Author: SethF

Jon Jones Doesn’t Want to Fight Lyoto Machida, if That’s Cool with Everyone


Five rounds against Machida could save you five percent or more on UFC PPVs.

As flawless as UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has looked inside the Octagon, he’s looked just as imperfect outside of it. There’s his unchecked arrogance, his “You never have to worry about me with a DWI or doing something crazy” comment just weeks before his DUI arrest and his brutal honesty about potential opponents. Basically, Jon Jones does everything in his power outside of the cage to make it hard for most fans to celebrate his in-sport accomplishments.

Which is why most of you won’t be too surprised to learn that just two weeks before his Light-Heavyweight title defense against the legendary Dan Henderson at UFC 151, Jones had some pretty harsh words for his next opponent, Lyoto Machida. In an interview with ESPN.com, Jones stated that “The Dragon” doesn’t deserve a rematch with him, not so much because he isn’t a competent fighter, but because Machida won’t get the fans to buy pay-per-views. In his own words:

“I don’t want to fight Lyoto Machida. He was my lowest pay-per-view draw of last year. No one wants to see me fight Lyoto Machida. I don’t want to fight Lyoto again. Lyoto is high risk and low reward. He’s a tough fighter, but no one wants to buy that fight.

Quote continued after the jump


Five rounds against Machida could save you five percent or more on UFC PPVs.

As flawless as UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has looked inside the Octagon, he’s looked just as imperfect outside of it. There’s his unchecked arrogance, his ”You never have to worry about me with a DWI or doing something crazy” comment just weeks before his DUI arrest and his brutal honesty about potential opponents. Basically, Jon Jones does everything in his power outside of the cage to make it hard for most fans to celebrate his in-sport accomplishments.

Which is why most of you won’t be too surprised to learn that just two weeks before his Light-Heavyweight title defense against the legendary Dan Henderson at UFC 151, Jones delivered some pretty harsh words for his next opponent, Lyoto Machida. In an interview with ESPN.com, Jones stated that “The Dragon” doesn’t deserve a rematch with him, not so much because he isn’t a competent fighter, but because Machida won’t get the fans to buy pay-per-views. In his own words:

“I don’t want to fight Lyoto Machida. He was my lowest pay-per-view draw of last year. No one wants to see me fight Lyoto Machida. I don’t want to fight Lyoto again. Lyoto is high risk and low reward. He’s a tough fighter, but no one wants to buy that fight. 

Between (Mauricio) Shogun (Rua), (Quinton) Rampage (Jackson) and Rashad (Evans), Lyoto was my lowest draw. Why would I want to fight someone where it’s a lose-lose situation? I won’t make money on it. And he’s a tricky fighter.”

In a strange way, Jones’ comments are refreshing and, dare I say, admirable. Even when most of us are rolling our eyes at the notion of spending money on a fight, we still expect the fighters involved to deliver pre-packaged, blatantly false statements about how excited they are for it. At the very least, Jones is actually being honest with us about how he feels about fighting Lyoto Machida a second time. Especially considering a highly marketable, very personal fight against Chael Sonnen may be on the horizon.

That being said…ARE YOU FOR SERIOUSLY, BRO?!

The guy who is bringing in global Nike sponsorship money is worried that he won’t make any money on a rematch with Lyoto Machida? The same guy who, up until his highly anticipated clash against Rashad Evans, was a weak PPV draw himself for the UFC? The same guy who also won’t fight Anderson Silva because losing is bad for business? Cash rules everything around me, indeed.

When asked whether or not he will agree to fight Machida if he makes it past Dan Henderson, Jon Jones doesn’t exactly get some fans with his reply:

“I don’t even know. I don’t know how to answer that right now.”

Look, no one is accusing you of ducking a rematch against Machida. But when you talk about how you don’t want to fight him because he’s “a tricky fighter” who won’t get the fans to buy PPVs, and then tell a reporter that you don’t even know whether or not you’ll agree to the fight that your boss has already promised fans, then let’s just say that the first sentence of this paragraph is more than likely obsolete by now.

Interestingly enough, the article on ESPN.com ends on this note:

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to be talking about fighting anybody but Dan Henderson,” Jones said. “I’m clearly focused on Dan Henderson. I’m not overlooking Dan.”

Clearly.

@SethFalvo

Regrettable Tattoo Alert: Some Dork Got an Arianny Celeste Tattoo. Simply Put, it Sucks.


Basically, picture this, except trashier, uglier, far more expensive and, oh yeah, permanent.

There’s an unwritten rule in the tattoo community that you’re never supposed to mock another person’s tattoos. The reasoning behind this thinking is that you never know why a person decided to tattoo something onto his or her body, whether or not a person actually asked the artist to make the tattoo look a certain way (I have intentionally rough-around-the-edges work myself) and the whole “different strokes” thing. For example, while Chris Andersen is my golden standard of what tattoos should look like, some people see Michael Beasley as the tattoo world’s G.O.A.T. Taste is subjective, is what I’m getting at.

That being said, even Mr. Cool Ice grimaced when he saw Arianny Celeste tweet an image of some completely rational and totally non-stalkerish fan’s new tattoo of the UFC ring girl/“musician”/Fathead model (Did I forget something?). The women’s pet and the men’s regret this guy is not:


Basically, picture this, except trashier, uglier, far more expensive and, oh yeah, permanent.

There’s an unwritten rule in the tattoo community that you’re never supposed to mock another person’s tattoos. The reasoning behind this thinking is that you never know why a person decided to tattoo something onto his or her body, whether or not a person actually asked the artist to make the tattoo look a certain way (I have intentionally rough-around-the-edges work myself)  and the whole “different strokes” thing. For example, while Chris Andersen is my golden standard of what tattoos should look like, some people see Michael Beasley as the tattoo world’s G.O.A.T. Taste is subjective, is what I’m getting at.

That being said, even Mr. Cool Ice grimaced when he saw Arianny Celeste tweet an image of some completely rational and totally non-stalkerish fan’s new tattoo of the UFC ring girl/“musician”/Fathead model (Did I forget something?). The women’s pet and the men’s regret this guy is not:


Gag. There are so many questions this tattoo raises that I have no idea where to begin. Why did the dufus with this tattoo ask for Arianny’s head to be twice the size of her torso? Why does Arianny have such big, chubby man hands? If you’re going to get an Arianny Celeste tattoo, why would you want her ample breasts deflated? Is Arianny contractually obligated to tweet “Awesome! :) ” to every fan she files a restraining order against? How long ago did the wearer of this tattoo give up on having sex with a non-fleshlight? And why would an otherwise exceptional artist agree to do a tattoo of a big-headed, man-handed, flat-chested Arianny in the first place?

Everything else is virtually identical.

@SethFalvo

Twitter Beef of the Day: Dana White and Mayhem Miller Have Awkward, Post-Break Up Argument


This guy? Awkward? Who’da thunk it?

Perhaps the only thing more awkward than watching a recently separated couple fight in public is watching a recently separated couple fight on Twitter. Aside from the fact that the 140 character limit on Twitter usually causes the feuding pair to throw clumsily abbreviated insults at each other, there’s the whole “Why the hell didn’t these two just send each other private, direct messages and leave the rest of us out of it?” factor. Add on the mental image of the two screaming at – and eventually crying in front of – their laptops/smartphones in a dark room, and Twitter beefs between ex-lovers make Warcraft flirting sessions look like dignified, everyday conversations. I’ve personally unfollowed more than a few people who’ve decided that Twitter was the best place to vent over failed relationships – as I’m sure many of you have as well.

What I’m getting at is that Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who was recently cut from the UFC, just got done bickering at former employer Dana White on Twitter. No, it surprisingly wasn’t that funny. Yes, it was just as cringe-worthy and pathetic as these instances tend to be. And yes, screen shots are available after the jump.

As these situations usually do, it started off with the bitter one who was broken up with randomly, “innocently” tweeting to the ex:


This guy? Awkward? Who’da thunk it?

Perhaps the only thing more awkward than watching a recently separated couple fight in public is watching a recently separated couple fight on Twitter. Aside from the fact that the 140 character limit on Twitter usually causes the feuding pair to throw clumsily abbreviated insults at each other, there’s the whole “Why the hell didn’t these two just send each other private, direct messages and leave the rest of us out of it?” factor. Add on the mental image of the two screaming at – and eventually crying in front of – their laptops/smartphones in a dark room, and Twitter beefs between ex-lovers make Warcraft flirting sessions look like dignified, everyday conversations. I’ve personally unfollowed more than a few people who’ve decided that Twitter was the best place to vent over failed relationships – as I’m sure many of you have as well.

What I’m getting at is that Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who was recently cut from the UFC, just got done bickering at former employer Dana White on Twitter. No, it surprisingly wasn’t that funny. Yes, it was just as cringe-worthy and pathetic as these instances tend to be. And yes, screen shots are available after the jump.

As these situations usually do, it started off with the bitter one who was broken up with randomly, “innocently” tweeting to the ex:


Props to BloodyElbow for getting most of these captured.

Come on, bro: The only way you can be more pathetic and transparent is if you said something along the lines of “I’m glad you fired me after three unforgettably bad performances because I’m so much stronger now!” and broke into a verse of Survivor…

Face, meet palm.

Now, as any guy who has ever been in this situation knows, you never reply to tweets from a crazy ex or any of your crazy ex’s friends. At least every guy who isn’t Dana White…

Terrible move, bro. Your seemingly playful response is about to unleash a full-blown tantrum in three…two…one…

 

Hell hath no fury like a pink wearing ex-fighter scorned. The only way to make this thing more awkward is to add on comments about what his ex looked like naked or accusations of drug and/or alcohol abuse…

Guys, I think we’re gonna need a bigger facepalm.

But at least Dana White has learned that you never respond to the crazy ex, right?

At this point, if you aren’t staring into a half-empty glass of Four Loko and Everclear just hoping that these two will knock it off soon, then what’s it like not to have a crippling drinking problem? Fortunately, Dana White attempts to end this mess for us:

But this brannigan ain’t over yet, as far as Mayhem is concerned. Try not to act too surprised, but now Mayhem wants to “make peace” with The Baldfather.

You know, something tells me this one ends with Mayhem Miller going on a cheap tequila bender, changing into an old wedding dress, curling up into a ball on the floor and screaming “WHY DOESN’T HE LOVE ME?!” over and over again. You know, just a hunch.

But fortunately, Dana White has learned to never reply to the crazy ex and the crazy ex’s friends on Twitter from all of this, so that’s something, right?

I give up.

@SethFalvo

Renato “Babalu” Sobral Inks Deal with Bellator, Will Compete in Season Eight Tournament


Bjorn, You fool! Never give this man such easy access to your neck!

Even though Bellator hasn’t been giving us our weekly Friday night events over the summer, the promotion still managed to give us some big news last night. Yesterday, while you were preparing for dude’s night out, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney took to his Twitter page to announce that the promotion had come to terms with former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Along with the above image, Bjorn Rebney tweeted “Great news. Babalu now in the Bellator family. He’ll compete in our 205 tourney on Spike in January. Can’t wait.”

A fourteen year veteran of our sport, “Babalu” holds notable victories over Shogun Rua, Jeremy Horn, Chael Sonnen and current Bellator light-heavyweight Travis Wiuff. Given Wiuff’s current run in the promotion, there’s a very good chance that we’ll see these two fighting for the Bellator Light-Heavyweight title if they were to meet up again. Sobral’s most recent fight was a thirty one second armbar victory over Tatsuya Mizuno at ONE FC 4 in June. He was initially scheduled to fight at ONE FC’s August 31 show in Manila, Philippines, although an opponent had never been named.


Bjorn, You fool! Never give this man such easy access to your neck!

Even though Bellator hasn’t been giving us our weekly Friday night events over the summer, the promotion still managed to give us some big news last night. Yesterday, while you were preparing for dude’s night out, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney took to his Twitter page to announce that the promotion had come to terms with former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Along with the above image, Bjorn Rebney tweeted “Great news. Babalu now in the Bellator family. He’ll compete in our 205 tourney on Spike in January. Can’t wait.”

A fourteen year veteran of our sport, “Babalu” holds notable victories over Shogun Rua, Jeremy Horn, Chael Sonnen and current Bellator light-heavyweight Travis Wiuff. Given Wiuff’s current run in the promotion, there’s a very good chance that we’ll see these two fighting for the Bellator Light-Heavyweight title if they were to meet up again. Sobral’s most recent fight was a thirty one second armbar victory over Tatsuya Mizuno at ONE FC 4 in June. He was initially scheduled to fight at ONE FC’s August 31 show in Manila, Philippines, although an opponent had never been named.

The signing doesn’t come without a caveat though. Babalu has a history of fighting dirty – the most notable example of this being his refusal to let go of  an anaconda choke after his opponent, David Heath, tapped at UFC 74, which got him fired from the promotion. But considering Bellator’s acquisition of other noted rule breakers, such as King Mo and Brett Rogers, the promotion has demonstrated a willingness to take chances on fighters before.

Given Bellator’s recent signings of Travis Wiuff, King Mo and now Renato Sobral, their light-heavyweight division has become surprisingly competitive – especially considering how depleted the UFC’s light-heavyweight division currently is (although, to be fair, a champion as dominant as Jon Jones will clean out any division). The only question now is whether or not the ratings will reflect this. So you tell us, Bellator Season Eight: You excited for it or not?

@SethFalvo

And Now He’s Arrested: Frank Trigg in Custody on Battery Charges


Let me get this straight: You come to me empty-handed, and you want my help?

Earlier this year, we passed along a rather disturbing story regarding former UFC fighter and HDNet commentator, Frank Trigg. For those of you who don’t remember: In October 2011, Trigg allegedly choked his wife unconscious in front of their children. TheDirty.com posted a graphic picture of his wife’s throat following the incident, and one affair with a twenty-three year old assistant producer later, Trigg was out of work with HDNet.

Today, ProMMANow.com is reporting that Trigg was arrested yesterday on charges of battery over the incident. He’s currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on a $15,000 bond, and will be appearing in court tomorrow.

I’m not a lawyer, and I realize you’re innocent until proven guilty, but I’m not liking Trigg’s odds of (ahem) beating this case.


Let me get this straight: You come to me empty-handed, and you want my help?

Earlier this year, we passed along a rather disturbing story regarding former UFC fighter and HDNet commentator, Frank Trigg. For those of you who don’t remember: In October 2011, Trigg allegedly choked his wife unconscious in front of their children. TheDirty.com posted a graphic picture of his wife’s throat following the incident, and one affair with a twenty-three year old assistant producer later, Trigg was out of work with HDNet.

Today, ProMMANow.com is reporting that Trigg was arrested yesterday on charges of battery over the incident. He’s currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on a $15,000 bond, and will be appearing in court tomorrow.

I’m not a lawyer, and I realize you’re innocent until proven guilty, but I’m not liking Trigg’s odds of (ahem) beating this case.

We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date on this story as more information becomes available. As for now, send “Twinkle Toes” your regards in the comment section. And don’t hold back.

@SethFalvo

It’s Cool, Hector Lombard Was Just Injured During his Loss to Tim Boetsch


“What’s that screeching noise? Sounds like a train coming to a sudden halt…”

Remember when we all thought that Hector Lombard was the X factor of the UFC middleweight division? And we pegged the middleweight who hadn’t lost a fight since 2006 a 4-1 favorite to wallop Tim Boetsch at UFC 149? And we thought he would go on to give Anderson Silva his toughest test to date? Oh man, those were some good times, right?

As far as Hector Lombard is concerned, not so fast. Three weeks after his dreadful performance at UFC 149, the Cuban middleweight has released a statement on his Facebook page. Presumably after meeting with his social media consultant, Tito Ortiz, Lombard claims that he was just too damn injured to have been fighting, bro. I know, put on your shocked faces.

Via His Official Facebook Page:


“What’s that screeching noise? Sounds like a train coming to a sudden halt…”

Remember when we all thought that Hector Lombard was the X factor of the UFC middleweight division? And we pegged the middleweight who hadn’t lost a fight since 2006 a 4-1 favorite to wallop Tim Boetsch at UFC 149? And we thought he would go on to give Anderson Silva his toughest test to date? Oh man, those were some good times, right?

As far as Hector Lombard is concerned, not so fast. Three weeks after his dreadful performance at UFC 149, the Cuban middleweight has released a statement on his Facebook page. Presumably after meeting with his social media consultant, Tito Ortiz, Lombard claims that he was just too damn injured to have been fighting, bro. I know, put on your shocked faces.

Via His Official Facebook Page:

I want to let all my fans know. I fought mu last fight injured. i wasnt 100% sure but i when to the doctors… I have a fracture sternum with a torn cartilage, i got this injure in training for my fight with Tim Boetsch. I have to be out of training for 6weeks i should never have fought like that, but i didnt want to let my fans and the UFC down, love you all.

So let me get this straight: You may have had this nasty injury coming into your fight at UFC 149 that restricted your movement to the point where you basically stood straight up and held your head perfectly still throughout the fight, but you somehow weren’t sure. And yet you waited until three weeks after the fight to go to the doctor to find out what, if anything, was wrong with you?


From one Cuban to another.

Now seems like the perfect opportunity to bring back CagePotato’s 12-Word Checklist for Knowing if You Should Fight Through Injury. So easy an MMA fighter could use it! Here it is: Hurt sternum? Don’t Fight. You do fight? Don’t talk about your sternum.

Given how appalling his performance was, do you buy his explanation, or is this another example of a fighter making an excuse for a loss after the fact?

@SethFalvo