The world of MMA is fast becoming the equivalent of what boxing used to be and to some degree still is—one of the meccas of sporting entertainment. In the pantheon of the sweet science, there are stars, and then there are superstars, and the same…
The world of MMA is fast becoming the equivalent of what boxing used to be and to some degree still is—one of the meccas of sporting entertainment.
In the pantheon of the sweet science, there are stars, and then there are superstars, and the same now applies to professional mixed martial arts.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones’ rise to superstar status has been nothing short of meteoric, and as things stand, he has the potential to mirror some of the achievements of boxing’s own pound-for-pound great Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Mayweather has several attributes that sets him apart from his peers—skill set, championship pedigree and promotional savvy. That and the fact he’s undefeated in 42 outings in a career spanning almost 16 years.
Apropos MMA, fighters are lucky if they can acquire just two of the aforementioned qualities.
NB Mayweather’s PPV pulling power not included.
With that said, here’s a look at some fighters with the potential to be the next Money May.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s constant beleaguering of other athletes has caught the attention of UFC President Dana White.The head of the UFC fired back at the WBC welterweight boxing champion in a recent episode of Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight.”First of all, what …
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s constant beleaguering of other athletes has caught the attention of UFC President Dana White.
The head of the UFC fired back at the WBC welterweight boxing champion in a recent episode of Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight.
“First of all, what he said I think is racist. He’s made a couple of racist comments, and yes Floyd, you’re racist with the stuff that you said,” White proclaimed, while pointing directly into the camera.
Mayweather has taken heat lately for his racy remarks on Twitter about Asian basketball star Jeremy Lin. A point guard for the New York Knicks, Lin has captured Tim Tebow-like drama in the world of professional basketball, which has recently been dubbed “Linsanity.”
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise. Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine.”
“As soon as I support Black athletes, I get criticized.”
“I’m speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.”
White doesn’t see “Linsanity” as some phenomenon overlooking black athletes. He believes the craze revolves around the fact that Lin is an Asian American succeeding in the NBA, which is certainly a rare sight throughout the history of the sport.
“Jeremy Lin gets all this credit because he’s an Asian player in the NBA that African Americans never get? Yeah, he’s getting all this praise because he’s an Asian guy playing in the NBA,” said White. “And you say that African Americans don’t get it? Really, Kobe Bryant doesn’t get any praise? Michael Jordan never got any praise? The list goes on and on.
“Not only can he compete and make it in the NBA, the guy is tearing it up and breaking records you knucklehead.”
White didn’t stop there. He also addressed an old video Mayweather posted of himself going on a rather offensive rant about WBO welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
“You said Manny Pacquiao should go make some sushi somewhere. Sushi is from Japan. He’s from the Philippines, dummy,” said White. “Don’t worry about what all these other guys are doing. You shoot your big mouth off on Twitter. What you should worry about is getting in there and making the fight that all the boxing fans want to see. Get in there and fight Manny Pacquiao.
“You don’t deserve more of the purse. If there was ever a fight in history that should be split 50-50, it’s the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Shut up, both of you split the money up and put on the fight that everybody, including me, wants to see.”
Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how h…
Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how he gets things changed.
That’s where this UFC Presidential Address and the shoot on Floyd Mayweather idea comes from.
The first thing out of the UFC presidents mouth this time is the accusation that boxing champion Mayweather is racist for both his words about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin and fellow boxer Manny Pacquiao. While the latter is understandable because of their business relationship, Mayweather’s words on Lin rang hollow.
And White called him on it.
While White acknowledges that it is unique to see an Asian guy in the NBA, he states that the credit he gets is well deserved. He also stated that if African-American players aren’t getting credit, he needs to stand back and show Floyd the praise dumped on the Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
There aren’t too many times when I can say that I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the outspoken UFC president, but this is definitely one of those situations. Lin is popular because this is out of the norm for the NBA. There is no denying that part of the intrigue is his ethnicity, but most fans sit back and just watch Lin play some of the best basketball this season.
After telling Mayweather he was racist for suggesting that Pac-Man go make some sushi, White launches into a tirade about how the undefeated champion needs to focus on in-ring tasks and get this super fight underway.
White hit the nail on the head on what I feel is the most important part of this video—talking about the money.
The reports are now that Mayweather does not want to split the revenue from this fight 50-50, which is the reason it is being held up. This all adds up to Mayweather just running his mouth to look better.
White isn’t always right when he calls people out, but bravo, sir, for calling out a man who needs to be called out as the sham he is.
Fraud Mayweather. I like that better.
Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be realizing that the number of fights left for him that people actually want to see at this point in his career are few and far between. Today the soon-to-be-incarcerated WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring welterweight champion has agreed in principle to face Manny Pacquiao May 5 in Las Vegas.
“Money” took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts this afternoon to call out the WBO and WBC welterweight champ. Pacman’s camp has yet to respond to the challenge, but his promoter Bob Arum is said to be in the Philippines negotiating Manny’s next fight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be realizing that the number of fights left for him that people actually want to see at this point in his career are few and far between. Today the soon-to-be-incarcerated WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring welterweight champion has agreed in principle to face Manny Pacquiao May 5 in Las Vegas.
“Money” took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts this afternoon to call out the WBO and WBC welterweight champ. Pacman’s camp has yet to respond to the challenge, but his promoter Bob Arum is said to be in the Philippines negotiating Manny’s next fight.
There has been some talk from Arum recently that the cut Pacquiao sustained in his November bout with Juan Manuel Marquez may prevent him from competing until June. Analysts have hypothesized that this is either merely a negotiating ploy by Arum, who used to promote Mayweather, or his way of protecting his biggest asset from a possible defeat, which woul diminish future returns on his investment.
If Pacquiao doesn’t accept the bout, the two other candidates to face Mayweather are junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and lightweight champ Robert Guerrero.
Mayweather was scheduled to begin his 87-day jail term at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas last Friday after being found guilty of battery domestic violence and harassment, but his attorney was able to convince the judge to delay his term until June 1 so he could fulfill a contractual obligation for the May 5 fight.
Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set? Well it has happened on mor…
Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set?
Well it has happened on more than one occasion, and with mixed results.
Former Olympic Gold medalist and WBO heavyweight champion Ray “Merciless” Mercer made his first foray into the mixed martial arts world, his opponent was former UFC employee and street fighting Internet sensation Kimbo Slice.
That said, Mercer lost the bout via Guillotine choke.
His second and last fight in an MMA capacity was a nine-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (MMA rules weren’t applied).
Though, the highest profile boxer to set foot into a steel cage, in this instance the Octagon, was none other than three-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.
It was a disaster in the making or better yet, a disaster waiting to happen. With little or no MMA experience, Toney was clinically and systematically put to sleep via arm triangle choke, courtesy of Randy “The Natural” Couture at UFC 118.
Shocking as it might seem, Lights Out presently harbours thoughts of throwing down with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and a certain Frank Shamrock.
With bated breath we wait, I think not.
Still, despite the shortcomings of the professional pugilist vis-à-vis everything MMA, some fans still entertain the idea of seeing the pugilist vs. the mixed martial artist.
Let’s take a look at some of those from the persuasion of the sweet science we’d love to see in the UFC’s Octagon.
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s counter-striking acumen will be tested against the nonpareil talent of light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones this coming Saturday night in UFC 140. (Comparing our top combatants with those of …
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s counter-striking acumen will be tested against the nonpareil talent of light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones this coming Saturday night in UFC 140. (Comparing our top combatants with those of boxing is a sacrilege to some MMA hardcore fans and purists, so I offer my insincere apologies.)
Machida the challenger is considered as one of the best—if not the best—counter-strikers in MMA today, just like, well, boxing’s current world lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez. Also going in his favor is his much-publicised training camp under the Freddie Roach of MMA: Crane-Kick Aikido (patent pending) Master Steven Seagal.
Marquez is most famous for his effective counter-punching through Manny Pacquiao’s fistic whirlwinds in their historic boxing trilogy. The first resulted in a draw, the second and third engagements both decision losses to Pacquiao (regardless of what Marquez and a number of boxing aficionados consistently felt and still feel to the contrary).
The champion Jones, on the other hand, exudes the indomitability of arguably boxing’s No.1 pound-for-pound (again) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. And like Floyd’s versus Marquez, Jones enjoys the advantage in height and reach.
The only major difference—aside from these athletes’ respective combative sports and skill sets—is that Jones lets his fighting do most of the talking. It’s also a no-brainer on who’s class and who’s crass.
In comparing Machida and Jones, both fighters have extraordinary fighter’s instinct and timing. Both are consummately methodical in mincing their opponents.
They also share an eerie similarity in “fight face.” Sporting a countenance defined by a cold, unblinking stare that forebodes inevitable destruction of their unlucky prey.
Well, if looks alone could win fights, then expect a draw on this Saturday’s main event.
The questions lingering heavily in the minds of UFC fans.
Can Machida counter Jones’s unpredictable striking offense and efficiently land his own bombs?
Will The Dragon’s respectable takedown defense suffice to intercept Bones’s wrestling projectiles?
Does Machida have another surprise attack up his sleeve? Courtesy of Señor Risen-from-Half-Past-Dead?
And the winner is…
Unfortunately for Machida, Jones will see and thwart what Rashad Evans and Randy Couture didn’t see coming.
Catching up with the Jones is an exercise in futility. He’ll be the one to catch Machida again and again till the stoppage.
Worst for Machida is that the youthful champion not only posseses the skill akin to Mayweather—he’s also shown the KO power of a Pacquiao.
And for the unbigoted amongst us who cared to watch and see who prevailed on 09-19-09, we know who between Marquez and Mayweather had more reason to party till the wee hours of the 10th.
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s counter-striking acumen will be tested against the nonpareil talent of light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones this coming Saturday night in