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Why Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen Isn’t That Bad of a Fight

Within moments of the announcement that two-time Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen and current Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones will be the next coaches on long-running reality television series “The Ultimate Fighter” and fight at the conclusion of the season, MMA message boards and news sites were barraged with stinging criticism of the matchup.

They had a bone to pick with how a guy who is coming off a resounding loss and has never made a run in the division is given a fast-track shot to the title, leaping over contenders like Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson, who are left standing impatiently in wait till at least after April of next year.

The Injury

However, what has been carefully glossed over by the media is the news that the injury that Jon Jones suffered in his previous title defense against Vitor Belfort necessitates that he not be in action until at least close to April 27 anyway, the date penciled in for his bout against Sonnen. Instead of storing their incredibly marketable champion away, they will be able to generate publicity to fans even while he recuperates.

The Hype

After the fiasco that was UFC 151 (when the entire card got cancelled because Jones did not want to fight Sonnen on eight days notice), the line between who the villain is in this pro-wrestling style storyline is blurred even further. Sonnen has traditionally played the “heel” role in his memorable speeches that has made people want to tune in for his fights, either to watch him win and talk more or revel gleefully in his loss.

Jones, who has always had his fair share of detractors, lost more fans when he said he was not prepared to change opponents to Sonnen when his original opponent, Dan Henderson, got injured.

The fans have now been split into two camps, with the purists who don’t care what happens outside the cage as long as the fighter is impressive inside the cage firmly behind Jones and the fans who embrace the schtick and larger-than-life persona that Sonnen bring in the other corner.

Contenders? Really?

Much has been made about how the fighters mentioned have been left in the dust, but most reports fail to mention that all three are likely to have to take another fight before facing Jones anyway.

Gustafsson has a fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on December’s UFC on Fox card, while UFC President Dana White has said Henderson and Machida will most likely face each other. It can be argued that Chael Sonnen had a fight with Forrest Griffin as well, but that was a fight that was never very attractive to start with. Detractors who questioned how someone could waltz in and get a title shot should consider if Sonnen defeating Griffin would have changed their mind anyway.

Save the Show, Save the World

The Ultimate Fighter, which is screened on FX, stands to benefit the most. It has seen ever-dwindling numbers since its move from Spike TV to FX as a result of the blockbuster FOX deal that UFC signed a year ago.

Bringing the feud between Sonnen and Jones to television will get people talking and drive up viewership numbers. Sonnen is always ready with a quip, and Jones has been blasted for coming off as fake in front of the camera, so both the fighters will bring an interesting dynamic to the show.

The Ultimate Fighter is an integral part of the FOX deal, as it provides FX with weekly programming. The Forrest Griffin against Stephen Bonnar epic on the first season finale goes down as the best fight in UFC history so far, and it would be a waste to let such history get dissolved into the annals of the record books.

Granted, the series has yet to produce any champions in recent seasons, but that could easily change if UFC mandates all new fighters go through the show, with the winner getting a title shot.

We should just sit back and enjoy the show for what it is, reality television, and teach the young champion an important life lesson in not letting words bother you. Rub your hands in gleeful delight and get your popcorn ready, because this will be one hell of a ride!

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ONE FC’s Rationale for Bantamweight and Lightweight Title Bouts in B/R Exclusive

ONE FC will debut title belts in three weight classes later this month, including in bantamweight, where a rematch between Leonardo Issa and Soo Chul Kim will crown the first 135-pound kingpin in ONE FC. In the lightweight division, submission ace Zorobabel Moreira will face Japanese kickboxer Kotetsu Boku. Moreira is one of ONE FC’s fastest rising stars and has won all his fights under the ONE FC banner while Shooto fighter Boku will be making his ONE FC debut.

However, since the announcement, ONE FC has been met with criticism for their matchmaking, with fans unhappy that former Dream bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes is on the roster, yet he is not involved in the bantamweight title bout. Fans are also questioning the rationale behind giving Boku a title fight in his promotional debut.

ONE FC has revealed exclusively to B/R journalist Gerald Ng the rationale on how the two title fights came to be.

ONE FC disclosed that Fernandes was offered the fight for the title but informed ONE FC matchmakers he wanted to take a six-month break to be with his newborn child. He said he was willing to sacrifice the title shot and was hence removed from the fight.

The Philippines’ Kevin Belignon, who was on a 9-1 run, was next considered for the title bout provided he could emerge victorious in his scheduled fight against 20-year-old Korean Soo Chul Kim at ONE FC: Pride of a Nation in Manila. It was Soo who controlled the entire bout and earned a unanimous decision victory. On the basis of his resounding victory over Belignon, Soo was awarded the title despite a pedestrian 6-4 record.

Soo and Issa faced each other a year ago, with Issa defeating Soo by unanimous decision. Soo has a chance for redemption in this rematch after defeating the aforementioned Belignon and Japanese fighter Shoko Sato and losing to Jae Hoon Moon since their last fight. Issa has won seven in a row, with his last loss coming in February of 2008.

Belignon has pledged to bounce back by winning the eight-men bantamweight Grand Prix, which will debut later this year. Two quarterfinal bouts have been announced: Former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver will face China’s Zhao Ya Fei and Korean slugger Min Jung Song will battle ex-Bellator fighter Masakatsu Ueda.

As for the Lightweight title, two of ONE FC’s lightweight contenders had to withdraw for differing reasons. Eduard Folayang was first in line to face Moreira but had to decline the title bout due to his commitments with his parent promotion, The Philippines’ URCC. ONE FC then offered the title to renowned kickboxer Ole Laursen, and he accepted the fight but it was nixed by his management who opposed the championship clause that would have been inserted into his contract had he accepted the fight. He is still under contract with ONE FC.

All information courtesy of the media team at ONE FC.

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Igor, Gregor and Rolles Gracie to Fight on ONE FC: Pride of a Nation

The ‘Gracie’ surname is revered in the Mixed Martial Arts community. Royce Gracie truly brought the surname to the forefront with his victories in the first few UFC events, defeating bigger men with the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that his family invent…

Many fighters have carried the ‘Gracie’ surname into Mixed Martial Arts competition, but for the first time in a major Mixed Martial Arts event, three fighters from the famed family will fight on the same night. Brothers Igor, Rolles and half-brother Gregor will all compete when ONE Fighting Championship visits Manila for ONE FC: Pride of a Nation.

Igor, Rolles and Gregor are all black belts in BJJ and will look to showcase that during the event, which is expected to be one of the largest events in Asia this year.

Rolles will compete in a heavyweight match against Australian fighter Tony Bonello. Igor Gracie, who has competed in Strikeforce and Bellator, will face Korean knockout artist Jung Hwan Cha while Gregor Gracie will look to bounce back from his loss in the last ONE FC event against Nicholas Mann.

Their trainer, Mixed Martial Arts Legend Renzo Gracie, had this to add about their fight (from MMAJunkie.com):

“Rolles, Igor and Gregor Gracie have never trained so hard for a fight in their lives,” Renzo Gracie stated. “All three of my students understand that ONE FC in Manila will be the largest MMA event in the history of the Philippines. They are embracing this experience wholeheartedly and are training exceptionally hard to achieve victory in front of 16,500 fans. The fans in Manila will get the chance to see the next generation of the Gracie family dominate the world of MMA once again.”

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Bibiano Fernandes and Shinya Aoki Sign for ONE FC: Possible Opponents for Debut

On Thursday, ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) proudly announced the signing of Dream bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Both fighters were standouts from Dream and were the last champions in their respective…

We take a look at possible opponents for the duo, who are set to make their respective debuts in ONE FC: Pride of a Nation in Manila on August 31st.

Japanese Shinya Aoki is a submission specialist who is opportunistic with his submissions. Boasting a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 19 of his 30 wins have come via submission. However, he is coming to ONE FC following a TKO loss to Eddie Alvarez in April.

It would make sense for Shinya Aoki to face Zorobabel Moreira in the main event. Brazilian Moreira is coming off a knockout victory over ex-UFC fighter Roger Huerta via soccer kick. He is riding a five-fight winning streak, also defeating notables Felipe Enomoto and Andy Wang.

The only issue with a Moreira and Aoki bout is that they both train out of Singapore-based Evolve and might be hesitant about fighting a teammate. Perhaps debuting a lightweight championship and giving the fighters the opportunity to be the first ONE FC lightweight champion might be enough for them to accept the fight.

Another alternative opponent would be Ole Laursen. An accomplished kick-boxer, Laursen always puts on exciting fights such as his five-round war against Eduard Folayang in his last outing. Born in the Phillipines, he would have the support of the hometown crowd behind him in what would essentially a boxer vs. grappler match.

Bibiano Fernandes is the first, and only, Bantamweight Champion of Dream.

In Dream’s last card on New Year’s Eve last year, he defeated both Rodolfo Marques and Antonio Banuelos on the same night to be crowned champion. Hailing from Brazil and now fighting out of Canada, he is nicknamed “the flash” for his lightning-fast speed that has helped him defeat Joachim Hansen and Joe Warren, among others.

Two notable names stand out from the rest in ONE FC’s bantamweight division.

Kevin Belingon is the URCC Flyweight Champion and has a record of 9-1. Training out of Team Lakay in the Philippines, Belingon will prove a tough test for Fernandes. The other notable is Leonardo Issa. Issa defeated Masakazu Imanari in last Saturday’s ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors. A BJJ world champion, he displayed solid wrestling skills and a smart game plan to defeat Imanari via decision. With a record of 9-2, he is coming off a win, whereas Belingon lost to the aforementioned Imanari last March.

Both Fernandes and Aoki are huge additions to ONE FC’s growing stable of fighters, and it will be exciting to see how they fare on August 31st.

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ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors: 3 Fighters Poised to Break Out

ONE FC’s first event in Malaysia, aptly named Destiny of Warriors, will take place on the 23rd of June in Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Negara. Headlining the card is a light-heavyweight clash between Strikeforce and Pride veteran Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral against Dream veteran Tatsuya Mizuno. We take a look at 3 of the fighters on this card who could make a huge splash in the MMA circuit with a win.

1. Adam Kayoom

Adam Kayoom is a pioneer in Malaysia MMA. Well versed in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he carries the burden of fighting in front of an expectant hometown crowd.

Having won multiple regional Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu titles, Kayoom makes his ONE FC debut against Gregor Gracie.

A victory against a decorated Jiu-Jitsu opponent with the ‘Gracie’ surname is a surefire way to gain attention from MMA fans, and Adam Kayoom has the opportunity to do just that. Kayoom would have to try avoid leaving his limbs or necks exposed, and might be best suited to try keeping the fight standing as Gracie has yet to show significant development in his standup.

2. Leonardo Issa

Brazilian Leonardo Issa is riding a 6-fight winning streak heading into his fight with leglock specialist Masakazu Imanari. Imanari is a Dream veteran whose leglock submissions are one of the best, if not the best, in MMA.

Issa is no slouch on the ground either. He has finished all but one of his victories, and most of them by way of submission. It will be a huge feather in his cap if he manages to submit Imanari.

3. Zorobabel Moreira

Granted, Zorobabel Moreira has been a name that is slowly creeping up in MMA circles, but a win against Roger Huerta will catapult his stock into a whole different stratosphere.

Moreira has looked impressive in his two previous appearances under the ONE FC banner. He has demonstrated varied striking to complement his world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu accomplishments. His versatility was evident in his last fight, where he overwhelmed his opponent Felipe Enomoto with kicks and punches before securing the win via armbar.

Roger Huerta was at one time considered a future UFC light-weight champion. He has an all-action style that has excited fight fans all over the world. Huerta took a temporary hiatus to film the movie Tekken, and is in the midst of his worst slump in his career.

A victory over Huerta would gain Moreira worldwide exposure. He stands on the verge of becoming ONE FC’s first bona-fide superstar.

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ONE FC Makes Changes to Kuala Lumpur Event: Huerta Now Debuts Against Moreira

ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) announced several changes to its ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors event, which is set to take place on June 23 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ex-UFC standout Roger Huerta now makes his debut against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) s…

Roger Huerta recently signed with the Singapore-based promotion and was scheduled to face fellow ex-UFC fighter Phil Baroni. However, Phil Baroni suffered a TKO loss at this past weekend’s Ring Of Fire 43 and has been forced off the ONE FC card. In his place steps Zorobabel Moreira, the esteemed BJJ expert who has been riding a two fight since joining the promotion. He easily manhandled Felipe Enomoto en-route to a second round victory via armbar in his previous ONE FC appearance.

Meanwhile, Roger Huerta is set to fight for the first time in 2012. He is on a three-fight losing skid at the hands of Pat Curran, Eddie Alvarez and War Machine. It will be the first time he has fought outside of the United States. This fight will be contested at welterweight.

Eddie Ng has also been forced off the card due to injury, and Evolve MMA teammate Brian Choi has stepped in to take his place against Frenchman Arnaud Lepont. South Korean Brian Choi boasts a 3-1 record and will make his ONE FC debut against fellow debutant Lepont, who fights out of Muayfit in Malaysia.

ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors is headlined by a matchup between Renato Sobral, who will fight for the first time since leaving Strikeforce, and Tatsuya Mizuno from Dream. Also on the card are notable names like Gregor Gracie and Masakazu Imanari. It will take place at Stadium Negara in Malaysia,

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