Who better to judge questionable technique than Bas Rutten?
After taking heat for fouling his opponents with accidental eye pokes, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has now drawn the ire of the former UFC heavyweight champion and King of Pancrase. In Jones’ recent title defense to Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 Jones was twice warned by referee Dan Miragliotta about errant fingers, but received no deduction of points.
Weighing in, Rutten isn’t giving Jones the benefit of the doubt.
“He’s a very calm, relaxed, methodical fighter and because he is that, I have to say yes,” Rutten told Inside MMA. “That is a dirty fighter.”
Given Jones’ athleticism and physical control, Rutten isn’t quick to dismiss the fouls as accidental.
“He knows exactly what he’s doing at any given time and [Jones’] fingers were definitely in [Teixeira’s] face, for a long time. He was constantly rubbing them in the face. Yea, I’m sorry. I have to say yes.”
From his reported run-in with Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher, infamous self defense tapes and alleged stories of allegedly choking a man unconscious before allegedly heel hooking his legs, Rutten is the end all, be all judge of foul play.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Disrespected. Travis Browne didn’t appreciate Fabricio Werdum’s antics inside the Octagon. ‘Watching the fight back, it’s motivating. I saw some things (from Werdum) that I’m not okay with.’
Mayhem. Quinton Jackson says Jason Miller is poised to return to MMA after he helped mimic King Mo in training. ‘Mayhem saw me make a comeback, and that has motivated him to make a comeback. So he has decided to make a comeback in MMA. He finally got his knee fixed.’
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas talks Bellator’s pay-per-view problems, Matt Brown’s standout performance and answers your questions in this week’s live chat.
Hope springs. The process of legalizing MMA in New York takes another step forward as the bill passes through the State Senate on to the Assembly.
Company man. After calling Bellator’s interim lightweight title a ‘sh**ty belt’ that ‘means nothing,’ Eddie Alvarez changes his tune.
MEDIA STEW
Free Fight: Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland.
Promo for Tito Ortiz vs. Alexander Shlemenko.
James Haskell tries Judo.
TTTHS.
Michigan State wrestler Troy Lamson is 16-0 as an amateur.
See if you can guess what disturbed me most about this video.
TWEETS
Well wishes.
I apologize @BellatorMMA about my comments yesterday about the interm belt , U guys been supportive thru out , my reaction was out of line
— Edward Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) May 13, 2014
I already feel angry about this situation and Mikes comment made me say something I shouldn’t have @BellatorMMA Good luck to both guys Sat.
— Edward Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) May 13, 2014
Good luck.
Great to be back in NY, hopefully be back in the future for a UFC bout. Lets get this legalized! @MMA4NY pic.twitter.com/RZbrpPF4ZP
— Alexis Davis (@AlexisDavisMMA) May 13, 2014
Get well soon.
I injured my knee at training and pulled out of my fight on 28th June @UFC_Australia @UFC_NewZealand But no surgery! pic.twitter.com/gMdBYr1Oom
— Anthony Perosh (@AnthonyPerosh) May 14, 2014
I swung by Tristar during the weekend to see my Sensei Firas coaching. OSU!!! Congrats to my friend… http://t.co/OTFrbaKkY1
— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) May 13, 2014
Treino de hoje http://t.co/NKhgzOHB0T
— Anderson Silva (@SpiderAnderson) May 14, 2014
Pretty good.
Gotta get this framed! Thank u @cartoonlogos what u think about this drawing @ufc @danawhite #joesilva lmao too funny pic.twitter.com/aMbGVIzXMS
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) May 13, 2014
Interested?
@danawhite people want to see Hector Lombard vs Matt brown what about you?? @ufc
— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) May 14, 2014
Thought that was 196 at first.
The #weightcut has started! pic.twitter.com/sav00OVs5S
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) May 14, 2014
Hobbit talk.
With Dominic Monaghan at the gym today working on his fighter skills! @allstars_gym ivar_c http://t.co/2ryHLoae8V
— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 13, 2014
Rate the game.
I’m just over here doing #wcw early by myself. pic.twitter.com/71hCTXhsC7
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) May 14, 2014
@jessicaevileye I think you misspelled “hot me”
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) May 14, 2014
Scary.
Went & said goodbye to my car today… #LuckyMan pic.twitter.com/wLWEE5zFX0
— Bigslow (@LukeBarnatt) May 13, 2014
Faber vs. Bruce Leeroy?
@MikeJBknows @UrijahFaber I would be honored
— Alex Caceres (@BruceLeeroyGlow) April 28, 2014
Sho Nuf!! @ufc @danawhite @BlackDanaUFC @seanshelby “@BruceLeeroyGlow: @MikeJBknows @UrijahFaber I would be honored” pic.twitter.com/tPW2ypXkVn
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 13, 2014
Not around banks.
This is how I ride my bike #headstrong pic.twitter.com/Ut8dOKmdtW
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) May 14, 2014
Oh, Pat.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (May 13 2014)
Marcin Held vs. Nate Jolly at Bellator 120
Soa Palelei vs. Jared Rosholt at UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt
Anthony Perosh out, Sean O’Connell vs. Gian Villante at at UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via steelbreeze.
UFC bout placement: all you need to know.
Hardcore MMA fans, with their incessant need to manufacture controversy, have recently been complaining about the order of fights on UFC cards. Recent examples include Khabib Nurmagomedov v. Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 11 and Nik Lentz v. Manny Gamburyan at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 40. In an effort to quell this “debate,” I will discuss the two dominant considerations that go into UFC’s bout placement.*
UFC has to deliver on each platform.
With the exception of the international Fight Pass cards, each UFC event is broadcast across two to three different platforms. The iterations include PPV/FS1/FP, FOX/FS1(2)/FP, FS1/FS2/FP, and FS2/FP. While there is some logic to the idea that the best fights should be on the best platforms, the fact is that for each event, UFC must deliver independently satisfactory ratings on every platform. UFC cannot “rob Peter to pay Paul,” as the saying goes. In other words, UFC cannot put all the best fights on one platform at the expense of other platforms.
Of course, that is not to say that each platform should perform equally. It is understood that title fights are almost always going to be on PPV, for example. Further, a FOX Sports 1 undercard is not expected to deliver the same ratings as a main card on FOX. However, each platform has specific performance expectations, and the UFC has to place bouts on cards in a way to maximize the potential to meet or exceed expectations for each platform. A FOX main card that draws 5 million viewers would be a huge success for FOX, but if UFC ignored the undercard for that event and pulled in only 100,000 viewers for the FOX Sports 1 undercard, it has failed.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.