Announcing: UFC 235 Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith

Submitted by John on Thu, 02/28/2019 - 13:35

Jon Jones leaps into the octagon to defend his title against Anthony Smith in UFC 235. The UFC betting lines say ‘Bones’ will crush Smith, but will Lionheart bring the fight?

UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith

Date: March 02, 2019, 6:15 PM ET
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV.

Analysis: Oddsmakers in Vegas aren’t giving much credit to Smith. Jon Jones is expected to smash his opponent to a pulp based on the -850 moneyline. Smith, at +525, is the most substantial underdog he’s been in his UFC career.

After an impressive third-round win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232, Jones could extend his unbeaten streak to 16 fights.

Jon Jones on a mission to regain his status as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, a title he deserves based on how he’s destroyed his opponents.

Smith, on the other hand, made the leap from middleweight to light heavyweight versus Thiago Santos, a fight that he lost. That Smith went on to earn a title shot because of three successive wins afterward doesn’t tell much. Jones is a different beast and an opponent the likes of which Smith hasn’t faced in any of his previous fights.

As has happened against previous opponents, Jones will dissect Smith’s tells, and he’ll look to finish the fight without falling into Smith’s game plan.

Prediction: Jones via submission.

Co-Main Event: Tyron Woodley vs. Kamaru Usman

Analysis: The co-main event is also a title fight. Tyron Woodley steps into the octagon as a -200 favorite and is unbeaten in his last seven fight, this being his fifth title defense.

Woodley is in top shape even at 36 years of age. His last win saw him defeat Darren Till via submission at UFC 228. Woodley is a sneakily dangerous fighter both on his feet and on the ground.

Usman, however, heads into this bout trailing a nine-fight undefeated record in the UFC. Even if the Nigerian Nightmare earned seven out of those nine fights via the judges’ scorecards, he’s shown a lot of grit.

Woodley seems to have an unfair advantage in the boxing game. Though Usman can hold his own on his feet, he’s a much better wrestler who might keep Woodley from going to the ground.

Prediction: Woodley wins via TKO