• UFC 135

Rampage's passion could be 'suffering' - Jon Jones

Jon Jones has conducted a deep study into the 'tells' of Quinton Rampage Jackson ahead of UFC 135 © Getty Images

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Jon Jones has risked drawing the full wrath of Rampage Jackson by questioning the former champion's passion ahead of their fight at UFC 135.

Jones will make the first defence of his UFC light-heavyweight belt on September 24, against a man who boasts some of the heaviest hands in MMA. Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva are just two of the men who have felt the full force of the Rampage, and Jones knows his title reign could be ended in the blink of an eye.

"Rampage hits you with one of his punches, you'll be in a lot of trouble," the champ said in a recent Q&A.

However, 33-year-old Jackson is entering the twilight years of his career, having already dabbled in the world of blockbuster movies when he starred in the A-Team. He showed he's still got the drive when he outclassed Matt Hamill last time out, but Jones is not convinced the real Rampage still exists.

"I think Rampage is aware of the fact that he's living a good life, he's getting a little bit older," Jones said. "Maybe his passion, hunger, drive, determination could be suffering. I'm not saying it has, but it's a possibility. I think he fights that way.

"He's smart. He knows when to conserve his energy and when to explode if necessary. He chooses shots wisely. He's not the 23-year-old he used to be in those PRIDE days when he could swing for the fences every round. And he's an explosive athlete. Explosive athletes usually don't have the best cardio."

Jones revealed he has been studying Jackson carefully ahead of their battle, claiming there are even hints in Jackson's stomach of when an attack is coming.

"[I was] watching head movement and footsteps and tendencies and emotions, cardio, how big his stomach was moving. I was pretty in touch with what was going on… I liked what I saw," said Jones. "I saw a lot of things that I can exploit in Rampage's game."

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