Jon Jones and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua both feel they’re the underdog heading into UFC 128.
Some were surprised when odds makers made Jones the opening betting lines favorite to win the UFC 128 main event and light heavyweight title, but “Shogun” Rua wasn’t one of them.
“I actually understand that people think he’s the favorite for the fight because he has been winning all of his fights easily,” said the champion. “I certainly think he is rightfully the favorite for the fight. I understand why people think that and how they do that and I truly consider myself the underdog.”
Jones believes odds makers were smart, but approaches the match up feeling he’s the underdog to the much more experienced and battle tested Rua.
“The fact that I’m the favorite, I think that’s bologna,” said Jones. “I think the reason why I’m the favorite is because odds makers are very smart and they probably think I’m going to lose. I think it’s a smart strategy on the odds makers’ part by making me the favorite, so the fact that I’m the favorite actually means that they think that I’m going to lose. That’s the way I’m looking at it, and I feel as if I’m the underdog.”
“I’m definitely the underdog in this fight,” add Jones. “That’s the way that I look at it. I’m the new kid. I’m the guy that hasn’t won a belt or anything. I’m the underdog and that’s the way that I train, that’s the way that my coaches look at it, and that’s the way that we all train.”
UFC 128 takes place on March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. “Shogun” Rua vs. Jon Jones headlines the fight card that also features bantamweights Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland, lightweights Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus, middleweights Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama and heavyweights Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
The main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
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Jones And Shogun Feel Like The Underdog Heading Into UFC 128