Things are not sitting particularly well in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after Jon Jones made history by turning down the opportunity to defend his title (via Kevin Iole of Yahoo!).
This, of course, prompted the first-ever cancellation of a UFC card, an instance that has stirred something deep in the bowels of the often-irritable Dana White.
However, even with all the fingers seeming to point toward one side of the argument, we need to ask: Was Jones justified in his decision?
With Dan Henderson’s injury coming just nine days before the duo were set to meet in the octagon, Chael Sonnen was swiftly appointed as successor to the Jones challenge.
No matter how much it may seem as if they do it for our enjoyment, not all fighters are out there getting seven shades of shark shampoo beaten out of them for our benefit.
Jones isn’t long after signing one of the biggest sponsorship deals in the world of professional sports with Nike (via MMAWeekly.com), an endorsement that makes him one of the richest competitors in his field.
The 25-year-old has always exuded the impression of a down-to-earth guy that just happens to be lethal in a one-on-one standoff.
In short terms, Jones has worked hard to get to where he is and earn the money that he has.
Whatever Jones’ motivation may truly be—whether it’s money, power or just bragging rights—it’s easier to see where he’s coming from than many would at first sight.
In Sonnen, Jones would have faced an opponent with massive wrestling ability and relentless determination, even in a sport where determination is an attribute that gets traded about in every event.
To go with all that abstract positivity is a very solid set of fists that, even with his decent chin, could quite easily knock Jones for six were he to slip up for even a second.
“Bones” will have been looking at the prospect of fighting Sonnen, an opponent he hadn’t even been training for, and thinking: “Am I willing to throw away all that I’ve worked for?”
Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Jones commented that:
“I signed a contract a long time ago to fight Dan Henderson. That’s what I studied for, and that’s what I prepared myself for. To take a fight with a different opponent in which I would basically have three days of training before traveling and then starting to cut weight I just thought would be the dumbest idea ever. I wouldn’t have been properly prepared.”
It’s understandable. If Carly Rae Jepsen was booked for months to appear at a re-envisaging of Live Aid, she’d be over the moon.
However, if the “Call Me Maybe” star’s agents then told her it was a mistake, and that she’d actually be playing to a crowd at Burning Man, she might be slightly bemused.
Jones has supplied MMA fans with massive amounts of entertainment since he first entered the UFC as a 20-year-old.
Surely, after dedicating so much of his life to that cause, he may have earned a slight reprieve?
While it may seem like a selfish decision right now, the reason that Jones has gotten to his current status is because he’s calm, calculated and never enters a fight without a game plan.
For that reason, you can see why he wasn’t about to change strategy now.
Reputations are built over a lifetime but can be ruined in seconds.
Another reason we may want to let up on Jones is because this audience-impacting choice may not have been a choice of his at all—more of his coach and trainer, Greg Jackson.
According to Ken Pishna of MMAWeekly.com, White phrased Jackson as advising his fighter that to take up the challenge of Sonnen would “the biggest mistake of his entire career.”
The same article goes on to explain how the UFC president lambasted the Jackson/Jones decision, citing the other fighters’ need for their matches on the undercard as a reason.
This, too, is fair.
While Jones has his multimillion dollar deals with multiple global brands, there are those on the undercard who are somewhat more desperate to prove themselves at any opportunity thrown their way.
A lot of the animosity towards the decision that came out of Jones’ camp is undoubtedly coming from a section of the MMA fraternity that are simply fed up with the champ’s success.
If there’s anything people love to see more than the rise of a hero, it’s the dramatic fall of one.
Jones is certainly a hero to many and, as was touched upon earlier, he hasn’t gotten there by making rash decisions.
In the grand scheme of things, fighting Sonnen would have assuredly been a rash decision.
As is often the scale of reference in MMA, the Sonnen bout would have provided Jones with maximum risk and minimum gain.
He would have been expected to beat his opponent as the firm favourite, but if he lost by some chance, he would have lost everything.
Come UFC 152, many will have forgotten about this, a landmark in the sport, and they will care solely about the result that comes after those 15 minutes.
Regardless of White’s business-minded hatred towards the decision, Jones is merely thinking of Numero Uno and, for being that honest, it’s hard to lump too much blame on him.
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