When challenger Dan Henderson was forced out of his title contest at UFC 151, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones shocked the world when he denied Dana White’s request to battle late-replacement Chael Sonnen in the main event.The UFC-sponsored fig…
When challenger Dan Henderson was forced out of his title contest at UFC 151, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones shocked the world when he denied Dana White‘s request to battle late-replacement Chael Sonnen in the main event.
The UFC-sponsored fighter upset the MMA world as a whole with his selfish decision, which ultimately culminated in the first event cancellation in UFC history.
In light of Jones’ refusal to fight Sonnen at UFC 151, I’d like to take a look back on some previous fights where a fill-in opponent arrived and scored a big win.
Here is a peek at eight fighters who took fights on short notice and won.
The month of August featured some events that could turn fans off from the sport of mixed martial arts. Former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields turned in a lackluster performance in his return to middleweight, Anderson Silva is seemingly disinterested…
The month of August featured some events that could turn fans off from the sport of mixed martial arts. Former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields turned in a lackluster performance in his return to middleweight, Anderson Silva is seemingly disinterested in fighting No. 1 contender Chris Weidman, the injury bug continues to ravage countless fight cards and UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones made a selfish decision that caused UFC 151 to be canceled entirely.
In times like these, it can be easy to miss the MMA high points of August 2012. However, at Bleacher Report, we never forget the incredible achievements created by the sport we love.
Here is a look at the 10 best fights of the month.
Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Chael Sonnen on eight days notice. For that reason, he refused a fight with the former middleweight at UFC 151, and that decision ultimately led to the card’s demise.When Bones was moved to UFC 152, Lyoto Machida was nam…
Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Chael Sonnen on eight days notice. For that reason, he refused a fight with the former middleweight at UFC 151, and that decision ultimately led to the card’s demise.
When Bones was moved to UFC 152, Lyoto Machida was named as the replacement for an injured Dan Henderson, but The Dragon mysteriously turned down the championship opportunity.
With Machida out of the picture, Jones still needed an opponent for Sept. 22. Clearly, the best candidate for the position is middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. Wait. What?
If the short notice was the true reason that Jones wouldn’t face Sonnen at UFC 151, why isn’t the champion facing Oregon’s favorite wrestler at UFC 152?
Only hours ago, the announcement was made that Jon Jones will defend his championship against The Phenom in the new main event of UFC 152.
No one seems to understand why or how Belfort appeared in the picture. After all, Chael Sonnen has been engaged in a Twitter war with the champion. He looked like a hero on Thursday when he offered to save an endangered event.
In terms of marketability, it is a no-brainer that Sonnen is a better selection than Belfort. Fans are certainly willing to pay for Chael in a championship bout. In fact, his UFC 148 rematch with Anderson Silva is one of the rare events to break 1,000,000 buys on pay-per-view.
How about rankings? Neither Belfort nor Sonnen has been a light-heavyweight in recent history, so both men are outside of the divisional top 10. While Sonnen doesn’t get the advantage here, he isn’t hurt either.
Ultimately, I feel that the decision came down to the fact that Chael Sonnen is coming off of a loss. While Belfort’s latest bouts are victories over non-ranked opponents like Yoshihiro Akiyama and Anthony Johnson, he has momentum on his side.
Sonnen, Belfort or someone else: Who do you think should face Jon Jones next month?
Jon Jones should be the ultimate team player. In fact, walking cageside with the UFC logo emblazoned across his chest, Jones is currently the only fighter being paid sponsorship dollars by world’s largest combat organization, yet, when the thankless la…
Jon Jones should be the ultimate team player. In fact, walking cageside with the UFC logo emblazoned across his chest, Jones is currently the only fighter being paid sponsorship dollars by world’s largest combat organization, yet, when the thankless labors of Dana White and the Fertitta brothers finally bare fruit, Jones rejects a replacement opponent.
Chael Sonnen has been the No. 2 ranked middleweight in the world for most of the last 30 months. Twice unsuccessful in dethroning Anderson Silva, the American Gangster decided that a move to light-heavyweight would be in the best interest of his career.
Sonnen was scheduled for a bout at UFC 155 against Forrest Griffin, but was quick to jump at an opportunity to replace fellow Team Quest fighter Dan Henderson.
In selecting a replacement, Dana White settled on a marketable star who is both dangerous and relevant. Not only that, but Sonnen has recently been engaged in a Twitter war with “Bones.” The marketing strategy would be simple, and the possibility of a strong PPV buyrate was still realistic.
Regardless of how you feel about the situation, the actions of Jones are undeniably selfish. Fighters are paid to fight. Champions are paid to defend their titles. At what point does a champion get to pick and choose his opponents? Once Jon Jones agreed to step into the Octagon on September 1st, it is up to the matchmakers to determine who stands in front of him.
“Chael is in a great position in that he’d been training with Dan Henderson for this fight, getting him ready, and he’s in shape. He knows the plan on what they’re gonna do to get around Jon. So he’s ready to go…
…It’s not like he’s stepping off the couch and into a fight. So taking a fight of that caliber with a guy that’s ready, on three days notice, for a world championship, without any time to prepare, is just not professional to me.”
If the biggest concern that Jones has is that his opponent is in shape, there should be no issue here. Supposedly, Bones is the third best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. The physical tools possessed by the champion should be enough to combat anything or anyone thrown in his direction. He has excellent wrestling, which should neutralize the takedown attempts of Sonnen.
No champion should ever turn down a fight because it is too dangerous. It’s cowardly and goes against the spirit of calling yourself the best in the world.
Jon Jones should be scared to lose his belt. Any champion who claims that he doesn’t dread the idea of losing his belt is a liar. While fear is understandable, it doesn’t give him the right to play matchmaker. His actions were unprofessional and downright disgusting.
During last night’s announcement that Frankie Edgar is officially moving down to the featherweight division, the former lightweight champion told us that he wants to fight before the end of the year.Despite previous promises to the contrary, Edgar will…
During last night’s announcement that Frankie Edgar is officially moving down to the featherweight division, the former lightweight champion told us that he wants to fight before the end of the year.
Despite previous promises to the contrary, Edgar will not be getting an immediate title shot in his new weight class. Dana White said via MMAJunkie.com:
I think Frankie would have to fight somebody at 145 (before getting a shot at the title). We’ve got all these backed up titles right now. I don’t want that backed up, and if I know Frankie, he’s going to want to get in there right away.
In need of a victory against a high level opponent, there is no better competition than former contender Chad Mendes.
Mendes is a legitimate threat within the division, and he holds wins over two members of the divisional top 10 in Cub Swanson and current No. 1 contender Erik Koch. The only blemish on his 12-1 record is a failed attempt at dethroning Aldo.
In his last appearance, the Team Alpha Male fighter disposed of Cody McKenzie only 31 seconds into their UFC 148 battle.
Edgar had trouble with Gray Maynard, who, like Mendes, is an elite wrestler with heavy hands. Not only would this bout serve as a title eliminator, but it is a toss up that fans will debate until the bell sounds.
While some may argue that the Korean Zombie might be a better opponent, we’ve got to consider the role of marketability in determining the participants of a title eliminator.
At this moment, Chan Sung Jung is the most marketable challenger to the featherweight championship based on his series of highlight-reel performances. In fact, Kevin Iole from Yahoo Sports recently named Jung as the most exciting fighter in the UFC.
Assuming that Jose Aldo gets past Erik Koch in October, the Korean Zombie should cash in on his title shot and could compete as early as January. Why risk his marketability by throwing him into a bout with Edgar when fans are ready to watch him fight for the title now?
Mendes, on the other hand, is still a fight or three away from getting another crack at the belt. With all due respect to Cody McKenzie, a win over the “AK Kid” doesn’t exactly scream title shot.
If “Money” can somehow defeat a former world champion like Edgar, he will have earned another attempt at wrapping gold around his waist.
Likewise, Edgar coming out victorious gives him a win over the No. 2 featherweight in the world. At that point, there would be no denying that his next bout should be for a championship.
Edgar vs Mendes is the way to go, and hopefully, we will see them square off at UFC on Fox 5.
UFC on Fox 5 comes to us on Saturday, Dec. 8, and is already the talk of the MMA world. Despite having several exciting fight cards in the coming months, this event features exciting matchups between big names in multiple divisions.With an already stac…
UFC on Fox 5 comes to us on Saturday, Dec. 8, and is already the talk of the MMA world. Despite having several exciting fight cards in the coming months, this event features exciting matchups between big names in multiple divisions.
With an already stacked card, including a lightweight championship bout between Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz, along with Shogun Rua vs. Alexander Gustafsson and BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald, it is clear that the UFC is attempting to finally generate the huge numbers it’s been looking for.
There are a few schools of thought on the opening bout. Some feel that it should be between stars who are going to put on an entertaining scrap and that name value isn’t as important as the quality of action. Others think that another top name should be thrown in the mix to generate interest.
Keeping both mentalities in mind, I’ve put together a list of five fights that cover the entire spectrum. Some are bouts with “Fight of the Night” written all over them, while some keep in line with the “How is this on free television?” theme that the UFC has already started.
Here is a list of five fights to consider as the opening bout for UFC on Fox 5.
Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Chael Sonnen on eight days notice. For that reason, he refused a fight with the former middleweight at UFC 151, and that decision ultimately led to the card’s demise.