On Monday, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier went on SportsCenter for a thought-provoking interview about the totally awesome! regrettable press-conference brawl that had gone down just hours beforehand. Though Cormier fired some heated barbs during the segment (“He’s a punk, he’s a liar, he’s a whole bunch of things he shouldn’t be proud about being”), Jones decided to do the interview as his Drowsy Autistic Guy character, which could still use some workshopping, honestly.
It turns out that the real heat came after the segment was officially over. In this incredibly uncomfortable footage (via MMAJunkie), Jones asks Cormier, “Hey pussy, are you still there?”, which leads Cormier to marvel at how fake Jones is, and how he can turn into a completely different person when the cameras are off. Then it gets really good:
Cormier: You are the fucking scum of the earth, you are a terrible human being, but you can sure turn it on, huh?
Jones: Thank you.
Cormier: Gaahh, fuck. I wish they would let me next door so I can spit in your fucking face.
Jones: [long pause] You know I would absolutely kill you if you ever did something like that, right?
On Monday, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier went on SportsCenter for a thought-provoking interview about the totally awesome! regrettable press-conference brawl that had gone down just hours beforehand. Though Cormier fired some heated barbs during the segment (“He’s a punk, he’s a liar, he’s a whole bunch of things he shouldn’t be proud about being”), Jones decided to do the interview as his Drowsy Autistic Guy character, which could still use some workshopping, honestly.
It turns out that the real heat came after the segment was officially over. In this incredibly uncomfortable footage (via MMAJunkie), Jones asks Cormier, “Hey pussy, are you still there?”, which leads Cormier to marvel at how fake Jones is, and how he can turn into a completely different person when the cameras are off. Then it gets really good:
Cormier: You are the fucking scum of the earth, you are a terrible human being, but you can sure turn it on, huh?
Jones: Thank you.
Cormier: Gaahh, fuck. I wish they would let me next door so I can spit in your fucking face.
Jones: [long pause] You know I would absolutely kill you if you ever did something like that, right?
Cormier: You could never kill me.
Jones: Oh, I bet you I could.
Cormier: Then you should try, Jon. You really should try, Jon.
Jones: I will literally kill you if you spit in my face.
Jones: I’m not saying I would fight you. I said I would kill you if you do some silly shit like that.
Cormier: So Jon, do you think I’m just going to sit there and let you kill me, Jon? I mean really.
At that point, a producer comes by to break up the fun, and the question remains unanswered. Anyway, we’d like to thank Jon and Daniel once again for giving us such a great storyline this week. Also, this screencap:
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier did MMA no favors by getting into a fight at UFC 178 media day, according to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
The sports world has been buzzing all week about the brief skirmish in the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas on Monday betwe…
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier did MMA no favors by getting into a fight at UFC 178 media day, according to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
The sports world has been buzzing all week about the brief skirmish in the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas on Monday between the light heavyweight champ and the former Olympian. A general consensus is to sweep the entire incident under the rug and enjoy all of the excitement and extra attention the pre-fight drama has created.
But things aren’t always so black and white for MMA, a babe sport still seeking acceptance.
Rogan believes the incident will have strong repercussions and paint the UFC in a negative light. The same old farts shaking their wrinkly fingers at the world’s fastest growing sport now have ammunition to continue to paint MMA as exceptionally violent and unprofessional.
“It was ridiculous,” Rogan said on the Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast. “This can’t happen. You can’t do that. This is real bad for the sport. It’s real bad for public perception. It’s a weapon to be used against MMA. It’s unfortunate.”
Jones inadvertently poured gasoline on an already simmering fire by putting his forehead into Cormier’s face during the staredown for their upcoming light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 178. Cormier immediately responded by shoving Jones in the neck.
Things quickly escalated into a melee unlike anything ever seen in the UFC as Jones stormed forward throwing punches at the top contender. UFC and security personnel made every attempt to separate the fighters, and the fight ended up in a huge dog pile on the lobby floor.
Intense staredowns and verbal garbage spouted back and forth between fighters is typical in these kinds of events. However, it’s rare to see a pair of professional athletes as high up on the food chain as Jones and Cormier failing to contain themselves before a fight.
“I think it’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous and some of it’s gamesmanship, but it’s just so bad for the image of the sport,” Rogan continued, adding:
It’s pretty rare [that this happens], but that’s a high-profile fight. Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate got head-to-head in each other’s faces, and it was pretty hot right? But they were professional about it. They didn’t do anything about it. These guys were not professional. You can’t do that. You can’t grab each other and f——g slap.
Gaining a mental edge over an opponent is one of the most important aspects of fighting. Staredowns during weigh-ins and press conferences basically turn into psychological games for fighters looking to get a feel for their opponent.
Both fighters are typically filled with adrenaline, but they are expected to contain the excitement and save everything for the fight. Two athletes agreeing on a certain date to show up and compete against one another in a combative situation is what separates MMA from street fighting.
The incident between Jones and Cormier blurs the lines of that concept.
People who are already fans of MMA are more forgiving. The entire ordeal has garnered tons of media attention and likely turned a big fight into one of the most anticipated title bouts in UFC history.
Sadly, it does little to convince skeptics that MMA deserves a permanent place in the sports world. UFC President Dana White and company have been trying for years to break the ignorant belief that fighters are nothing more than street thugs competing in a human cockfighting circle. There is no wiggle room for mistakes for a sport under the microscope.
Rogan calls the incident a “street fight,” nothing more or less:
The importance of that not happening is huge. It’s huge. It’s just such a negative connotation attached to what that is, just violence. The difference between that kind of violence and the violence of a sport is that the violence of a sport, everyone is agreeing with that scenario. You’re agreeing to train for X amount of weeks for X amount of rounds. You’re going to fight this guy, he weighs what you weigh.
Everybody prepares, you meet at this day and you compete. It’s a very dangerous form of competition, and yes, it is fighting as a competition, but it’s not violence the same way that that is. That’s a street fight. That’s a world champion mixed martial arts fighter and an Olympic wrestler, and they’re street fighting. That’s bad for everybody. That’s bad for wrestling. That’s bad for MMA. That’s bad for sports.
Jones and Cormier will settle things once and for all when they step into the cage on September 27 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Rogan admits that a part of him enjoyed the scuffle like most MMA fans. It’s tough not to be excited about a pair of undefeated fighters vying for a world title, especially when there is a long-winded feud serving as a backdrop story.
However, there is still a level of professionalism that must be upheld by every athlete.
“Part of me gets bummed out when I see s–t like that, but part of me is like, ‘Look, they’re going to fight eventually, anyway. So they fought a little here. Get a little taste,’” said Rogan.
JordyMcElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.
Within the context of combat sports, the concept of teams is virtually unique to MMA. Sure, there are plenty of professional kickboxers who come from the same gym, but the dynamic is vastly different.
In some ways, MMA is looked at almost as a team spo…
Within the context of combat sports, the concept of teams is virtually unique to MMA. Sure, there are plenty of professional kickboxers who come from the same gym, but the dynamic is vastly different.
In some ways, MMA is looked at almost as a team sport. Indeed, we often talk about success and failure in terms of teams.
When the Blackzilians endured a rough patch, they were criticised as a collective. When Duane “Bang” Ludwig guided Team Alpha Male to a period of unparalleled success, we talked about the collective every bit as much as the individual.
It is for this reason that teammate vs. teammate bouts are so intriguing in MMA. The fighters don’t merely occupy the same space; they view themselves as part of something larger, counting their teammates’ successes as their own.
Fighting is a tension-filled occupation at the best of times. The additional tension that comes from fighting a teammate is often a recipe for fireworks both inside and outside the cage.
Read on for the five teammate vs. teammate fights we’d love to see.
“Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk?” — 2014 Quote of the Year candidate. Check out the full interview spot here, via Fox Sports Live.
After the jump: The best video of week, hands down…
“Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk? Did I just let you talk?” — 2014 Quote of the Year candidate. Check out the full interview spot here, via Fox Sports Live.
After the jump: The best video of week, hands down…
(“True Hollywood Stories With Jones And Cormier” — brilliant. Props: MMAComedy / Language NSFW!)
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.
It’s the month of August, and the mixed martial arts community is raving about the approaching UFC 178 card. Weeks separate the sports world from what is shaping up to be the biggest event of the year, and people seem to not want to stop talking about …
It’s the month of August, and the mixed martial arts community is raving about the approaching UFC 178 card. Weeks separate the sports world from what is shaping up to be the biggest event of the year, and people seem to not want to stop talking about it.
One look at the planned fight card, and it’s clear that the UFC has put together quite the offering for fight fans everywhere. UFC 178 is being built as the must-see card of 2014, and this event has the potential to overshadow everything else between now and September 27.
More than a full month stands between the sports public and the night when Daniel Cormier will challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title. But that is not stopping this event, and particularly the Jones-Cormier rivalry, from taking over the MMA media world.
The press conference brawl between Jones and Cormier earlier this week caught the eyes of everyone and has since become a hotly debated topic (via Sherdog). Between these two individuals and fights that feature ConorMcGregor, Dustin Poirier, Tim Kennedy and others, it’s no wonder that many of the fights set to happen this month are not being talked about.
With so much hype surrounding an event that is very distant on the horizon, one must wonder if the upcoming cards will be hurt.
UFC 177 features two title bouts on the same docket, but TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson are two of the lesser-known champions within the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Both Johnson and Dillashaw recently headlined UFC PPV events that ended with very low buyrates. According to MMA Fighting, UFC 174, which featured Johnson in the main event, potentially did less than 100,000 buys, which would be the lowest figure in the modern times of the UFC. UFC 173, where Dillashaw became the banatamweight champion, reportedly ended with slightly more than 200,000 buys, according to reports from Bloody Elbow.
UFC 178 should easily blow those numbers out of the water. The numbers from the MMA Payout Blue Book reveal that Jon Jones has averaged nearly 480,000 buys with every PPV event in which he has been a part of the main event. Even his lowest event, UFC 165 at 310,000 buys, earned more than the combination of UFC 173 and UFC 174.
The UFC has already started to promote UFC 178 heavily as the champion and challenger have been featured on programming on both the Fox Sports Network and ESPN to talk about their rivalry. All the while, very little has been done to showcase the upcoming event on August 30. UFC 177 has two fights that will present perhaps one of the UFC’s most dominant champions and another titleholder who pulled off what could be the upset of 2014. However, they are both currently being blotted out by the shadow cast by the two large light heavyweights.
It will be interesting to see if the anticipation of UFC 178 hurts the box-office results that come from UFC 177. As the oversaturation of MMA has stuck around as one of the most prominent stories of the year, the UFC may be promoting themselves right out of an important date in August. There is still time for the UFC to correct the situation, but given the way Cormier and Jones are antagonizing each other, who knows what will happen next.
In the end, the UFC may create their biggest card of the year while sacrificing an entire event in August.
Jon Jones and Daniel 