Keys to Victory: Analysis of Craig Jones' Submission Win Over Tex Johnson
Keys to Victory: Analysis of Craig Jones' Submission Win Over Tex Johnson
Craig Jones & Tex Johnson certainly lived up to the hype.
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Craig Jones & Tex Johnson certainly lived up to the hype.
The match ended in submission, and there were furious exchanges throughout the bout.
We said in our preview that Jones would likely evade Tex's leg entanglements and prefer to attack from top position, which is exactly what played out. However, it certainly wasn't easy, and Tex did manage to get a very deep entry, only to be spectacularly avoided by Jones.
Seeing as that paticular exchange highlights both Tex's best weapon and Craig's versatility, let's inspect a little closer.
That was slick.
You can see that midway through the sequence that Tex changes the grip on Craig's right leg: his left-hand goes from an underhook, finishing position, to a clutching overhook, creating a secure seal and preventing Craig from removing his leg entirely.
For his part, Craig rolls to help clear his knee from the threat of danger; sensing the grip switch from Tex, Jones realizes that he would be in prime position to take the back if he was able to clear Tex's right leg. Doing so, Craig, dives on a bermibolo attack and nearly takes the back.
It should be noted that Craig's back attack is a variation of what we've seen Felipe Pena and Kaynan Duarte use to counter the leg lock attack (Kaynan's back take used on the Australian himself). The crucial difference in Craig's attack on Tex is that he rolls to free his knee-line , whereas Kaynan and Felipe limp leg their leg just out of danger and secure back control with use of the twister hook.
The next key exchange ultimately decided the fate of the match. Craig opened the bout with a diving kimura attack and he must have liked what he felt because he was comfortable enough to try it a second time.
After securing the four points and sitting comfortably on Tex's back, it was just a matter of time until Johnson succumbed to a tight RNC, giving Jones his seventh win at KASAI. A showcase performance for the Australian.
Watch the full match below