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[Cat--Smasher]

Tito Ortiz on how to beat Jon Jones: "Pressure, tons of pressure"

These days the light-heavyweight crown rests atop the head of Jon Jones. Yesterday Ortiz told us he considers Jones to be already one of the best ever; today he tells us how he thinks he would have approached Jones if he had to fight him in his prime:

“Pressure. Don’t let him use that reach, try to close down the space with tons of pressure. Use my strength, use my wrestling. An injury free Tito Ortiz is very, very dangerous, and Ryan Bader was the last guy who got a close up of that one. When I’m injury-free I’m very dangerous.

“Me around 2000, when I was fast a strong and I was strong and my confidence was through the roof I could beat anyone. I could of beat anyone in the world man. Now, 15 years later, look at me I’m still competing against top guys in the world – like I always have done – but the injuries have taken their toll.

“If I was the same game but without the surgeries, then I’d still be the champion! When I look back at my loss to (Randy) Couture, that’s when I had my first back problem. I was suffering right through that fight camp, and I suffered for seven years with that back problem.

“Then after the Machida fight I couldn’t do it any more, I couldn’t eat any more pain killers so I ended up getting the surgery. And despite operations like the ones I’ve had and my back and my neck I’m still competing at the top.

“The secret is always staying positive, and everybody in every aspect of life can learn from that. You just have to tell yourself that you can do it, get through and you can - I’ve proved it.”

Tito Ortiz on how to beat Jon Jones: "Pressure, tons of pressure" - Fighters Only

[jrow]

Tito said it right.Presure and don't let him use his reach.That's the way to beat Jones.Now a prime Tito still doesn't beat Bones.I think the fight looks like Jones vs Bader.I dont like Bones as a person,but I think he is a great fighter.Could be the best ever if he keeps fighting the way he has.I wish Tito would've stayed injury free.He had fought the who's who of mma.

[LukeSalvatore]

Regardless of Tito Ortiz's confidence in his prior self (which I don't agree with at all), I think he's probably right that pressure is the best strategy. It became clear to me in the Rashad - Jones fight that if you give Jones time to start using unorthodox attacks and give him space to do so without much to worry about, you're going to lose. Rashad was doing his best when Jones was being cautious, but as Jones' confidence builds throughout the rounds he gets exponentially more dangerous.

[TheDoucheyWun]

Having the mindset Of Chael Sonnen or Mark Hunt would work as well. I dont think for one second either of those guys get concerned about what their opponents are going to do them. They are only concerned with what they are going to the opponent.

This is likely why Bonnar had so much success VS Jones cause there wasn't much evidence out there of what JJ could do to people so he didnt go into the fight scared or worried about what his opponent may do

[Rise]

Originally Posted by LukeSalvatore

Regardless of Tito Ortiz's confidence in his prior self (which I don't agree with at all), I think he's probably right that pressure is the best strategy. It became clear to me in the Rashad - Jones fight that if you give Jones time to start using unorthodox attacks and give him space to do so without much to worry about, you're going to lose. Rashad was doing his best when Jones was being cautious, but as Jones' confidence builds throughout the rounds he gets exponentially more dangerous.

I'm not sure pressuring Jones would work to well at this point. He does have some pretty good wrestling skills as well as throws from the clinch. He's also shown some good striking from the clinch as well which I'm sure is only improving. Keep in mind to in the Bonnar fight Jones was really green and this was pre moving to Jacksons camp as well Bonnar had a lot of more experience then Jones.

I think Machida had the best shot with Jones by keeping him guessing and not using an orthodox plan.

[mmawolverine]

if youre too busy worrying about the reach when will you ever hurt him, you gotta get in there and hurt him bad before you get stuck in his world, id like to see hendo rock'm or someone who cant put on a crazy pace. the old fearless tito would have made it interesting

[The8thPlague]

“Me around 2000, when I was fast a strong and I was strong and my confidence was through the roof I could beat anyone. I could of beat anyone in the world man."

Hmm, there's this guy that he might know named Chuck Liddell who might think differently about that.

[TheDoucheyWun]

An injury free Tito Ortiz is very, very dangerous, and Ryan Bader was the last guy who got a close up of that one.

Kinda strange that the only time he's won in the past 6 + years was the only time he was healthy. Previous to Bader I wonder if he was healthy when he laid his beatings on an over the hill Shamrock lol?

[Esox Express]

“Me around 2000, when I was fast a strong and I was strong and my confidence was through the roof I could beat anyone.

This reminded me of Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite. "If coach would have put me in in the fourth quarter we would have won state".

Tito thinking he could hang with bones isn't much more than a pipe dream in my opinion.

[goodtimes]

I think a guy with good enough striking and speed to exploit defensive holes, and just blitzed him early on could stop him, like what happened early in the careers of guys like Lewis and the Klitschko's. Other than that, he doesn't lose unless he has to fight someone around his size, which he won't see unless he moves to HW. Even then, he's bigger than most of those guys.