The blueprint to beating Jon Jones

“What’s it going to take to beat Jon Jones?”

The instant response to this query is nearly common, even when it is posed to a number of the brightest minds in fight sports activities.

It goes one thing like: “Wow. That may be a good query.” (Sigh. Lengthy second of silence.) “Man. That may be a actually good query.”

There is a purpose why Jones has been unstoppable in blended martial arts. There are lots of causes, truly, and pointing them out is simple sufficient. Attempting to plot an precise methodology or plan for overcoming them … properly, to date, that has proved to be inconceivable.

Forward of Jones’ title protection towards Thiago Santos at UFC 239 in Las Vegas on Saturday night time, ESPN requested a number of the prime coaches on the planet to offer it their greatest shot. What’s it gonna take to beat Jon Jones? Here is what they got here up with.

Henri Hooft, Exhausting Knocks 365 (coached Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans towards Jones; coaches mild heavyweight Luke Rockhold)

Alexander Gustafsson, left, almost handed Jon Jones his first non-disqualification loss in 2013. The important thing? Sporting Jones down by making him battle defensively. AP Picture/The Canadian Press/Chris Younger

Jon has every little thing you need in an athlete. He is tall (Jones is 6-foot-Four), makes use of his attain. He has a really excessive battle IQ. And it seems to be to me, in each battle, he is attempting to get higher all over the place. I believe he is a man who works rather a lot on himself.

The UFC has loaded up one other pay-per-view card Saturday, that includes two title fights: Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos and Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm.

UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos
• Early prelims: ESPN+ 6:15 p.m. ET
• Prelims: ESPN eight p.m. ET
• Principal card: ESPN+ PPV 10 p.m. ET – Purchase now | Get ESPN+ help

UFC 239 content material
• The blueprint to beating Jon Jones
• Holm prepared to alter her legacy
• The UFC’s 22 Corridor of Fame moments
• Who else deserves to be within the UFC HOF?
• Inside Thiago Santos’ ultimate preparation for Jon Jones
• Luke Rockhold’s twin careers
• How the UFC’s mighty have fallen? By the hands of Amanda Nunes
• Element: Daniel Cormier on Amanda Nunes

I believe you’ll want to be tall sufficient to get previous his attain and also you additionally have to be technical. It’s worthwhile to have a battle IQ like him. Individuals at all times say, “You must [get] near him as quickly as attainable,” however that is not straightforward with a man who’s that sensible. You want strain, in fact, however I believe you’ll want to combine it up and make him drained. He is too relaxed. The putting that DC [Daniel Cormier] used on him, it is probably not the kind of putting that will get Jon into hassle. It is a large, sturdy man transferring ahead, however for a kickboxer with a excessive battle IQ, he’ll choose that aside. He’ll keep behind his jab and clinch when he has to. Alexander Gustafsson made him react the primary time they fought, which made him drained.

Jon is a technical fighter. In each sport, you may have one man who’s simply the most effective. Each sport has it. There’s one man. Sooner or later he’ll lose, any person will come alongside in the suitable second. However proper now, that is Jon.

Javier Mendez, American Kickboxing Academy (coached Cormier towards Jones twice)

Jon Jones made Daniel Cormier, proper, pay for errors in every of their two championship fights. Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

There have been a number of opponents like this, and he is positively certainly one of them — there isn’t any strategy to assault him on the psychological aspect. He is fairly properly put collectively for what he desires. DC is a grasp chess participant, however Jon is a grasp chess participant, too. And DC ended up making the primary mistake in his fights towards him.

You must have a heavy output, however keep away from injury as a result of he is so rattling good at every little thing he does. I believe output is essential. You keep in mind his first battle towards Gustafsson, Jon was a bit greatly surprised by the strain. He realized he needed to suck it up, which is what he did as a result of that is the form of man he’s. You are gonna must knock him out to beat him. If you happen to do not strain him he’ll dissect you, and ultimately he’ll go in for the kill when he is determined to place an finish to it.

Marc Montoya, Manufacturing facility X (coached Anthony Smith towards Jones)

Being accustomed to coping with fight-week distractions has solely helped Jon Jones excel, together with towards Anthony Smith, proper, of their title bout in March. Joe Amon for ESPN

I felt like numerous the preparation we did for Jon Jones would have labored, however sadly we did not get to showcase it. And I will inform you, finally, what it would take to beat him at the beginning is to not enable your complete strain of that week, the distractions, to get to you. Jon is used to it. That total week, all the additional media, that feels regular to Jon.

With regards to contained in the cage, I will inform you one factor Jon does very well. If you happen to discover, he at all times begins a battle off with one thing large — even when he would not harm you. As an illustration, he’ll throw a spinning back-kick, and even for those who block it together with your arms, you notice there’s numerous velocity and energy in there. And I believe what finally ends up taking place to numerous guys, together with us, is you go, “Oh, OK. That is what it’s.” And you find yourself sitting again and getting mesmerized by it.

There are methods to organize for him, however I will say, I’ve by no means checked out one other fighter the way in which I checked out Jon after learning movie. I used to be like, “Man, it’s robust to search out holes right here.” The preparation for that, I will be sincere, helped me rather a lot as a result of I needed to dig so deep into the archives to discover a strategy to assault Jon Jones.

Rener Gracie, Gracie College of Jiu-Jitsu

Jon Jones made the correct changes to handily defeat Alexander Gustafsson of their rematch final December. Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

To beat Jon Jones, you are going to want Robert Whittaker’s boxing, Valentina Shevchenko’s kicks, Henry Cejudo’s wrestling and Brian Ortega’s jiu-jitsu. Moreover that, it isn’t gonna occur. And that is my ultimate reply. (Laughs.) If it got here right down to easy recreation planning, it might have occurred a very long time in the past. There is a purpose why the legacy continues.

He’s the sport planner of recreation planners, and he is probably the most disciplined fighters in MMA by way of sticking to that recreation plan — very like Georges St-Pierre. Georges St-Pierre was by no means emotional about his fights. It was 100% strategic. And due to that, he adopted a sure set of operation guidelines when he was in there. Jon is similar. He is not emotional. He has one goal, and that’s to beat you on the recreation you play greatest.

He is not the identical fighter in each battle. Sadly, you may by no means practice for the Jon you are going to get, as a result of you are going to get one which’s totally different from the one anybody and everybody else received. For anybody to ponder how Jon goes to get beat, it is dreaming and hypothesis at greatest as a result of nobody is aware of how Jon goes to battle on any given night time. Even when he is fought the identical opponent a second time, he is fought them totally different due to how a lot he learns within the first go. Jon has no exploitable weak point. Each class, he is a 10.

Mark Henry, New Jersey putting coach (coaches top-10 mild heavyweight Corey Anderson)

Jon Jones has mastered utilizing his 84-inch attain to his benefit. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

For my part, Jon is the most effective MMA fighter to have ever fought. I form of have [the strategy to beat him] in my head, saved for my man, however I’ll say I keep in mind when Frankie Edgar fought BJ Penn [in 2010]. Penn was stopping all people. He wasn’t simply profitable, he was stopping guys. I keep in mind folks saying Frankie had no probability, and I really feel it is form of the identical with Corey and Jon.

Getting ready for Jon could be very totally different from anyone Corey’s fought, as a result of he likes to go southpaw and righty. You must be prepared for each. You possibly can’t go too laborious on Jon, as a result of he’ll take you proper down. You must watch out with what you do.

Ray Longo, LAW MMA

Even probably the most achieved wrestlers, resembling Daniel Cormier, have had little to no success in getting Jon Jones on his again. Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports activities

You want any person who can put him on his again. If you cannot match him on the skin, and nobody can, I might like to see how he fights off his again. I assumed DC was going to impose his wrestling much more of their fights. However hear, you may discuss all of it you need, however doing it’s a completely totally different factor.

I’ve labored with some actually good wrestlers and generally they do not need to expend that sort of vitality. However what it’s? You are both all-in otherwise you’re all-out. You get a man like [UFC welterweight] Colby Covington, he is nonstop. The takedown is all he desires, and I believe he is most likely higher off like that. You get these wrestlers who fall in love with putting and so they get comfy backing off and standing for a bit. You are taking a man like [UFC welterweight] Ben Askren who’s simply gonna wrestle you to dying? I believe Jon Jones wants a light-weight heavyweight Ben Askren.

No person is punch-proof, in order that’s at all times an possibility — but it surely would not appear to be working too properly. It is not a simple activity, although. It will take an distinctive gasoline tank. It is simple for me to say, “I would like to see him battle off his again,” however who the hell is gonna do it?

Eric Albarracin, Pitbull Brothers MMA

Ovince Saint Preux, left, discovered some success in attacking the physique of Jon Jones throughout their battle in 2016. Joshua Dahl/USA TODAY Sports activities

It may take any person as tall as him, any person his dimension. He is a tough puzzle to determine due to that 84-inch attain. I believe it must be a superb striker who has some wrestling. I am enthusiastic about this Johnny Walker. I’ve by no means educated with him, however he is tall, he is lengthy. He’ll have to have the wrestling, however that is the man I consider.

I simply do not see this dominant, 6-foot-5 wrestler developing who’s going to pin Jon Jones for 5 rounds. The place is he? I do not even see one in school, and even when there have been, it might take him years to get to Jon. It must be a striker with adequate wrestling to maintain it standing. Look, if I am a wrestler and also you kick me within the abdomen, my wrestling is at 90% now. Kick me once more, now it is at 80%. Guys do not need to wrestle within the fourth and fifth rounds. They’re considering, “I am already drained. We’re slippery. I am simply going to waste vitality if I attempt to get this takedown.”

Somebody like Johnny Walker, a harmful striker. He is artistic. I do not know the way his wrestling is, however he must be engaged on it now, exterior of camp. As a result of Jon Jones might be going to attempt to take him down — and if Walker is to the purpose he would not fear concerning the wrestling as a result of it is there, he can consider profitable that standup battle.

Duke Roufus, Roufusport

It will seemingly take somebody with the scale of the 6-foot-Four Anthony Smith, left, to have the ability to negate the size of Jon Jones. AP Picture/John Locher

The important thing to Jon Jones that nobody talks about is he is unimaginable at hand preventing, each on his ft and in wrestling positions. His opponents cannot determine the hand preventing and why he is so darn good at it. It feels like a bizarre talent that no person focuses on, however he does. And it is the primary purpose guys don’t get wherever close to taking him down, as a result of he stops you earlier than you get there.

Somebody will likely be attempting to tear his head off, and he stays calm. He’ll slip the punch and put his fingers in your fingers, which implies you are unable to punch or shoot on him now. It takes a cool buyer to do this. I will attain out, threat you hitting me, and put my fingers in your fingers so you may’t do something to me. [Nick and Nate Diaz] do it properly — they will attain out with their fingers and it distracts you. Gennady Golovkin and Vasiliy Lomachenko do it in boxing. You have received to have the ability to out hand battle Jon if you are going to problem him.

Danny Castillo, Crew Alpha Male

Jon Jones has used hand preventing as a way to disclaim opponents, resembling Alexander Gustafsson, an opportunity at initiating offense. Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports activities

I might go to the physique rather a lot within the early rounds. That does three issues: It retains Jon guessing, drains his gasoline tank and opens him up for straight and overhand proper. When Jon is orthodox, he tends to depart his lead hand a bit low, defensively.

You must transfer laterally. You possibly can’t simply come straight ahead. If you happen to come straight ahead, you are coming into an elbow otherwise you’re getting taken down. With the intention to beat him, you positively must work these angles and hold him on edge, which means hit him with a bunch of feints, change ranges, possibly assault takedowns early within the spherical to get him considering. And after that, that is when you may open up together with your putting. And it’s important to acknowledge the place he is attempting to take the battle. Usually, you may learn your opponent’s recreation plan in the course of the first 10 minutes of a title battle.

Eddie Cha, Combat Prepared

Having the ability to stuff a takedown try is paramount when going through Jon Jones. AP Picture/John Locher

Everybody has holes, however it’s important to have any person who’s able to exploiting these holes towards Jon. First off, you may have to have the ability to wrestle. He will go for 2 or three takedowns per spherical, and if you do not have takedown protection, the battle is just about over.

The massive factor is it’s important to have two totally different recreation plans for Jones: one for when he is orthodox, and one other for southpaw. When he fights orthodox, he is a totally totally different fighter from when he is southpaw. When he is orthodox, he is throwing aspect kicks to the knee, the jab, the suitable hand high and low. He is much more of an issue southpaw, as a result of he is a bit farther away from guys — he’ll throw that tete kick to arrange the excessive kick. There simply aren’t numerous guys on the market who can swap stances and present you that many alternative seems to be.

One other factor is kick protection and kick counters. You are going to see extra kicks than fingers. His left tete kick is actually like his jab. It is not too laborious of a kick, so most guys attempt to ignore it or stroll by means of it, however that is a countering alternative. I would be teaching my man to throw the left hook, cross to counter that kick.

And each time any person feints or throws a punch, something, Jon is extending the fingers, and that is why he is been prone to the suitable hand. That is a giant no-no to increase the fingers, however he will get away with it as a result of he is so lengthy. One factor you are able to do is feint excessive and throw the low kick. You must make him look excessive, low, inside, exterior — broaden his vary a bit. And you’ve got to have the ability to adapt on the fly between rounds. Jon is so good at making changes, you may’t throw the identical factor time and again all through the battle.