Author: McKinley Noble

UFC’s Jon Jones Says DWI Made Him a ‘Better’ Man, Calls Evans an All-Time Great

Although UFC champion Jon Jones could’ve had a much better 2012, the light heavyweight star says that his year full of personal trials made him a better man.Jones spoke with MMA Weekly shortly after winning “Fighter of the Year” at the World MMA A…

Although UFC champion Jon Jones could’ve had a much better 2012, the light heavyweight star says that his year full of personal trials made him a better man.

Jones spoke with MMA Weekly shortly after winning “Fighter of the Year” at the World MMA Awards, citing that he “felt great” upon earning the award.

In particular, Jones heaped a lot of praise on his former training partner Rashad Evans, whom Jones defeated in a highly-anticipated match at UFC 145. According to Jones, Evans is one of the greatest light heavyweight fighters of all time and still commands a lot of respect from his one-time teammate: 

Defeating Rashad Evans is gigantic to me. Rashad is unquestionably one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time, so I do feel like I beat an all-time great in Rashad. That’s gigantic to me and a compliment to Rashad as well. [I have] a lot respect for the guy, still, after everything.

I haven’t spoken to him. I’m sure it’s weird for him, but I actually have a lot of respect for Rashad. I like the guy. Deep down, I remember all the good times we had.

Jones also spoke briefly about defeating Vitor Belfort in a hastily-made match-up at UFC 152 last September, stating that the “psychology war” in fighting “a fellow Christian” as another bonus to his career.

Not one to shy away from controversy, Jones even addressed some of the rougher patches in his 2012 campaign, including his cancelled UFC event and infamous DWI conviction:

UFC 151 was a little out out my control. The DWI, obviously, I learned from that. I’ve grown from that and I’m a better man because of it. ‘Wiser, stronger, smarter because of all that stuff. Tough year, fun year, crazy year. Lost some sleep some nights, celebrated some nights … too much, but it was life. I lived another year. I’m alive to see 2013 and I’m blessed and I’m grateful.

Me and Dana are on good terms. I don’t think we’ve ever been on better terms. I think he looks at me as a young man who has respect for himself, who stands up for certain things, who has a backbone and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. I owe it to myself to be that way.

Ironically, Jones’ recently won award is named after none other than TapouT founder Charles “Mask” Lewis, who died on March 11, 2009 due to alcohol-related vehicular manslaughter.

Regardless, Jones has nonetheless capped off a marquee year, even receiving a nod in ESPN’s 2012 cross-sport power rankings. Jones also became one of the first MMA fighters to be sponsored by Nike, a company who likely be extremely prominent in the young champion’s fight gear during his upcoming coaching stint on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter against rival Chael Sonnen.

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Is Ronda Rousey’s Grudge Against UFC Champion GSP a Bad Career Move?

Ronda Rousey isn’t playing around when it comes to Georges St-Pierre.If you’ve been listening to the UFC women’s bantamweight title-holder for a while, she’s been consistently trash-talking the welterweight champion ever since her own stardom started t…

Ronda Rousey isn’t playing around when it comes to Georges St-Pierre.

If you’ve been listening to the UFC women’s bantamweight title-holder for a while, she’s been consistently trash-talking the welterweight champion ever since her own stardom started to take shape back in her Strikeforce days.

In fact, Rousey has been slamming GSP in interviews since November 2011 (via BestofMMA.com), even going as far as saying that the “boring” Canadian was “bad for the sport.”

Of course, “Rowdy” is a grown adult who has every right to voice her own opinion.

But why does her recent string of interviews seem to bother so many people? It is the MMA community’s loyalty to St-Pierre? Is it backlash from Rousey‘s mega-hype? Is it sexist undertones?

Or is Rousey simply coming off as a high-profile bully?

Maybe it’s just a little bit of all of the above—with some more of the latter.

After all, just look at the two people involved.

On one side, you have Georges St-Pierre, the clean-cut gentlemanly king of the 170-pound division who (almost) never has a bad thing to say about anyone in the sport.

And at the other end of the feud, you have the brash-but-beautiful Ronda Rousey, an unapologetic glory-seeking superstar who’s muscled her way into the UFC on the backs and broken arms of her fellow female fighters—with both a smile and a Nick Diaz-worthy snarl to boot.

Objectively, it’s easy to see how the women’s champion looks like the bad guy here.

Even though she’s simply stressing an unpopular opinion, Rousey is still picking a fight with a much bigger star than herself, and one that’s greatly beloved by a far larger portion of the UFC than her own homegrown fan club.

That already works against Rousey in her one-sided beef with “Rush.” But when you add in the controversy about her overexposure and UFC 157 headlining spot over Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida, she could be making far more critics than dedicated fans lately.

Moreover, in-fighting between UFC title-holders is a little unusual.

For the most part, the company’s champions either get along or leave each other alone, content to deal with rivalries in their own divisions. Sure, Anderson Silva might be entertaining the idea of fights with GSP and Jon Jones, but they all publicly respect each other.

Granted, much of Rousey‘s vitriol for the welterweight champion seems to stem from her close affiliation with Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (the home camp of Nick Diaz) and St-Pierre’s own so-called “ignorant” statements about having “a hard time watching girls fighting” inside of a cage. 

But as slighted as she might feel, trash-talking the welterweight champion doesn’t seem to be drawing worthwhile attention from MMA fans.

Then again, maybe Rousey is fine with drawing the kind of laser-guided heat that seems to follow personalities like the equally divisive Jones everywhere he goes.

But just like Jones is protected by his iron-clad reign over the light heavyweight division, Rousey‘s growing infamy will only work in her favor as long as she remains the undefeated bombshell queen of the women’s bantamweight division.

Either way, continually ripping into one of the most saintly figures in MMA seems like a move that can take her career into some choppy waters. If the tide turns against her, Rousey‘s hopefully prepared to weather the storm.

 

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.

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Let’s Get Real: Daniel Cormier Can’t Beat UFC Champ Jon Jones

Even though Josh Barnett fancies himself the MMA promo-cutting champion, Daniel Cormier showed the world how to do a post-fight interview right.In less than a minute, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion capped off his last appearance i…

Even though Josh Barnett fancies himself the MMA promo-cutting champion, Daniel Cormier showed the world how to do a post-fight interview right.

In less than a minute, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion capped off his last appearance in the promotion by calling out UFC fighters Frank Mir and Jon Jones, vowing to defeat them both in back-to-back bouts.

That would be quite a feat, but there’s just one little problem.

Cormier can’t beat Jones.

Make no mistake, Cormier is a great heavyweight, and probably one of the best wrestler-turned-MMA-fighter standouts that the sport has ever seen.

But Jones is just better.

Before even comparing their respective skills, let’s point out that Cormier is already assuming he’ll get past Frank Mir in the first place. Mir’s definitely lost his step in recent years, but looking past him just might prove to be a very costly error in judgement.

Mir is one of those crafty veterans who can catch you when you least expect it, and wrestlers aren’t exactly a bad matchup for the jiu-jitsu master.  

So, that just brings us back to Jones, the longest-reigning light heavyweight champion in over four years and the possible future pound-for-pound MMA king.

When one objectively compares Jones and Cormier, they’re almost mirror images of each other in several ways—and many of them don’t favor Cormier.

 

Size and Reach

Jones is one of the absolute biggest fighters in MMA, standing at 6’4″ in height with a giraffe-like 84.5-inch reach. That’s just the first hurdle that puts Cormier at a seemingly insurmountable disadvantage.

Cormier’s strength lies in being able to close the distance on his opponent, often slamming them to the mat and wearing them out.

But at 5’11” and with a mere 71 inches on his reach, he would actually be the smallest and shortest-ranged fighter to ever challenge Jones in his UFC career.

Forget trying to kick Jones’ ass. Cormier will be lucky if he can even reach it.

 

Striking and Wrestling

Some MMA fans and pundits are still questioning Jones’ chin, even though he went toe-to-toe for full fights with Stephan Bonnar (one of the sport’s most durable brawlers) and Rashad Evans (one of the sport’s hardest punchers).

Cormier likely has plenty of power, but it’s doubtful that at 205 pounds he’ll have the mass to put a dent in Jones’ chin. What’s far more likely is that he’ll chase “Bones” around the cage for 25 minutes while eating kicks to his knees and already-damaged kidney.

So, what about the wrestling, Cormier’s wheelhouse as a former Olympian?

Although Jones is most likely vulnerable on his back, the champion knows better than to grapple with a superior wrestler if he can help it. Just like the frustrated Evans at UFC 145, expect Cormier to come up with empty hands.

 

Age and Athleticism

At 33 years old (soon to be 34 in March), Cormier is no spring chicken. He’s arguably already past his athletic prime, and his body has already failed him on weight cutting once due to kidney failure—a tale recapped wonderfully by Sports Illustrated‘s Loretta Hunt.

Jones, however, is just getting started.

Although his skinny frame hasn’t completely filled out, the Greg Jackson MMA prodigy has already conquered much of the sport at a mere 25 years old. Earlier last year, Jones wasn’t even able to rent a car without paying a premium (not that he could drive one now).

Cormier is fighting time and physical mileage as much as he’s fighting Jones, and his younger foe will enjoy all the benefits of a faster, supremely healthy body.

 

Fighting Style and Ruthlessness

If this all comes down to a battle of “good guy vs. bad guy,” Jones’ notable mean streak will also be a key difference maker.

Although we alluded to it before, Jones fights dirty when he wants an edge. Push kicks to the knees, fingers in the face, razor-sharp elbow strikes and more are all part of his well-rounded arsenal, and it makes him one of the sport’s more dangerous men.

Cormier just doesn’t fight dirty, or at least, he hasn’t exhibited a need or desire to do so.

As Chael Sonnen says, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” Jones is always trying, willing to be as underhanded as necessary to keep his title reign going—squeaky clean Cormier might not be ready (or able) to do the same.

 

So, there you have it.

When you took at the whole picture, Daniel Cormier just doesn’t have the tools or the physical attributes needed to beat Jon Jones.

If Jordy McElroy’s head-to-toe breakdown and Duane Finley’s in-depth analysis didn’t convince you otherwise, this article hopefully laid out the truth.

Even if Cormier beats Mir and manages to cut the weight it takes to get to Jones’ division, the Strikeforce star will barely be able to touch the UFC titan.

 

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Stock Report from Strikeforce’s Final MMA Card

Strikeforce was an exciting promotion where some of the biggest stars in MMA plied their trade against some of the toughest lesser-knowns in the sport.That was no different on Saturday night, as talents like Nate Marquardt, Daniel Cormier, K.J. Noons, …

Strikeforce was an exciting promotion where some of the biggest stars in MMA plied their trade against some of the toughest lesser-knowns in the sport.

That was no different on Saturday night, as talents like Nate Marquardt, Daniel Cormier, K.J. Noons, Ryan Couture and Gegard Mousasi did their best to make cases for UFC contracts and title shots.

But amid all the even brawls and mismatches, who came out looking the best?

That’s all answered in our stock report of the final Strikeforce card, as we look at the rising and falling athletes from the now-dead, but not-forgotten, promotion.

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Strikeforce Finale: Why UFC’s Johny Hendricks Was the Biggest Winner

Does anyone remember that knockout artist Johny Hendricks was supposed to be the next challenger in line to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre?For a moment there, it seemed like some MMA fans forgot.Going into the final Strikeforce event on Satur…

Does anyone remember that knockout artist Johny Hendricks was supposed to be the next challenger in line to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre?

For a moment there, it seemed like some MMA fans forgot.

Going into the final Strikeforce event on Saturday, questions were already being asked about the likelihood that Nate Marquardt, the promotion’s welterweight champion, might have to face his own teammate for the 170-pound UFC title.

Thankfully for Hendricks, Tarec Saffiedine came along and upset Marquardt in a beautiful display that saw the Greg Jackson MMA fighter chopped down with savage leg kicks and gusty striking.

In one of the year’s biggest upsets, so far, that’s one less challenger who could potentially leapfrog the deserving Hendricks.

Granted, “Bigg Rigg” hasn’t been very high on the UFC’s priority list lately.

Despite notching three “Knockout of the Night” awards in a dominant 5-0 stretch over the last two years, Hendricks has been cheated out of his rightful title shot by St-Pierre.

Instead of facing GSP for the welterweight title, he’ll instead have to battle Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158 while Nick Diaz slides into the main event.

As usual, it’s another case of the term “No. 1 contender” not meaning much in the UFC.

“Dollars over sense” has been the major impetus behind Hendricks getting shafted from the welterweight title picture, as St-Pierre vs. Diaz will most likely make substantially more money on pay-per-view than St-Pierre vs. Hendricks would.

That’s also been the same reasoning behind Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen, as the former middleweight talked his way into a title shot and a coaching stint opposite Jones on The Ultimate Fighter.

Had Marquardt beaten Saffiedine in the same brutal fashion as he did in his Strikeforce title fight debut against Tyron Woodley, it’s not crazy to think that he may have leapfrogged Hendricks.

But with Marquardt out of the picture, that’s one less potential obstacle between Hendricks and Georges St-Pierre. That is, unless he loses to Ellenberger—or Diaz somehow pulls off the upset of the year in Montreal this coming March.

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Daniel Cormier Calls Out UFC Champion Jon Jones: “I’m Going to Kick His Ass”

Daniel Cormier won in style at the final Strikeforce card on Saturday night, but he dropped a few bombshells in his post-fight interview.Just minutes after a second-round TKO stoppage against overmatched opponent Dion Staring, the Oklahoma crowd looked…

Daniel Cormier won in style at the final Strikeforce card on Saturday night, but he dropped a few bombshells in his post-fight interview.

Just minutes after a second-round TKO stoppage against overmatched opponent Dion Staring, the Oklahoma crowd looked on as Cormier revealed two huge pieces of MMA news.

Cormier is set to fight Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20.

Moreover, the American Kickboxing Academy star vowed to move down a weight class and take away the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from current title-holder Jon Jones:

Right now, I’m telling you. April 20 on Fox. I signed my UFC contract. Frank Mir, you and me. Let’s do it.

I’m going to let Jon Jones defend his belt on April 27 and then I’m going to kick his ass in the fall.

Cormier is currently among the top 10 heavyweights in MMA, and should be similarly ranked if he does indeed move down to 205 pounds. He’ll come into the UFC with an impressive 11-0 record that includes dominant wins over the likes of Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett.

Cormier was originally scheduled to face Mir as part of the main card in Strikeforce’s final event, but Mir pulled out of the match due to an injury in training.

Although Cormier currently fights at heavyweight, his friend and training partner is none other than UFC champion Cain Velasquez.

Less than a month ago, Velasquez regained the heavyweight title at UFC 155 from Junior dos Santos, the very same man who took the belt from him at the inaugural UFC on Fox event in November 2011. Members of the American Kickboxing Academy are well- known for their refusal to fight each other, so as long as Velasquez holds the belt at heavyweight, Cormier is unlikely to challenge for it.

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