyone is awed by Jones speed and coordination and forgets that he hasn't faced any serious opponent. The best he's fought is Stephen Bonnar, and he can't bust a grape. Sure, he's fought Shogun, but Shogun was coming from knee surgery and hadn't fought in almost two years. Also, Shogun doesen't have the reach to fight Jones. He couldn't even get close to Jones. This is, in fact, the fundamental problem with Shogun fighting Jones: if Shogun could get close to Jones' head he could have won. Whilst Rampage's reach is not much greater than Shogun, Rampage is more athletic and fast and will no doubt close in. What will happen when Jones gets hit really hard? Before we proclaim Jones as this live super-hero, we first need to answer a few questions:

  1. Can he take a seriously strong punch to the chin and remain standing?

  2. What about cardio? He always finishes fights in the first round. What if the fight goes the distance? Will he crumble after 3 rounds or such?

  3. On the ground, despite being a superb wrestler, can he avoid being defeated by a grappler who is great at catching submissions from his back?

  Until we answer these questions and see Jones face someone with real KO power that he can't just keep at a distance from him and a BJJ guy who is great at submitting wrestlers, it is premature to call him this invincible force of doom that came to dominate all. He has the potential to be the GOAT, but not yet.

  Answering your question, it all boils down to KO power. Jones will almost certainly win as he is superior to Rampage in everything from athleticism to his ground game. But Rampage's KO power gives him a serious shot. If Rampage closes in and connects, he can knock any man out. Anyone. Rampage is one of the hardest hitters in the history of MMA and certainly of the light-heavyweighr division. Jones has an 80% chance of winning this fight. It would be 100% if Rampage didn't have such insane KO power. His KO power gives him a 20% chance of winning by connecting.

  Jones 80%

  Rampage 20%

SUCKMYMUSCLE

Hi Stupid, glad you're back.

Not only has Jones fought some very good fighters, it's the way he's beaten them. Just utterly destroyed and dominated them. Vera, Bader, Bonner, Ruas, Vlady... you can make any excuses you want for them: they were overrated, past their prime, injured, rusty ..., fact is they are world class fighters and they were simply tooled. Just massacred and destroyed by Jones. I have first hand experience with Matyushenko, the IFL champ, and know what he can do. When Machida came to our school in '06 to train for an up coming fight (Jungle Fight 6 in Brasil) before he was champ he was schooled like a little girl by Valdy. And Machida went on to win his match. When Jacare rolled with Valdy to a stalemate (with Jacare on my bottom most of the time) he said that Vlady was one of the toughest strongest mofos he ever stepped on the mat with. I thought for sure Vlady would be too much for Jones. But Jones took him out like he was nothing. Like Valdy never stepped into the cage before. And Vlady came from the days when Belarus was still Communist and taken away from his family to train as a wrestler before he was able to defect to the US.

Jones is no joke. But he is green and I'm still hoping against hope that lack of experience, at least compared to Page, will be his downfall. But rest assured, he ain't going anywhere. He's going to be with us for a long time like Fedor was when he won the title at about the same age as Jones.