Author: J.Jones

[VIDEO] Jon Jones Finally Speaks About Accident, Suspension, + Vitor Belfort’s “Sketchy” UFC 152 Drug Test


(While not without his faults, Jones remains a much better role model than Peyton Manning.) 

It has been an…eventful six months for former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, or at least, that’s how he describes them in his recent interview with Ariel Helwani. I’ll spare you all the readily available details, but suffice it to say, Jones has screwed up, repeatedly, and it’s cost him nearly everything.

But finally, it appears the maybe, just maybe, his past mistakes are having an effect on his present mindset. With his UFC suspension now lifted and his court case settled, Jones has rededicated himself to recapturing his belt, and the results thus far have been astounding. He may have a long way to go still to earn back our respect, but with the lengthy interview after the jump, he’s at least taking the first step and accepting the blame for what he’s done.

Video after the jump. 

The post [VIDEO] Jon Jones Finally Speaks About Accident, Suspension, + Vitor Belfort’s “Sketchy” UFC 152 Drug Test appeared first on Cagepotato.


(While not without his faults, Jones remains a much better role model than Peyton Manning.) 

It has been an…eventful six months for former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, or at least, that’s how he describes them in his recent interview with Ariel Helwani. I’ll spare you all the readily available details, but suffice it to say, Jones has screwed up, repeatedly, and it’s cost him nearly everything.

But finally, it appears the maybe, just maybe, his past mistakes are having an effect on his present mindset. With his UFC suspension now lifted and his court case settled, Jones has rededicated himself to recapturing his belt, and the results thus far have been astounding. He may have a long way to go still to earn back our respect, but with the lengthy interview after the jump, he’s at least taking the first step and accepting the blame for what he’s done.

Video after the jump. 

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from this interview was not Jones’ retelling of his hit-and-run accident (17:00), or his vehement denial that he “likes coke” (42:00) but his accusation that the UFC was aware of Vitor Belfort’s now infamously sketchy pre-UFC 152 drug test (45:10).

Vitor Belfort was on steroids when I fought him. The UFC was very well aware, way before the fight. They did nothing to penalize him. They let the fight go on knowing that I was fighting a guy on steroids, which is a hazard to my life. What do you do?

I haven’t brought it up to them yet, but the fans know. The power of the UFC and this Athletic Commission, eventually something needs to be done about it. To know that they put me in there with him, knowing that he was on something, it’s really a slap to the face.

I would like to be more of a company guy and do things right, but at the same time, I’ve been bent over quite a few times by them. It’s just like…it’s hard to see where I stand man. I just hope the fans are aware of some of the shenanigans they pull.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am shocked — SHOCKED I tells ya! — that the UFC would be willing to potentially put one of their own athletes in a dangerous situation to make something as frivolous as money. Ick, you guys. Ick.

Check out the entire interview if you’ve got the time, and let us know if you think that the redemption of Jon Jones is something you’ll ever be able to get behind.

The post [VIDEO] Jon Jones Finally Speaks About Accident, Suspension, + Vitor Belfort’s “Sketchy” UFC 152 Drug Test appeared first on Cagepotato.

Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort II Reportedly Booked for UFC 197


(Never go full Ritor. via Getty.)

When Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort first met in the octagon, the former was an unstoppable, arrogant-bordering-on-cocky champion and the latter was a battle-tested veteran who would supposedly serve as his toughest test to date. They shared many similarities beyond their penchant for knocking people out (they’re both Brazilian!), but when push came to shove, Silva emerged as the clearly superior fighter.

Four years later, Silva has lost his title, broken his leg in the cage, and been popped for PED’s which may or may not have been caused by Thai black market sex pills, while Belfort himself has also lost a title bid and done pretty much everything within his power to deflect criticism from his PED-riddled past. Again, the similarities are striking here, which is perhaps why the two former champions have once again been booked to throw down.

Details after the jump. 

The post Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort II Reportedly Booked for UFC 197 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Never go full Ritor. via Getty.)

When Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort first met in the octagon, the former was an unstoppable, arrogant-bordering-on-cocky champion and the latter was a battle-tested veteran who would supposedly serve as his toughest test to date. They shared many similarities beyond their penchant for knocking people out (they’re both Brazilian!), but when push came to shove, Silva emerged as the clearly superior fighter.

Four years later, Silva has lost his title, broken his leg in the cage, and been popped for PED’s which may or may not have been caused by Thai black market sex pills, while Belfort himself has also lost a title bid and done pretty much everything within his power to deflect criticism from his PED-riddled past. Again, the similarities are striking here, which is perhaps why the two former champions have once again been booked to throw down.

Details after the jump. 

According to a report by Brazilian publication Globo, Belfort and Silva have agreed to face one another at UFC 197 in March. UFC officials have yet to confirm the booking, which will serve as a rematch of the pair’s infamous title fight back at UFC 126.

Most recently, Belfort bounced back from a quick loss to champion Chris Weidman at UFC 187 with an even quicker starching of Dan Henderson at Fight Night 77 earlier in the month. If confirmed, the fight will serve as Silva’s first since his unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz at UFC 183, the aftermath of which saw him test positive for several banned substances.

Meanwhile, Tim Kennedy, who has been calling out both Silva and Belfort for some time now, remains on the sidelines. His reaction to the potential booking between the two was about the most Tim Kennedy thing ever (via Twitter):

For what it’s worth, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza also seems to think that this fight is a bad idea for Silva, telling MMAFighting that:

I believe the result would be the same. Anderson is impressive, but, in my opinion, as a friend and seeing him as guy that is helping me now, I think he should fight again before fighting Belfort to get his rhythm back.

Belfort is in a strong rhythm now, he fought three times in a row now. Anderson spent some time off, had this issue now and spent a year off, so I think Anderson should fight again first.

So yeah, this should be an interesting fight, with even more interesting drug test results. Who you go, Nation?

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Friday Link Dump: Fighters React to Holm’s Win, Aldo Outs a Rat, Indie Video Games You Should Be Playing + More

(UFC 193: The Thrill and Agony, via the UFC’s Youtube)

Four Years Into His MMA Career, Bubba Jenkins Feels He’s Now on Par With the Hype (MMAFighting)

The Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 78: Gastelum vs. Magny (Bleacher Report)

Jose Aldo Spreads Fake Injury Rumors at Own Gym in Order to Find Out ‘Rat’ (BloodyElbow)

The post Friday Link Dump: Fighters React to Holm’s Win, Aldo Outs a Rat, Indie Video Games You Should Be Playing + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(UFC 193: The Thrill and Agony, via the UFC’s Youtube)

Four Years Into His MMA Career, Bubba Jenkins Feels He’s Now on Par With the Hype (MMAFighting)

The Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 78: Gastelum vs. Magny (Bleacher Report)

Jose Aldo Spreads Fake Injury Rumors at Own Gym in Order to Find Out ‘Rat’ (BloodyElbow)

Floyd Mayweather Now Wants To Help Ronda Rousey Train (Uproxx)

Fighters React to Holly Holm’s Win — And Diego Sanchez Nearly Loses It (MMAJunkie)

What Is The Best Simpsons Episode Ever? (ScreenJunkies)

8 Great Indie Games from 2015 You Should Have Already Played (The Escapist)

The post Friday Link Dump: Fighters React to Holm’s Win, Aldo Outs a Rat, Indie Video Games You Should Be Playing + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Holly Holm’s Upset of Ronda Rousey Is a Boon for the UFC


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Shock. Disbelief. Speechlessness. You can insert your own emotion here to sum up your feelings about Holly Holm’s upset win over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on Saturday night. But please refrain from invoking another emotion: Despair.

The post Holly Holm’s Upset of Ronda Rousey Is a Boon for the UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Shock. Disbelief. Speechlessness. You can insert your own emotion here to sum up your feelings about Holly Holm’s upset win over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on Saturday night. But please refrain from invoking another emotion: Despair.

It’s going to be popular to assume that Rousey showing she is, in fact, beatable is a bad thing for the UFC or for women’s mixed martial arts in general. You might even go so far as to be like my friend here, who I’m assuming spoke with his tongue planted firmly in cheek:

But please relax, MMA fans. I’m here to tell you why Holm defeating Rousey is actually a terrific thing for both the UFC and women’s MMA in general. Even though he looked crestfallen during the postfight press conference, UFC President Dana White should also be the happiest guy around with how UFC 193 unfolded.

Let’s say Rousey performed her usual routine and demolished Holm in a minute or less. Prior to last night’s bout, Rousey said she wanted to “disappear for a while” after her title defense. Judging by how she looked and acted during the weigh-ins, that might have been a good idea. You have to wonder if the spotlight and all the media attention was starting to get to Rousey a little bit.

Anyway, if Rousey dominated Holm at UFC 193, there would be no challengers left. Miesha Tate isn’t getting another title shot, apparently. The memory of Cat Zingano’s 14-second loss to Rousey is still fresh in many people’s minds, so she’s out. It looks increasingly unlikely (especially after Saturday night’s card) that a fight between Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino isn’t going to happen. If Rousey defeated Holm, the women’s bantamweight division would basically be held hostage by Rousey’s continued success.

But now, we have a plethora of fresh matchups that are possible. Which begins with the immediate rematch that will happen between Holm and Rousey. While it’s not exactly fresh, Rousey/Holm 2 gives the UFC another big fight to promote in the new year that people will want to see. In fact, it would be the perfect main event for the UFC’s 200th card, which will more than likely take place in Madison Square Garden.

When you think about some of the memorable moments that have taken place in the world’s most famous arena, having two women face off in the main event of the first UFC card at MSG will represent another significant achievement for women’s MMA and women’s sports in general.

Plus, the rematch between Holm and Rousey sells itself. People are comparing Holm’s upset to other notable upsets, such as Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson. Since the UFC and White have never met hyperbole they didn’t love, all they need to do is invoke a few other famous upsets in video packages for Holm/Rousey 2, sit back and watch the dough pour in. White will practically have to do no work at all.

The outcome of Holm/Rousey 2 is almost irrelevant, as well. If Rousey gets her title back, she can resume her perch as the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time and continue to enjoy all the Hollywood offers that will no doubt keep pouring in. If Holm wins, then the UFC has a brand new star to promote. Holly Holm – “The Ronda Slayer.”

We would also be privy to a bunch of exciting new fights at women’s bantamweight if Holm retains her title. If the UFC relents and grants Tate a title shot, could Holm use her striking to keep Tate and her grappling at bay? If Holm faced Zingano, that would be a MMA striking fan’s dream with Holm’s boxing and kickboxing going against Zingano’s Muay Thai.

It’s easy to think that Rousey losing to Holm somehow portends bad things for the UFC or women’s MMA, as my misguided friend above might imply. But guess what? The MMA world didn’t end when Matt Serra upset Georges St. Pierre, and St. Pierre worked his way back to a rematch with Serra and re-established himself as maybe the greatest MMA fighter of all time. Some people might have thought Brock Lesnar getting exposed by Cain Velasquez was bad for the UFC, but both parties emerged from that just fine.

The bottom line is, stars come and go in MMA, and in all sports. We may just have a new one in Holly Holm, who might just pick up where Rousey left off in carrying the flag for women’s MMA.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also opines on all things UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or visit his Twitter: @mmamaryland.

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Jon Jones Swallows Entire Horse, Announces Official Return Date via Instagram


(GOOD GAWD. via Jones’ Instagram.)

Good afternoon, Nation. After a much-needed vacation, it feels good to be back.

As a matter of fact, that’s probably a sentiment former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is feeling right now, what with him recently being reinstated into the UFC and all. As you might’ve noticed via the Instagram post above, it appears that Jones has spent his involuntary off-time following the Alistair Overeem diet of horse meat, push-ups, the meat of horses, and even more push-ups. Seriously, dude looks YOKED.

But if the idea of Jon Jones 2.0 (UberJones?) wasn’t already scary enough, the troubled G.O.A.T also took to Instagram last night to announce the date that he will return to the octagon.

Details after the jump. 

The post Jon Jones Swallows Entire Horse, Announces Official Return Date via Instagram appeared first on Cagepotato.


(GOOD GAWD. via Jones’ Instagram.)

Good afternoon, Nation. After a much-needed vacation, it feels good to be back.

As a matter of fact, that’s probably a sentiment former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is feeling right now, what with him recently being reinstated into the UFC and all. As you might’ve noticed via the Instagram post above, it appears that Jones has spent his involuntary off-time following the Alistair Overeem diet of horse meat, push-ups, the meat of horses, and even more push-ups. Seriously, dude looks YOKED.

But if the idea of Jon Jones 2.0 (UberJones?) wasn’t already scary enough, the troubled G.O.A.T also took to Instagram last night to announce the date that he will return to the octagon.

Details after the jump. 

“Started powerlifting June 1, 2015. In just about seven months of training four days a week, my body has made a complete transformation,” wrote Jones.

“Off season 2013 vs off season 2015. Five more months to prepare for this win. I’ll be sure to be at my best April 23rd #NewLevels.”

April 23rd is, of course, the tentatively selected date for UFC 198, which will supposedly be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. But being that MMA is still outlawed in New York state, there are a lot of questions surrounding the likelihood of this venue/Jones’ return to say the very least.

Meanwhile, I have received an exclusive report that current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has in fact shat himself after seeing the above photo of UberJones, as has Fabricio Werdum, Cain Velasquez, and every driver in the Rio Rancho area. April 23rd can’t come soon enough.

The post Jon Jones Swallows Entire Horse, Announces Official Return Date via Instagram appeared first on Cagepotato.

Mirko Cro Cop Withdraws From UFC Seoul, Retires From MMA Again


(via Getty.) 

It’s been a long, strange journey for Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic — one full of ups, downs, and plenty of bumps and bruises along the way. From his incredible one-night performance at the 2006 Pride Open Weight Tournament, to his retirement from the sport in 2011, to his return to the UFC and redemptive victory over Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop will forever be remembered as one of the sport’s most iconic figures and a trailblazer in the defining age of mixed martial arts.

And today, it looks like that trail has finally come to an end.

The post Mirko Cro Cop Withdraws From UFC Seoul, Retires From MMA Again appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty.) 

It’s been a long, strange journey for Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic — one full of ups, downs, and plenty of bumps and bruises along the way. From his incredible one-night performance at the 2006 Pride Open Weight Tournament, to his retirement from the sport in 2011, to his return to the UFC and redemptive victory over Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop will forever be remembered as one of the sport’s most iconic figures and a trailblazer in the defining age of mixed martial arts.

And today, it looks like that trail has finally come to an end.

Scheduled to take on Anthony Hamilton in the co-main event of UFC Seoul on November 28th, Cro Cop announced this morning that he had suffered a shoulder injury in training, then abruptly re-retired.

Cro Cop broke the news via his Facebook page (translation via BloodyElbow):

I tried to save my shoulder injury and repair in all possible ways. Daily therapies, injections of blood plasma and various cocktails of drugs. [Because of] daily training, the injury only worsened. Part of my muscle snapped, my shoulder has a lot of fluid, and the greatest danger is that the tendon ruptured, and then again in the operation.

Even more unfortunate was the follow-up statement Filipovic released on his website, which confirmed that the injury was much more than a temporary setback in the 2015-2016 Cro Cop Revenge Tour.

I am aware that I have come to the end of my martial times, but training with pain I want no longer. My body is battered by countless trainings, I collected nine operations, the body has become prone to injury, after each workout I put ice on my knee operated on because it’s filled with fluid, therapies twice a week. The next fight would be 80th professional and that is a lot, especially in the competition: K-1, Pride, IGF, UFC. The biggest problem will be my adaptation to “civilian life”, without two workouts a day and the eternal journey around the world, and that whouldn’t fall so hard. I will train as long as I live because it’s my life, but not at this rate and I’m glad in some way.

This is not a temporary decision because I was unhappy due to all of that, but it’s my final decision and it’s best for me. Sooner or later the time comes when a man has to think on the health. I had a really long and great career and I believe I left a deep mark in the martial arts, in a free fight and in K-1 and I have no regrets. Thanks to everyone who followed me and supported me, but for me there remains beautiful memories. 

We’ve already paid tribute to Cro Cop on more occasion than one, so we’ll simply wrap things up by congratulating Mirko on all he’s accomplished, both in and outside of the cage. It’d be hard to think of a more fitting way for him to go out than with a victory over the man who derailed his career some 8 years ago, and we hope that Mirko finds happiness in whatever awaits him next.

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