Don’t believe them when they tell you size doesn’t matter in the fight game. Sure, speed and skill matter more but if everything else cancels out, then it becomes a huge (pun intended) factor.
Think of it this way. A punch from a 200-pound fighter with the same skill level as a 150-pound fighter will definitely have more torque behind it and will cause more damage psi.
That’s why I have always been fascinated by fighters moving up weight classes to challenge bigger foes.
JON JONES. One of MMA’s pound-for-pound elite fighters has recently vacated the light heavyweight division to pursue his longtime dream of becoming a heavyweight champion. At 6-foot-4, Jones certainly has the hale, vigorous physique and the tools to be competitive in this division.
Jones apparently had sight set on former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, a tall, lanky man not as bulky as other heavyweight fighters. But things did not turn out as planned. Francis Ngannou dethroned Miocic at UFC 260 via second round knockout last month.
HEAVY. There’s a video on YouTube showing Ngannou almost effortlessly picking up the 7-foot-2 Shaquille O’Neil after they posed together for a picture.
Immediately afterward, Shaq shared that was the first time that he had ever been picked up. And remember that this is the retired Shaq, not the NBA-shape Shaq who at his athletic peak must have weighed anywhere around 320 to 332 pounds.
In his Twitter account, Jones has stated that a fight with Ngannou is monumental and even likened it to Muhammad Ali vs. Foreman.
If Jones projects himself to be Ali, then he will most probably not engage Ngannou and instead use skill and guile to overcome this beast.
The problem is, even with Ali vs. Foreman, the former took some of the hard shots and remained standing. You can be elusive, but you can’t dodge them all.
Can Jones pull off a Roy Jones Jr. act and defeat Ngannou? My crystal ball says he can, but he has to fight an almost perfect fight.
VERBATIM. “Me stopping Francis in my first fight at heavyweight could be nothing short of extraordinary. Ali vs Foreman, hosted by the UFC
— Jon Jones on Twitter (@JonnyBones)
LAST ROUND. It’s on a dear friend, Liezl A. Siu, who celebrates her birthday this week. Cheers!