You do realize we are talking about Shogun Rua, right?!?
The picture above says all there needs to be said. Shogun is exactly what his name says, he's an assassin, a general and a leader. Up until this photo, he hid his Adonis DNA well, but it's obvious he couldn't any longer. The smiling, silent warrior couldn't mask how he feels about Bones Jones or this fight, he's out for blood! I'm sure he wants to send a message and prove a point as well. No relative novice to the sport, with the level of competition Bones has faced, is going to threaten his strap, plain and simple!
The MMA world is often a strange place, but this is Charlie Sheen levels of strangeness now! Strange really isn't the right word, outlandish is more like it. We're talking about Shogun Rua here, not Vladimir Matyuschenko! I get it, Bones Jones has looked very formidable thus far in his short career, but you have to look into who that was against. Beating Vladdy, Vera and Bader is all well and good, but they are FAR from the fighter that Shogun is. Please don't mention Matt Hamill either because he doesn't even belong in this conversation. Bones is definitely a gifted mixed martial artist, especially in regards to his wrestling skill, but there are holes all over his game. Shogun has no holes, ZERO! He's as complete a fighter as there is in the history of the sport. You can't say anything remotely close to that about Bones. Dude is just a baby in this game, Shogun is like his slightly older cousin who toyingly beats the shit out of him at family get togethers just for the fun of it.
You do realize we are talking about Shogun Rua, right?!?
In regards to technical skill, Bones is a solid fighter, but he is also a fairly limited fighter. His stand-up game leaves much to be desired outside of the occasional unorthodox spinning elbow. As far as straight up striking goes, Shogun is leagues beyond where Bones is at. It's really not even at all close. Bones has no power to speak of with his hands and feet, certainly nothing that will have Shogun shook. Bones will enjoy a healthy reach advantage but Shogun has faced that before with much better and more dangerous strikers than Bones is. What Bones is good at, Shogun has answers for. The opposite can't be said. Bones has excellent throws and solid ground and pound, but he has to tread dangerous waters to get to the positions he needs to utilize those skills. The fight starts exactly where Shogun needs it to be. If Bones is able to secure a takedown, Shogun can and will get back up. He's done it a million times before. We're not talking about fighters like Hamill, Vladdy and Bader who are lost when their backs touch the mat.
You do realize we are talking about Shogun Rua, right?!?
Also of extreme importance is toughness. We don't know if Bones is tough since he hasn't really been in a tough fight. He might very well be, but it's still an unknown at this point. As far as his personality, he doesn't come across as being tough. He's a nice, soft spoken kid, who is very talented and enjoys the competition. That doesn't make him tough. He's never been beaten up, hurt, or in any dangerous situations yet in his career. Shogun will make sure that that changes in this fight. He is going to hurt this kid and test his heart, his will and his chin, trust me on that! We will find out if Bones is a fighter, or just an athlete. Shogun is as pure a fighter as there is on this planet, that's a fact! Can Bones tread water, or will he drown once he's swimming in the deep end of a bloody pool with a hungry, vicious shark?!? We will soon find out, trust me on that too and trust Shogun's expression in the cage when he shot that look at Bones. This dude is serious while Bones comes across as a smiling kid, just shocked and happy as a pig in shit to even be getting this pretty much undeserved opportunity. There's a huge difference in the mentalities and mindsets of these two dudes.
You do realize we are talking about Shogun Rua, right?!?
Again, let me reiterate, I see and fully understand the potential that Bones Jones has shown. But it's still just potential at this point. I respect his faith in God and in himself, but praying isnt going to help him on Saturday night. I'm sorry, but beating Ryan Bader doesn't mean shit to me. Neither does beating Vladdy and Vera. Look at what has happened to Vera. He lost 6 of his last 9 fights, with 2 of those 3 wins being over Reese Andy and Michael Patt. Who? Exactly, nobody of importance on the MMA landscape. Vladdy ia an old, worn out fighter who is small for the weight class, no surprise that Bones crushed him. Shogun is a proven, battle tested and hardened, bona fide champion who has fought all over the world. Bones is just starting to wet his feet against top competition. He couldn't even finish Stephan Bonnar, how the hell is he going to finish Shogun Rua? The flip side of the coin is the viciousness that is Shogun, an ultra-experienced dude who has put many a fighter to bed, in a variety of ways. Deep down, Bones must know he is in too deep, but he has to at least take his best shot, and I trust that he will do just that. Unfortunately for him, the reality is, his best shot will not be good enough. Not even close! He's just not as good as most think he is, and isn't battle tested enough to deal with a virtual killing machine like Shogun.
You do realize we are talking about Shogun Rua, right?!?
Truth be told, Bones doesn't deserve this title shot. With Zuffa, that doesn't matter much, but seriously speaking, what has he done to deserve this fight? Look at who his last 4 opponents have been. Look at some of the other LHWs that he hasn't fought. It's crazy to me that he is getting this fight and even more crazy that he is the favorite. The only possible reason I can see for this being the case is that the oddsmakers might have concerns about Shogun coming back from another knee injury. Even with that being the case, it's both ludicrous and disrespectful for Shogun Rua to be the underdog against this dude. Bones is in for an eye opening experience come Saturday night, and more than likely, a wound opening one as well. We're going to see Shogun Rua at his most focused, intense and vicious as he's ever been inside the Octagon!
The dude entering the cage with the strap will be the dude leaving the cage with the strap!
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