Introduction
Friday, January 12th, American lightweight prospect Jacobi Jones will be in action for LFA, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Kegan Gennrich. He will be looking for another win, as Jones looks to inch closer to a contract with the UFC. He represents FactoryX Muay Thai, a respected camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Wrestling: Jones has a collegiate wrestling background, having competed at Colorado State University Pueblo. It explains why he fights the way he does. He uses his striking, which is improving, to set up his takedowns. Once he gets in on an opponent and gets on top, he gets to work quickly. He has two wins by TKO and two by submission, which came as a result of his groundwork. He has wins by rear-naked choke and arm-triangle choke, showing he has excellent choking ability.
Athleticism: Jones is also a very good natural athlete, which explains why he was able to compete at the collegiate level as a wrestler. He is quick and explosive, which aids him in his movement, striking and wrestling. He moves well on the feet, especially for a guy who doesn’t have a striking background. Overall, he is smooth and fluid, which aids him in his fights in stringing things together.
Needs Improvement
Striking Defense/Intangibles: As seen in his most recent loss on the Dana White’s Contender Series, there are still aspects of his striking that could use improvement. Daniel Allen was able to cut through his striking defenses and outmaneuver him on the feet. Jones looked like he was not reading Allen’s offense well, which is why he got touched on the feet frequently. His counterstriking looked like it could use some more work as well. Luckily, he runs with FactoryX Muay Thai, so his improvements will continue through his career.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter: Jones is definitely a guy that has the skills to make the UFC and I assume he will at some point. First up is an LFA main event against the aforementioned Gennrich, who I think Jones should handle. He’s 27 years old and still improving, which means when he eventually does get the call up, he should be competitive with UFC lightweights. It’s a tough division to last in, so how far he goes could be limited, but being well-rounded could keep him on the roster for a bit.
MMA Intel 