(Don’t just stand there, do something, Herb. PicProps: UFC.com )
Forget the Anderson Silva kick for a minute. Forget Paul Taylor punting Gabe Ruediger’s head into Brittney Palmer’s lap at ringside. Forget Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin slogging through a stinker of a “co-main event” that the UFC really, desperately wanted us to believe was a great fight. Forget all that, the most impressive thing that happened at UFC 126 on Saturday night was that somehow – in the age of Twitter and all these muckraking bloggers – the company managed to keep Rashad Evans’ injury and Jon Jones’ impending title shot a secret until Joe Rogan dropped the bomb on us during their postfight interview. Well played, UFC.
Frankly, this is a brilliant tactical move. Think about it: 23-year-old Jon Jones now has six weeks to prepare for the fight of his life against the No. 1-ranked 205-pound fighter in the world. If he wins, it puts him on a bullet train into the history books, hands the UFC an unfuckwitable promotional storyline and makes every nerdy MMA writer on the planet (this one included) practically swoon from the size of our enormous, swelling boners for Jones. If he loses, no harm done. None at all. Just explain it away: The kid is still a baby in the sport and got rushed into a title shot against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on relatively short notice. It’s pretty much a can’t-lose situation for the UFC.
Now, how bad does all this suck for Rashad? Dude. It sucks baaaad.