Jon Jones To Return At UFC 100, Jake O' Brien Announced
Reported by: Kyle Aper of MMAinsiders.com - 3/15/09
Light heavyweight sensation Jon Jones’ next challenge in the UFC will come against fellow former standout amateur wrestler Jake O’Brien on July 11 at UFC 100 in Las Vegas.
The website TheGarv.com was the first to report the matchup and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the matchup as being official with sources close to both fighters.
Considered one of the fastest rising prospects in all of MMA, Jones improved his career record to 8-0 and his lifetime record in the UFC to 2-0 following his stunning unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94. Utilizing his elite athleticism and strong wrestling base, Jones slammed the season one light heavyweight runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter on multiple occasions.
The win over Bonnar was an encore to Jones upset victory over the Renzo Gracie-trained Andre Gusmao during his UFC debut this past August at UFC 87. Relying less on his wrestling and more on his unorthodox striking style, Jones surprised many pundits in handing Gusmao his first career loss.
O’Brien, 11-2, also competed at UFC 94, defeating Christian Wellisch via split decision. The bout marked hiss debut at light heavyweight, as O’Brien had previously competed as a heavyweight. The victory improved O’Brien’s lifetime record in the UFC to 4-2 with notable wins over Heath Herring and Kristof Midoux.
UFC 100 will emanate from the Mandalay Bay Events Center and while the promotion has yet to officially announce any bouts for the card, the show is expected to feature Georges St. Pierre defending the UFC welterweight title vs. number one contender Thiago Alves. Also expected is a head-to-head showdown between rival coaches from the upcoming ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.
Also possible for UFC 100 is heavyweight title unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir that had been scheduled for May 23 at UFC 98 but was postponed due to Mir’s recent knee surgery.
Three other reported matchups include Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jonathan Goulet, Stephan Bonnar vs. Mark Coleman and Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty.
According to published reports, negotiations are also taking place regarding a possible matchups between Yoshihiro Akiyama and Alan Belcher at middleweight and Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago at welterweight.
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