Even WWE Raw fans have to appreciate what Jon Jones has done in the UFC, and he is on the cusp of completing one of the great years in MMA history on December 10th in Toronto when he defends his light-heavyweight belt against former champion Lyoto Machida.
Jones Machida Odds – Saturday, December 10th, 9:00 PM ET (PPV card, check sportsbook for prelims)
Jones (14-1) has to be the per head favorite for Fighter of the Year if he can manage to defeat Machida, as he has beaten Ryan Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (who beat Machida to win the belt) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (another former champ) since February. Not only has he beaten them, but Jones has made it look easy with imaginative striking, excellent wrestling and strong jiu-jitsu. He also has an 84.5-inch reach, the longest in UFC history.
Machida (17-2) won “Knockout of the Night” in the UFC’s first trip to Toronto in April, ending Randy Couture’s career with a front kick and even though he may have backed into this title shot because of an injury to Rashad Evans, the “Dragon” is a worthy adversary for Jones with his array of leg sweeps and unorthodox striking; his brand of “Machida Karate” is an offshoot of Shotokan, and he will also have to use his takedown defense, which some think is the best in MMA.
Jones is a massive -450 favorite in this title fight, and he has been spectacular this year with two submissions, a TKO of Rua and all-around domination. It’ll be interesting to see if he can take Machida to the mat and keep him there; remember, Machida is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. It’ll be a decision win, but we’re sticking with Jon Jones in our sports betting online book.
