Anderson Silva Vs. Jon Jones: The Fight The UFC Needs

The UFC is in dire need of a superfight and there’s no better time than now to pull the trigger on middleweight kingpin and perceived #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world Anderson Silva verses light heavyweight ruler and #2 (or perhaps #1B) pound-for-pound fighter, Jon Jones.   Both fighters have decimated their respective weight classes (sans Silva, who still has Chris Weidman to dispatch of this summer) and the sport could use a mega-event to rival boxing.

When Jon Jones shredded  Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 and defended his light heavyweight title a record tying fifth time, the rumbles grew to a roar. It’s evident that Jon Jones is the class of his division and the way he dispatched of Sonnen — by outwrestling a two-time Greco-Roman national champion — proved that Jones’ tool set is far superior to that of any of his 205 peers. There still is Alexander Gustafsson, but who really thinks that Jones will struggle with the Swedish fighter?

Even if you aren’t an MMA fan, you know who Anderson Silva is. You know, that guy who makes highlight reels out of his opponents. Silva has put on a clinic against his opponents as he’s gone 16-0 since joining the organization in 2006. Of those 16 wins, only two of his opponents (Demian Maia and Thales Leites) have heard the sound of the final bell; and that’s only because Silva allowed them to. Everyone else has been vanquished with flair and ruthless vigor. It’s scary how good Anderson Silva has been over the years.

And just as scary as Silva has been, Jones may just be that much more terrifying. Because he’s like Anderson Silva, with a sick wrestling game – and wrestling is Silva’s weak point. Jones’ invites opponents to try and take him down but since his wrestling skills are so superior, it turnes into opponents getting slammed and pounded with nasty fists and elbows.

For these reasons, these two need to fight right now. It will not only benefit the UFC, but it will give fans the kind of mega event the sport needs to thrust it further into the mainstream and rival the big fight atmosphere that boxing has had with Tyson and De La Hoya in the past, and presently with Pacquiao and Mayweather. A mega event is the one thing the UFC is missing. Although their cards from top to bottom are more entertaining than their boxing counterparts, it still lacks the big fight atmosphere that boxing’s big names bring to the table. It’s not a fight, it becomes an event. For a sport that is still relatively new to many, putting together an event that everyone — fans and non-fans — have to watch is necessary in order to thrust the sport into another dimension.

And if there are any two fighters that can be put inside of the Octagon and capture the intrigue of the world, they are Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.