UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has suffered a fairly serious knee injury that has pushed his grudge match with Daniel Cormier back from UFC 178 to UFC 182 and he feels for his fans in the situation.
“Bones” posted on Facebook earlier th…
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has suffered a fairly serious knee injury that has pushed his grudge match with Daniel Cormier back from UFC 178 to UFC 182 and he feels for his fans in the situation.
“Bones” posted on Facebook earlier this afternoon, apologizing to those who were looking forward to his September 27 showdown with Cormier, indicating that he will be undergoing surgery tomorrow to get healthy as soon as possible.
The champ suffered a torn left meniscus and a sprained ankle during wrestling practice at Greg Jackson’s MMA yesterday, with the injury occurring as Jones was defending a takedown from ex-Strikeforce/K-1 heavyweight titleholder Alistair Overeem, per Sherdog.
Cormier was anything but sympathetic in the situation, noting that he has been dealing with knee issues of his own and his arch-nemesis could’ve done the same, per MMA Fighting.
Lost in the shuffle now is Alexander Gustafsson, who gave Jones all he could handle at UFC 165 in September, in what was almost unanimously named “Fight of the Year” by members of the MMA media.
Gustafsson was originally going to meet Jones in a long-awaited rematch at UFC 178, but was replaced by Cormier after he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Based on this Instagram post, it seems pretty clear that Gustafsson is unhappy that the UFC will continue to deprive him of a rematch in favor of Jones vs. Cormier.
UFC 178 is now headlined by a flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, per UFC.com.
Was the UFC justified in pushing back Jones vs. Cormier until next year or should the company have rebooked Jones vs. Gustafsson II?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
(“So grateful to have Alistair Overeem as a new teammate!! What a humble and hard-working individual” — Jon Jones on July 18th. Keep reading, this will become relevant soon.)
According to [Jones’s trainer Greg Jackson], the injury occurred while Jones was defending a takedown from UFC heavyweight talent Alistair Overeem during wrestling practice.
“It’s part of the game, it wasn’t like…somebody went for a flying kick and dislocated [something]. Somebody went for a takedown, [Jones] stepped the wrong way, twisted the wrong way and down he went. He was fighting it, and he just twisted it. And then it just popped,” Jackson said.
“Alistair’s maybe 240, Jon’s 220. It’s not like he was working with a giant moose. It was just one of those things.”
I’m sure Jackson’s right, but considering that Overeem previously left the Blackzilians team in the wake of allegations that he destroyed Guto Inocente’s knee out of frustration, it doesn’t reflect well on the Reem as a training partner.
As you can imagine, Jones’s rivals Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson have some opinions about the scrapped fight between Jones and DC. Short version: They’re not too psyched about it. First, here’s Cormier respectfully implying that Jones is a pussy…
(“So grateful to have Alistair Overeem as a new teammate!! What a humble and hard-working individual” — Jon Jones on July 18th. Keep reading, this will become relevant soon.)
According to [Jones’s trainer Greg Jackson], the injury occurred while Jones was defending a takedown from UFC heavyweight talent Alistair Overeem during wrestling practice.
“It’s part of the game, it wasn’t like…somebody went for a flying kick and dislocated [something]. Somebody went for a takedown, [Jones] stepped the wrong way, twisted the wrong way and down he went. He was fighting it, and he just twisted it. And then it just popped,” Jackson said.
“Alistair’s maybe 240, Jon’s 220. It’s not like he was working with a giant moose. It was just one of those things.”
I’m sure Jackson’s right, but considering that Overeem previously left the Blackzilians team in the wake of allegations that he destroyed Guto Inocente’s knee out of frustration, it doesn’t reflect well on the Reem as a training partner.
As you can imagine, Jones’s rivals Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson have some opinions about the scrapped fight between Jones and DC. Short version: They’re not too psyched about it. First, here’s Cormier respectfully implying that Jones is a pussy…
It’s very disappointing,” Cormier told MMAFighting.com. “I started to train very hard. It’s a little discouraging, but now I have time to get completely healthy. I don’t know how hurt Jon is but we have to remember that I took this fight with a pre-existing (knee) injury. I could have fought through it, I just wish he would have done the same.”
“I’ll get a full training camp now,” Cormier said. “When I heard Jon was hurt, now him and Gustafssson are on the same schedule in order to be healthy. So my first question was, ‘I don’t have to go behind Gustafsson again now, right?’ And I was assured that it’s going to be me in January. He’s not going to take my place again…
“I said from the beginning that Jon Jones isn’t afraid of anyone,” Cormier said. “But if I can go in there with a partially torn ACL, I think he should have fought; tough it up and fight.
“I don’t know the extent of his injuries, and if it’s really bad, I’ll take it back. But on the surface, I heard he hurt himself. But people hear ACL, they think you’re out for a year. I’ve been hurt, and I’ve been training. I wish he would have just fought.
“I’m saying tough it out sometimes,” he added. “Sometimes you’ve got to go in there and tough it out and just fight…
“I think people recognize that it’s a big fight,” he said. “I think by January, people will understand, and maybe people will stop thinking about us fighting on stage or getting caught cussing each other when the cameras were on.
“You’ve got two of the best fighters in the world competing for the light heavyweight championship, so maybe it will let some of this time die down, people worrying about the stuff outside the cage and focus on the fact that in 37 fights, Jon Jones has not lost two rounds combined. But in terms of fan interest, people were excited about this fight, and I’m glad that they’re still going to get the fight.”
So, there’s a silver lining for Daniel Cormier. Meanwhile, Alexander Gustafsson is getting straight screwed. Keep in mind that Cormier was originally an injury replacement for Gustafsson, who had to withdraw from his rematch against Jones due to a knee injury of his own. Now that Jones and Gustafsson will be healthy again around the same time, shouldn’t the UFC go back to Plan A, and re-book Jones vs. Gustafsson? Well, of course not, because now everybody wants to see Jones and Cormier settle their feud.
“It was MY fight to begin with and I WANT the fight as the number 1 contender. End of story!!”, Gustafsson wrote on Facebook. “Apparently @ufc thinks that acting like clowns on a press conference will hype a fight more than doing the fight of the century, that’s ridiculous,” Gustafsson added.
Well, it’s reality. Instead of complaining on social media, maybe Gustafsson should start tossing publicists off a stage and throwing his shoes. That’ll get our attention.
Gustafsson’s next opponent and return date are TBA.
February 2013. UFC 156. After a hotly contested featherweight title fight, 145-pound champion Jose Aldo sits down next to Dana White and is told some strange news.
Top lightweight contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis had called the UFC president. …
February 2013. UFC 156. After a hotly contested featherweight title fight, 145-pound champion Jose Aldo sits down next to Dana White and is told some strange news.
Top lightweight contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis had called the UFC president. He wanted to forego his shot at lightweight champion Ben Henderson in favor of a fight with Aldo. White loved the idea. Aldo, however, did not.
Scarface had been so dominant for so long that he was poised to clear out a division in a way MMA fans had never seen before. In a position where he could stake a claim as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, a win over Pettis added very little to his resume at the time (this was well before Pettis took the lightweight title). In addition, Clay Guida, who previously dominated Pettis, was a legitimate player near the top of the featherweight division at the time.
When Aldo’s handlers pointed this out, White was indignant. Not just indignant; White was livid. His rage was obvious even when paraphrased on Twitter:
Dana said Aldo will fight Pettis or he’s not going to like the way this turns out. He’s absolutely refusing right now.
White would stamp his foot. His face became red. He yelled, he screamed, and ultimately, he got his wish. Aldo vs. Pettis was booked for UFC 163.
Eight months later came Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson. What was supposed to be a throwaway fight that merely served to pad Jones’ record turned out to be one of the greatest wars in UFC history. The fight was incredibly close, and fans desperately wanted more. Badly.
Alas, “more” never materialized. Jones refused to face Gustafsson again. Instead, he chose to face Brazilian slugger Glover Teixeira.
Let that sink in. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones opted out of a potential million-buy pay-per-view, and the UFC, for all its posturing with Aldo, let him. The reason? “That’s what the champ wants,” White said to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
That turn of events showed two things: that the UFC gave absurdly preferential treatment to some of its stars, and that Jon Jones, at least at the time, had a Floyd Mayweather-like ability to control who he fought. When Jones opted to leave Gustafsson twisting in the wind, there was nothing Gustafsson, the fans or the UFC could do about it.
With complete control over his UFC destiny, Jones successfully weaponized the belt against irreverent, or particularly formidable, competition. For meanies like Gustafsson and Phil Davis, he could whimsically deny them deserved title shots if he so desired. When fighters like Daniel Cormierkissed the ring, however, Jones flipped from disinterested champion to full-blown hype man.
While the UFC managed to force a Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 after a lengthy, intense contract dispute, a knee injury to Gustafsson scrapped the bout. Now, with the Swede left out in an all-too-familiar cold with Jones vs. Cormier rescheduled for January 2015, the rematch ship has almost certainly sailed. Jones is calling the shots in the light heavyweight division, and one of his biggest pet peeves is seeing his aura of invincibility shattered. Because of that, Jones will sadistically pick any opponent other than Gustafsson.
Worse yet, there are plenty of options.
With another savage win, it will be hard to argue against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson as the top 205-pound contender. After that, rising stars like IlirLatifi and Ovince Saint Preux are strong potential contenders in 2015. After that (and keep in mind, we’re reaching into 2016 at this point), maybe Tyrone Spong joins the UFC and makes a strong run, Rashad Evans returns to his 2012 form or that superfight with Chris Weidman happens.
Time remains the greatest enemy of hype and, sooner than later, any financial incentive for Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 will evaporate. That sad fact will end up leaving the division’s top contender twisting in the wind for years.
Mixed martial arts is one of the most grueling sports in the world.
At its worst, it forces the best fighters on the planet to train for a potentially unpredictable 25-minute war. Planning against both a fighter and the unknown, competitors …
Mixed martial arts is one of the most grueling sports in the world.
At its worst, it forces the best fighters on the planet to train for a potentially unpredictable 25-minute war. Planning against both a fighter and the unknown, competitors must push themselves beyond the cusp of comfort in all aspects of the game.
Wrestlers must learn to strike. Strikers must learn to wrestle.
Accomplishing such tough tasks won’t come without peril—injuries plague this sport far too often. However, for every unfortunate injury any fighter faces in their professional career lies a proverbial silver lining.
The comeback.
Keep reading to see which injured fighters are poised to make immediate impacts upon their return to the cage. Don’t expect Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, Dominick Cruz or Cat Zingano to make this list—only fighters who are still on the mend without a scheduled fight on their horizon will be considered.
Alexander Gustafsson isn’t impressed with all of the media attention Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are receiving for their brief scrap in the MGM Grand lobby Monday.
For those living under a rock, UFC 178 media day ended with an intense staredown …
Alexander Gustafsson isn’t impressed with all of the media attention Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are receiving for their brief scrap in the MGM Grand lobby Monday.
For those living under a rock, UFC 178 media day ended with an intense staredown between Jones and Cormier before quickly escalating into thrown punches, a flying shoe and UFC Senior Director of Public Relations Dave Sholler getting tossed into the set piece.
Cormier shoved Jones after receiving an “intimate” head-butt during the stare down, and the light heavyweight champ quickly responded by pushing his way through Sholler and throwing several punches. All hell broke loose as the brawl spilled onto the lobby floor in a dog pile of UFC personnel and venue security attempting to break up the action.
The incident turned an already big fight into one of the most anticipated title bouts in UFC history. Gustafsson, on the other hand, believes the entire ordeal was “ridiculous” and “childish.”
“What can I say? I think it’s childish at this level,” Gustafsson told Swedish outlet TV SVT Sport, according to David St. Martin of MMAFighting.com. “We are all professional and must be shown by example and represent the sport as best we can. Just think it’s ridiculous.”
Gustafsson admitted Jones could be a bit “annoying” at times, but he never let the UFC champ’s antics get to him.
“Yes, if you are receptive to such so far,” Gustafssonsaid. “But he has never managed to come so just around me. I have never been affected by anything like that.”
Gustafsson, who was originally slated to fight Jones at UFC 178, underwent a procedure Tuesday to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee that forced him to pull out of the fight.
It isn’t easy sitting on the sideline, watching all of the hype surrounding Jones and Cormier for Gustafsson, who nearly dethroned Jones in an unforgettable light heavyweight clash a year ago.
For now, he is just trying not to worry about things that aren’t in his control. He plans to use this down time to focus on his health and getting stronger to challenge the winner of Jones vs. Cormier.
“I really want to have a title, have a chance again on the belt,” Gustafsson said. “That’s where my focus lies. It is my goal but right now my thoughts on becoming as strong as possible.”
JordyMcElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.
Jon Jones made all sorts of news Monday.
Not long before he started a confrontation with challenger Daniel Cormier at a UFC 178 media day, via MMA Fighting Newswire, the UFC light heavyweight champion appeared on The MMA Hour with host Ariel Helwani to…
Not long before he started a confrontation with challenger Daniel Cormier at a UFC 178 media day, via MMA Fighting Newswire, the UFC light heavyweight champion appeared on The MMA Hour with host Ariel Helwani to discuss his rivalries with both Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, his original challenger before Gustafsson sustained a training injury.
“If anybody’s the Frazier to my Ali, I would say it was Alexander Gustafsson because of the war he put me through,” Jones said during the interview with Helwani. “And I’m excited to do better the second time…I feel I have unfinished business with Alexander.”
Jones also promised Gustafsson “a severe beating” in their rematch, saying he had “something to prove to the MMA community.”
Fans won’t soon forget Jones (20-1) and Gustafsson (16-2) going the distance in the main event of UFC 165. It was undoubtedly the toughest fight of Jones’ career, even though the champ emerged with a narrow decision victory. The bout was widely hailed as the best MMA fight of 2013.
Jones and Gustafsson were set to rematch the fight at UFC 178 until Gustafsson was forced to withdraw.
Enter Cormier, an Olympic wrestler with whom Jones has exchanged some testy words. Monday’s interview on The MMA Hour was no exception, with the champ taking shots at Cormier‘s physical fitness.
“As far as being fit, we all see what he looks like,” Jones said. “I don’t think he’s in the greatest of shape. I think he has a lot on his plate. Not only does he have to lose weight, get in shape, but he’s going to have to focus on his tactics to be able to beat me. I just think it’s a tall order.”
Subsequently, Jones and Cormier engaged in a shoving match during a media day activity that erupted into a full-on melee.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has suffered a fairly serious knee injury that has pushed his grudge match with Daniel Cormier back from UFC 178 to UFC 182 and he feels for his fans in the situation. 
