Surging Jones earns title shot against Rua

Instead, he will be getting ready to fight for Rua’s belt.

After once again making a quality opponent look severely overmatched in a second-round submission of Ryan Bader at UFC 126 on Saturday night, Jones figured to return to his Albuquerque, N.M., training camp to act as Rua for teammate Rashad Evans’ sparring sessions in preparation for his March 19 title bout.

After all, Evans spent the past few weeks playing the role of Bader for Jones.

Everything changed on Saturday afternoon.

UFC president Dana White learned around 2:30 p.m. that doctors in Las Vegas had told Evans a recent knee injury would prevent him from fighting Rua.

White decided that should Jones defeat Bader, he would be offered the title fight in place of Evans. He presented the plan to Rua and his management, and they accepted the fight just before Jones and Bader walked to the cage.

Jones had no idea what was at stake, but after he defeated Bader, White entered the cage with Rua and publicly announced the offer.

The 23-year-old dropped to his knees and quickly accepted.

“I feel as if it’s my time,” Jones said later Saturday night. “My confidence is very high. I’m already in shape, and I’ve got six weeks to make myself even better. That’s what I’m excited about. It should be great.”

He said the quick turnaround won’t be too much of an issue.

“I usually spend my training camps getting in shape,” Jones said. “I’m already in shape.”

A win over Rua would complete a meteoric rise for the former national junior college champion.

Since debuting in the UFC with a win over Andre Gusmao in August 2008, Jones has gone 6-1 in seven fights. The loss came when he was disqualified after a fight-ending elbow he landed during a dominating performance against Matt Hamill was deemed illegal.

Each fight, the upstate New York native has looked better and better.

The change of opponents didn’t faze Rua.

“I’m a fighter, and I’ve never picked my opponents. I have to fight everybody as a champion,” Rua said through a translator.

The situation was made easier for the champion, who himself is just returning from a knee injury, because Jones’ fighting style doesn’t represent a drastic change from Evans.

“Jon Jones is a good striker. He has a good muay thai and wrestling base. It’s pretty much the same type of work I was training for Rashad Evans,” Rua said. “I was training a lot of wrestling, a lot of muay thai. It doesn’t change that much.”

Jones said he was happy his first title fight would take place on the East Coast so more family and friends will be able to make the trip to watch.

“My whole high school will be there,” Jones said. “And my New York base will be there for me, and I’m not going to let them down.”

For now, it’s back to work.

“I’m not going to take any time off. I’ve got a lot of studying to do. Physically, I’ll probably take a little time off,” he said. “Six weeks is more than enough time especially because I already have a six pack.”

The title fight will be the main event for UFC 128 in Newark, N.J.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.