UFC
Rich Franklin says "enormous" Jon Jones can only be defeated by himself
While fielding question from fans at a recent Q&A session, former Middleweight Champ Rich Franklin discusses current 205-pound kingpin Jon "Bones" Jones' recent streak of dominance. Franklin reflects on the first time he came upon the "enormous" Light Heavyweight in person and says that, with the right mindset, he expects Jones to rule the division for the foreseeable future. Photo: Francis Specker
"Honestly, I think that the only person at this point in time that can beat Jon Jones is himself. He's a young guy, the world is coming at him fast, and I think his game is going to be whether or not he can maintain focus. I remember the first time that I met Jon in person, I was down in Miami doing some Super Bowl promotions for the UFC. There were a group fighters and I was walking up to the group and Jon's back was to me. As I walked up I was looking at him and I thought, 'Who is this Heavyweight?" I kept walking around and around and I was like, 'Oh my word, he's enormous!' To kind of put things in perspective, he has an 84-inch reach. Tim Sylvia, who is four inches taller than him, has an 80-inch reach. And I've sparred with Tim many, many times. To deal with that kind of reach, it's insane. So, I think that if he can keep his head straight, he'll be able to run that division for a while."
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