Jon Jones says "The More Active The Better" on his 2011 run

Jon Jones finishes Shogun & Rampage (the 2 men who have wins on Machida's record) now Machida beats a now retired Randy Couture to get a title shot?!?

MMA math doesn't work so you can't say because Shogun and Rampage beat Machida that Jones will beat Machida.



What you can say is that Jones has too many skills and too much of a physical advantage and this will be an 'easy' fight for him ...

not saying that Jon Jones will beat Machida because he beat the 2 dudes that beat him. just stating that MACHIDA's record doesnt scream out give me a title shot cuz i beat randy couture in my last fight but lost the 2 previous bouts before that 2 the last to title fights

@Osnizzle

MMA math doesn't work like that.....

That makes no sense man....Rampage lost to evans who got KTFO( one of the nastiest KOs in MMA history) to who you might ask....Oh ya MACHIDA every fighter will stack up diffrently to each other no fighter will be the same fighter against different opponets. Come on man haven't you seen that enough already in this sport. plus 205 is one of the most triangled divisions. for example Machida, Rampage, Evans.

oh and btw...The Evans and Machida fight....Evans was so out classed...am I the only one that remembers this fight they praised Evans as the fastest hands in LHW...but as I remember he couldn't even keep up and eventually it got him KO'd....Then Rampage tells rogan thats the hardest he's ever been hit....Lyoto has KO power and the speed and elusiveness to counter Jones style...these are my two fav LHW so its goona be hard to watch im torn between who I want to win bc they are both level headed honorable champions....May the best man win

Let’s be clear. Rampage won his fight with Machida because of extremely poor scoring. Even Rampage said at the end of the fight that he had never been hit that hard and really didn't want have to fight him again. He didn’t say that about Jones. Rampage was shocked that he even won the fight. Oh, and not to mention Rampage almost got KO'd in the 3rd round by Machida. Shogun clearly beat him, but it took him 2 fights to do it. Anyone that thinks this is gonna be an "easy" fight for Jon Jones is delusional or they just don’t pay attention to Machida’s fights because they have a tendency to be a bit boring.

In a perfect world, champions would only fight contenders who have earned their shot by fighting a clear path up the ranks of their weight division.



But the UFC is different than boxing. This will be the 4th fight for Jones this year--and the 3rd former lhw champ he has faced in a single year. That is an incredible statistic.



MMA fans often make the mistake of believing that their imaginary rankings are the only factor in a fight, and when their 'rankings logic' fails to justify a contender's right to a shot--fans can be very vocal in their opposiiton.



One of the most important factors in a fight is whether or not it will sell PPV's and arena seats with fans, especially if it is a main event. Another important factor is timing. Usually the schedule for well-known fighters is booked in advance--and despite the depth of the UFC roster--the list of suitable opponents for a champ becomes very short.



It is always a useful excercise to ask: What would I do if I were Dana White?



With Jones vs. Machida--White wanted a big card for UFC 140. Initially, he thought Rashad and Jones would fight--and most fans would agree that was a good matchup. When Rashad got the pins taken out of his hand, he learned that his rehabilitation would take longer than he thought.



Who could step in for Rashad?



When you go through the list of 'possible' opponents--you see that there was not a huge choice--especially since Shogun and Rampage had just been defeated by Jones, and a rematch is way too soon. Dan Henderson is already booked, Phil Davis is still out on injury, Griffin just lost to Shogun, Mousasi is contracted to Strikeforce...



So the only way for there to be a completely fair contendership is for the champ to sit on the sidelines waiting--a solution most fans would not like.



Machida is a former champ--who only lost to Shogun--and was 'decisioned' by Rampage. Otherwise--his record is pretty impressive.



Finally, looking down the LHW top ten list--I can think of no one (who is healthy), who deserves a shot more against Jones right now.

What I am wondering is what will happen in a couple of years time if Jones clears out the divison and is only mid 20's? Who they gonna line up for him. I don't see new talent that is likely to break into the top 5 anytime soon as Evans, Machida, Rua, Rampage, Davis will have them spots on lockdown for the forseeable. Who is gonna be left after Machida, Evans and Davis?



Whilst the LHW division is a great division it is not like the WW and LW divisions where there are many exciting young prospects coming through the ranks so I would not use Jones too much too soon, unless of course Jones intends on moving up if he can clear out the division.