Tag: James Toney

Even on a Small-Time Card, Jon Jones Gets Big-Time Exposure

Filed under: UFCAfter dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko in just under two minutes at UFC on Versus 2 last night, Jon Jones woke up early this morning, put on a nice suit, and sat down for a quick chat with ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Nothing spectacular came…

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After dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko in just under two minutes at UFC on Versus 2 last night, Jon Jones woke up early this morning, put on a nice suit, and sat down for a quick chat with ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Nothing spectacular came out of the appearance. He came off as humble, yet confident – the always elusive down-to-earth pro athlete. He cracked a smile while admitting that a UFC ban on elbows would wreak havoc on his game plan, and, when asked who he’d like to fight next, he even resisted what must have been an overwhelming urge to tell James Toney exactly what would happen if the boxer attempted to follow through on his plan to slap Jones in the face.

‘Jones vs. Matyushenko’ Aftermath — End of Night Bonuses, ‘Fighting American’, and the Bones vs. Toney Dream Fight

(That reminds us, if you’re ever sitting next to Jon Jones on an airplane and his elbow is crowding your armrest, you’d better just let him have it. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com.)
— $40,000 performance bonuses were handed out to some very …

Jon Jones Vladimir Matyushenko UFC Live MMA photos
(That reminds us, if you’re ever sitting next to Jon Jones on an airplane and his elbow is crowding your armrest, you’d better just let him have it. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com.)

— $40,000 performance bonuses were handed out to some very worthy recipients after last night’s UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko event. Scoring the Knockout of the Night bonus was Takanori Gomi, who starched Tyson Griffin 64 seconds into their fight with a sledgehammer right hook. The Submission of the Night went to Charles Oliveira, who owned Darren Elkins with a masterful triangle-armbar in another dramatic quick finish during the prelims. Fight of the Night bonuses went to Brian Stann and Mike Massenzio for their unaired preliminary bout. Stann battled back from an early deficit to finish Massenzio via third-round triangle choke. It was the first submission win of Stann’s career.

— Despite his through ass-kicking of Vladimir Matyushenko, Jon Jones is doing his best to stay humble and not let his ever-growing hype influence him. As he said during the post-event press conference:

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Famous Last Words: Toney More Worried About Potential Murder Charges Than Couture’s Takedowns

(Letting James Toney wear four-ounce gloves? Sounds like contrapment to me. PicProps: SBNation)We’re not sure if this meets the legal burden for proving premeditation, but boxing champion James Toney says he’s liable to kill (yes, literally…


(Letting James Toney wear four-ounce gloves? Sounds like contrapment to me. PicProps: SBNation)

We’re not sure if this meets the legal burden for proving premeditation, but boxing champion James Toney says he’s liable to kill (yes, literally kill) Randy Couture next month at UFC 118 if he hits him while wearing MMA gloves. Oh, and as for Couture’s takedown prowess? Lights Out’s not even sweating it.

“Everybody asks ‘How are you going to defend the takedown?’ I’m not worried about that. How are you going to defend these punches?” Toney told MMA Weekly in an interview published on Saturday. “I’m going from 10-ounce gloves to four-ounce gloves. If I hit someone with four-ounce gloves, oh my goodness, me and my crew might go to jail for homicide.”

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James Toney: I’ll Hit Randy Couture So Hard His Grandparents Will Feel It

Filed under: UFCAs James Toney talks up his UFC 118 fight with Randy Couture, he makes so many outlandish, over-the-top comments that you’re never sure how much of it he actually believes and can back up in the Octagon, how much is a delusional overest…

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As James Toney talks up his UFC 118 fight with Randy Couture, he makes so many outlandish, over-the-top comments that you’re never sure how much of it he actually believes and can back up in the Octagon, how much is a delusional overestimation of his own boxing skill and underestimation of Couture’s MMA skill, and how much is pure hype that he doesn’t believe for a minute.

But whatever the case, it’s always entertaining.

In a live chat with MMAFighting.com, Toney belittled the punching prowess of MMA fighters in general and Couture’s striking in particular, and he said that while he admires Couture for having the, um, guts to fight him, he doesn’t think anyone in MMA can touch him standing up.

James Toney: ‘When Randy Goes to Sleep, I Guarantee He’s Thinking About Me’

(How did I train? I didn’t train. I bought me one of these Fedor sweaters and ate ice cream for eight weeks. I’m ready to go.)
James "Lights Out" Toney Sat down with MMAFighting.com lead blogger Michael David Smith today for an online chat wi…


(How did I train? I didn’t train. I bought me one of these Fedor sweaters and ate ice cream for eight weeks. I’m ready to go.)

James "Lights Out" Toney Sat down with MMAFighting.com lead blogger Michael David Smith today for an online chat with fans about the boxer’s upcoming MMA debut fight with UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture.

Although Toney’s responses seemed suspiciously devoid of their usual incoherency, hearing him call MMA fighters "a bunch of girls" will just add to the collective satisfaction of fans and pundits when he gets beaten by a member of the fairer sex on August 28 at UFC 118.

Here’s are Toney’s replies to fans on the chat, who incidentally obviously didn’t read Ben’s piece on what not to ask in an MMA interview. 

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Toney Wanted Lesnar, Turned Down Kimbo, Settled on Couture

Filed under: UFCWhen boxing champion James Toney first signed with the UFC, he didn’t see any reason he shouldn’t get a heavyweight title shot. And so, Toney says, he asked for Brock Lesnar as his first opponent inside the Octagon.

But the UFC had oth…

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When boxing champion James Toney first signed with the UFC, he didn’t see any reason he shouldn’t get a heavyweight title shot. And so, Toney says, he asked for Brock Lesnar as his first opponent inside the Octagon.

But the UFC had other ideas.

According to Toney, when the UFC told him he wasn’t just going to waltz right in and fight the heavyweight champ, that set off an interesting negotiation with the promotion, which floated the idea of having him fight Kimbo Slice before settling on Randy Couture as his first UFC opponent.