UFC best betting sites and the best MMA odds and gambling news
Video: Anthony Johnson Explains Not Taking Fight Against Jon Jones At UFC 197
After hearing a lot of feedback where he has taken some heat from MMA fans, UFC Light Heavyweight contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson took to social media this week to explain why he didn’t take the short-notice offer to fight Jon Jones in the UFC 197 main event.
As noted, when Daniel Cormier pulled out of the originally scheduled UFC 197 main event against Jones, the belief was UFC would scramble to put together Jones-Johnson as a replacement main event.
It was reported, however, that Johnson turned down the fight claiming he needed to do some dental work. Johnson posted a series of videos on Instagram, which you can watch below, explaining the real story.
Headlined by Jon Jones vs. Ovince St. Preux for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, UFC 197 takes place on April 23, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Okay, everybody’s hitting me up now, all of my friends, saying that Jon is throwing me under the bus or whatever,” Johnson said. “I never accepted the fight with Jon. The UFC hit me up and asked me about it, but they didn’t know anything about that I had dental work done. I had four screws put in my jaw, okay? So why would I accept a fight and then say, ‘No, I don’t want to fight him?’ That’s stupid. I have more sense than that. So, either the UFC is telling this man the wrong thing, or somebody’s not telling the truth somewhere in between. Because I got told something different and now I’m hearing Jon is being told this. So, I don’t know, but it is what it is.
“And I know my teammate Kamaru said I was ready, but he didn’t know I had, you know, dental work done. He didn’t know I had four screws put in my jaw at the time he did that interview because he hadn’t seen me, but like maybe twice in the gym, so he was just showing love and support whenever he said I would be ready. He’s not supposed to say my teammate hasn’t been in the gym, he hasn’t been doing anything. No teammate would say that to another teammate if you respect that person. I hope nobody gets it twisted and like I said, it is what it is.
“And I’m only doing these videos because I owe it to the fans, I owe it to everybody, so they can know besides reading and hearing sh*t from other people. You’re hearing it from me. I never said ‘okay’ to the fight. I never said, ‘Yeah.’ So, I just want to let you guys know what the deal was and hopefully we get to the bottom of it because something’s not right. Him being told that I accepted the fight and I never said it. Like I said, I heard something totally different as far as coming from his camp. I heard other things. Like I said, it is what it is and I hope everybody has a good day.”
After hearing a lot of feedback where he has taken some heat from MMA fans, UFC Light Heavyweight contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson took to social media this week to explain why he didn’t take the short-notice offer to fight Jon Jones in the UFC 197 main event.
As noted, when Daniel Cormier pulled out of the originally scheduled UFC 197 main event against Jones, the belief was UFC would scramble to put together Jones-Johnson as a replacement main event.
It was reported, however, that Johnson turned down the fight claiming he needed to do some dental work. Johnson posted a series of videos on Instagram, which you can watch below, explaining the real story.
Headlined by Jon Jones vs. Ovince St. Preux for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, UFC 197 takes place on April 23, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Okay, everybody’s hitting me up now, all of my friends, saying that Jon is throwing me under the bus or whatever,” Johnson said. “I never accepted the fight with Jon. The UFC hit me up and asked me about it, but they didn’t know anything about that I had dental work done. I had four screws put in my jaw, okay? So why would I accept a fight and then say, ‘No, I don’t want to fight him?’ That’s stupid. I have more sense than that. So, either the UFC is telling this man the wrong thing, or somebody’s not telling the truth somewhere in between. Because I got told something different and now I’m hearing Jon is being told this. So, I don’t know, but it is what it is.
“And I know my teammate Kamaru said I was ready, but he didn’t know I had, you know, dental work done. He didn’t know I had four screws put in my jaw at the time he did that interview because he hadn’t seen me, but like maybe twice in the gym, so he was just showing love and support whenever he said I would be ready. He’s not supposed to say my teammate hasn’t been in the gym, he hasn’t been doing anything. No teammate would say that to another teammate if you respect that person. I hope nobody gets it twisted and like I said, it is what it is.
“And I’m only doing these videos because I owe it to the fans, I owe it to everybody, so they can know besides reading and hearing sh*t from other people. You’re hearing it from me. I never said ‘okay’ to the fight. I never said, ‘Yeah.’ So, I just want to let you guys know what the deal was and hopefully we get to the bottom of it because something’s not right. Him being told that I accepted the fight and I never said it. Like I said, I heard something totally different as far as coming from his camp. I heard other things. Like I said, it is what it is and I hope everybody has a good day.”
