Jon Jones continues to embrace the role of the heel. It will continue to pay off at the box office.
At UFC 182, the light heavyweight champion defended his crown against No. 2-ranked contender Daniel Cormier in an expert performance. He continues to establish himself as one of the greatest of all time and has already cemented himself as the best light heavyweight ever.
With all of his physical skills, Jones has never reached the heights of other stars. There was some disconnect with the average UFC fan. In the lead-up to UFC 182, he played the role of the villain, fake or not, and it helped anchor this PPV as one of the hottest for the UFC in a long time.
In the closing seconds, Jones generated more heat with fans, and he closed out the show with a crotch chop directed toward Cormier. The post-fight interview did not do anything to help Jones come around to being a humble champion that fans could rally behind. But this is combat sports, and nice guys finish last.
Heels create the cash.
Mike Tyson’s antics raised his profile. Folks tuned in to his press conferences and fights just to see what he would do next. Floyd Mayweather is boxing’s current bad boy, and fans shell out for high-priced pay-per-views just to see him lose—something that has yet to happen.
In MMA, Anderson Silva struggled to reach a big number in PPV buys until Chael Sonnen came along playing the role of a professional wrestling heel. Sonnen‘s ability to cut promos helped generate a lot of interest in their two fights. Silva’s in-fight antics also rubbed many the wrong way.
To be a draw in combat sports, you have to be divisive. Jones has definitely developed into being just that. The light heavyweight champion of the world is loved by his fans and hated by everyone else. It is exactly what the UFC needs.
Jones’ in-cage abilities and status as one of the pound-for-pound best ever will keep fans coming back for more and more. His out-of-cage abilities to be a heel in all of his promo work will bring in more PPV buys, and Jones will soon become the UFC’s most bankable star in quite some time.
The UFC had a rough year in 2014, and the Jones-Cormier beef was exactly what they needed to kick off 2015 in the right direction.
Jones is the face of the UFC. His name is their best meal ticket.
The UFC may or may not have a rebound year in 2015 as a whole, but expect to see each of Jones’ fights to see big numbers. He is becoming the guy fans love to hate. He will need to continue to play the role of the heel and let his opposition create the angle that they could be “the one” to upend him.
Being the “good guy” in MMA rarely works, and even if you are a popular good guy, you need a foil to help you draw. Jones is embracing his new role as the heel, and it is great for the sport.
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