UFC lightweight champion Jon Jones is the favorite, according to top betting sites, to retain his title against Anthony Smith. And it stands to reason. After all, Bones has never been beaten for the championship. Oh, he has lost it several times, all right. But that’s because he, like a man who can’t get a date, keeps beating himself. Jones was first stripped of the belt in 2015 for violating the UFC’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy. “I’m not a cocaine addict by any means or not even a frequent user,” Jones said at the time. “I just made a really dumb decision and got caught with my pants down in this whole situation.” See? I told you he likes to beat himself. However, Bones did manage to set a record for consecutive most lightweight championship defenses (8).
UFC 235:Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith
- Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Date: March 2, 2019
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena
- City: Paradise, Nevada
Jones has been stripped of the title twice more ever since. He tested positive for clomiphene and letrozole following a unanimous decision over Ovince Saint Preux in 2016. And then he tested positive turinabol after KO’ing Daniel Cormier in 2017. Jones had earned a Performance of the Night bonus on that occasion. However, in light of his tests results, that was changed to Enhanced Performance of the Night. Or at least it should have been. Jones regained the abeyant title at UFC 232 on December 29, 2018, in Inglewood, California. And most shocking of all, he did not test positive for anything afterwards. Or at least he didn’t get caught. Guess he kept his pants up that time.
Odds from Intertops.eu:
- Anthony Smith +650
- Jon Jones -950
On to the challenger, whom top betting sites view as the underdog. Smith has won six of his eight fights. Even more relevant, he has won three straight bouts since his lightweight debut. First, Lionheart KO’ed Rashad Evans in the first round at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018. Second, he KO’ed Mauricio Rua in the first at UFC Fight Night 134 on July 22, 2018. Lastly, he submitted Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 138 on October 27, 2018.
“I think you can’t get wrapped up into who Jon Jones is and that’s what people do,” Smith said. “I don’t understand how people let that happen at this level but at the same time now that I’ve been face to face with Jon, if you have a little bit of bitch in you and you’re just a little unsure of yourself, Jon has a presence. He has an aura about him. If you’re the kind of person that gives as s—t about that, I could see how that could get into your head. I just don’t care.” I don’t know if it’s an “aura” so much or just that he may be high all the time. But we get your point, Tony.
All things considered, it’s like The Miz and John Morrison used to say. In life there are winners and there are losers. And Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is a loser in life. Or as he himself put it, “no man can hit me as hard as life hit me.” He is one of God’s own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die. On the other hand, in the Octagon, he is a winner. For a few minutes on a Saturday night, he punches life right back in its face. And thus we, along with top betting sites, are confident that he will beat Smith and retain the title. Somewhere around the vicinity of the third round.
