Anderson Silva vs.Jon Jones or George St. Pierre: 8 Reasons to Vote for One over the Other
After MMA's most popular up-and-comer Jon "Bones" Jones won the title from Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in March, fans have been begging for a potential "super-fight" between him and Anderson Silva.
The original, and most likely, candidate for that a super-fight will be UFC welterweight champion Georges "Rush" St. Pierre. It's been the fight talked about for years.
There are many reasons that fans may favor one over the other, but they want to see one of them happen. Here is a list of eight reasons why fans may want to see one over the other.
For Jones: It Would Be the More Exciting Fight
Jon Jones is one of the more unpredictable and unorthodox fighters in the UFC. His lethal elbow strikes standing and on the ground are just some of the techniques that "Bones" is able to pull off.
If St. Pierre fought Silva, most fans know what each guy is going to try to do, and it would probably be relatively one sided either way. St. Pierre is either going to take Silva down and win a decision or Silva will get a knockout.
The Jones fight is much more interesting in that he is still relatively untested in the sport and isn't afraid to do certain things that other fighters are afraid of doing, which can be due to experience. This makes for surprises and a very intriguing fight.
For Jones: It's Better and Easier for Silva to Move Up Than St. Pierre
The experience factor does two things for St Pierre. It gives him the ability to break down his strengths and weaknesses when analyzing an opponent's skill-set. He also knows what it's like to lose.
He has had to deal with defeat before and Jones hasn't, aside from a DQ loss to Matt Hamill. This is something many fighters need to have happen to them before they understand what can happen during a fight. If not losing, then at least getting hurt, and that hasn't happened to Jones yet. This has made him look "unbeatable" and that is something fans know is never true when it comes to MMA.
Jones won't want his first experience dealing with adversity to be against Anderson Silva. That's for sure.
For Jones: It's Better and Easier for Silva to Move Up Than St. Pierre
Silva has experience fighting at the higher weight classes, and St. Pierre doesn't. This has become an subject of debate over the months because of St. Pierre's concern about moving up to middleweight or at the highest, a catchweight of 178.
St. Pierre is not small for welterweight, but Silva is a huge middleweight and walks around at heavyweight. If St. Pierre is truly concerned about putting on weight, Silva should take the Jones fight and fight someone that he matches up with size-wise. Pierre has expressed interest in taking off a full year to put on the weight properly, but that isn't something fans and the UFC staff don't want to wait around for.
For St. Pierre: He Has Cleaned Out The Welterweight Division
The light-heavyweight division is one of the most stacked divisions. Jones, who accepted his title fight with Shogun on short notice, hasn't even had a taste of the competition that lies beneath him and wanting their shot.
It's the hardest belt to keep in MMA, and there is a long list of fighters that can attest to that. What St. Pierre and Silva have managed to do is make a division looks shallow, completely clearing out any and all opponents.
St. Pierre will have to start fighting opponents for a second time, which he has already done three times, if he doesn't decide to move up.
Jones can stay in the light-heavyweight division and have competition in place for years. There are many worthy former champions and challengers that could create good fights.
For Jones: He Finishes Fights
Stoppages catch the fans' attention and Jon Jones has stopped his last four opponents, including his title victory over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128. St. Pierre has gone the distance in four of his last five; a total of 24 rounds.
Before Jones defeated Rua for the light-heavyweight championship, the 23-year-old submitted unbeaten Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader, stopped Vladimir Matyushenko and Brandon Vera with elbow strikes, which followed the only loss of his career, a disqualification versus Matt Hamill.
Nobody really wants to see a five-round wrestling contest versus Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva, and that is the most likely outcome if Silva doesn't knock out the Canadian-born fighter early. If Jones gets Silva down, he will be looking for the finish and will put himself in danger because of it. This is what fans like to see.
For St. Pierre: "It's a Legacy Fight"
Dana White called the potential "super-fight" between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre a "legacy fight."
This is undoubtedly true because of the dominance both fighters' have displayed throughout their careers. They have both run through nearly every competitor in the division and have dominated every fighter they have fought.
A victory or loss would mean a lot more for St. Pierre than it would for Jon Jones. Jones hasn't established his position as one of the best light-heavyweights of all time, and a fighter has to do that before they establish a legacy.
For Jones: He Will Have the Size Advantages St. Pierre Won't
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The talk around the "super-fight" is the question of whether or not physical size be an important part in determining who is victorious. If it is important, Jones has the edge over Silva, the size difference could be as big as the difference between St. Pierre and Silva.
Silva will be at a 7" reach disadvantage against Jones, where as his reach with St. Pierre is slightly more. This is something Jones has used effectively in his recent bouts and will become better at after he fights more and trains with Greg Jackson.
For St. Pierre: It's is the Biggest Fight in MMA History
A fight between St. Pierre and Silva has been talked about for quite a while now, long before any discussion of Jones vs. Silva.
Even though there was discussion around Jones vs. Silva, nobody was really sure if it was something to believe in. Now that he is the champion, it has come true, but St. Pierre would still be the bigger draw overall.
The fight has been debated back and forth, and it's easy to see why it's the biggest fight in MMA history. Both are at the top of the sport and leading the pound-for-pound lists. They are two of the more marketable fighters, and Jones hasn't had the exposure to capture the interest of the casual fan just yet.
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Anderson Silva vs.Jon Jones or George St. Pierre?
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