If there is any certainty in life beyond death and taxes, it’s that UFC President Dana White will let UFC critics or those who draw his ire know – candidly and publicly – how he feels about them. Outside of Top Rank’s Bob Arum, there is likely no other figure in mixed martial arts who receives as much public condemnation as MMA coach and trainer Greg Jackson.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in the cancellation of UFC 151. White accused Jackson of giving UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones bad advice when he counseled him against taking on late replacement Chael Sonnen. Well, that’s almost putting it euphemistically. He actually called Jackson a ‘sport killer’ and said the only person Jackson should ever be interviewed by is a psychiatrist.
And this is merely the latest round in White’s criticism of Jackson. Remember White suggesting Jackson-trained fighters had overly safe gameplans? “There’s obviously some consistency there with the Jackson camp and being safety-first,” White told CSN Washington in 2010.
Some things change. White’s derision of Jackson is not one of them. If White is to be believed today, however, the days of lashing Jackson for the world to see may have finally come to an end.
After the post-fight press conference for UFC on FUEL TV 5, White told the media that the sitdown between he and Jones the day prior to UFC 152 resulted in an agreement. While the full terms of the agreement are not known, one key portion of the deal is: White’s days of insulting and degrading Jackson are done.
“So, when I sat down with Jon Jones and we talked, I made a deal with Jon,” White said Saturday. “I’m not going to say anything about Greg Jackson.”
This doesn’t mean White feels differently about Jackson, though. But if he holds up his end of the bargain, keeping quiet about his opinion has almost the same impact as changing it. “I think you guys know my opinion and how I feel. It hasn’t changed. I’m just not going to talk about Greg Jackson. It’s good news. I will keep my big mouth shut about Greg Jackson. That’s part of my deal with Jones.”
In fact, White insists whatever one thinks of his criticism, it doesn’t come from a place of personal animus for Jackson. “It’s not that I dislike the guy,” White maintains. “I don’t dislike him at all. It’s just his philosophies, his business philosophies. His business conflicts with my business. That’s the big problem.”
Still, it appears White may have some difficulty holding up his end of the Jones bargain. Before telling reporters he was done talking about the subject, he offered one last thought on the famed trainer and coach from Albuquerque.
“I do think Jon Jones’ arm would be feeling a lot better right now if he didn’t listen to Greg Jackson and that’s all I’m going to say.”