Former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson may be just 1-3 in his past four fights, but he still has his eye on wearing UFC gold before he hangs up the four-ounce gloves for good.
Following a stunning come-from-behind knockout over Mauri…
Former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson may be just 1-3 in his past four fights, but he still has his eye on wearing UFC gold before he hangs up the four-ounce gloves for good.
Following a stunning come-from-behind knockout over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March, “Hendo” is improbably one victory away from a title shot, though that’s a big if, given that the undefeated Daniel Cormier is in his way.
The 43-year-old fight veteran welcomes the challenge at UFC 173 this Saturday though, telling Yahoo Sports that he still believes he can sit atop the UFC’s light heavyweight throne.
“First it’s Shogun and now its Cormier,” Henderson said. “Which is fine. I welcome it. That’s the reason I fight, is to fight the top guys … “It motivates me a lot,” he said about winning a UFC title. “That’s the last goal I haven’t achieved in the sport. It would be nice to accomplish that and I just want to make sure I give myself every chance to do that. I think I’m right on the right track to do that. I feel great and I’m confident this fight will do it.”
After four straight wins between December 2010 and November 2011, Henderson was actually slated to meet 205-pound kingpin Jon Jones at UFC 151 in September 2012.
Unfortunately, the Team Quest co-founder suffered a knee injury just days before the event and the pay-per-view card was ultimately cancelled, per UFC.com.
While Henderson has come up on the short end of tough matchups between Rashad Evans, LyotoMachida and VitorBelfort recently, he remains ranked the No. 6 light heavyweight in the UFC’s official rankings.
Cormier, the No. 4 light heavyweight according to the UFC, is 14-0 (nine finishes) as a professional mixed martial artist.
“DC” made his first weight cut to 205 pounds at UFC 170 in February, making short work of the relatively unknown Patrick Cummins.
As a heavyweight, Cormier recorded convincing wins over the likes of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Roy Nelson and former UFC heavyweight champs Josh Barnett and Frank Mir.
Is it realistic to believe Henderson could still challenge for the light heavyweight strap, or are the 17-year fight veteran’s best days in the cage clearly behind him?
JohnHeinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com
In one of the most epic battles in UFC history, at 165, Jon Jones fought to retain his light heavyweight title against No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson. Although the champion successfully defended his title, he was badly beaten and hospitalize…
In one of the most epic battles in UFC history, at 165, Jon Jones fought to retain his light heavyweight title against No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson. Although the champion successfully defended his title, he was badly beaten and hospitalized immediately following the bout. If Jones wishes to not just win in a rematch with Gustafsson, but to do so unscathed, it would serve him well to minimize damage and maximize his talents.
Jones has mastered the art of dominating his opponents in the clinch and taking them down. However, much to Gustafsson’s credit, Jones struggled to do hardly any of the latter during their last faceoff. The light heavyweight champion commented on his opponent’s toughness and even acknowledged his own shortcomings following the fight. According to Dann Stupp of USA Today, Jones stated:
He was just a tough fighter. I spent a lot of time on my boxing in this camp. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. I should have been like water and used more versatility. But hat’s off to Alexander. That was by far my toughest fight, and I really got to exercise my warrior spirit tonight. That makes me happier than getting the win.
If Jones is able to capitalize on his strengths and appeal to Gustafsson’s weaknesses, the clinch and ground game, the light heavyweight champion may not only win in their second outing, but do so in dramatic fashion.
The Clinch
Jon Jones embraces the close-quarter game with his opponents. Even though he enjoys an incredible reach advantage, which he uses to keep his opponents at bay, Jones’ grappling is second to none as well.
At UFC 140, Jones grabbed on to an elusive LyotoMachida and choked him into unconsciousness with a standing guillotine. At UFC 172, against the hard-hitting Glover Teixeira, Jones surprisingly remained in the pocket, clinching and exchanging blows with the No. 3 light heavyweight contender for a large majority of the fight. Jones went on to win all five rounds on the judges’ scorecards.
However, against Gustafsson, Jones wasn’t able to close the distance at will. This was mainly due to Gustafsson’s own height (6’5”) and reach (79 inches), which are similar to those of Jones (6’4”, 84.5-inch reach).
Closing the distance and executing has produced incredible results for the champion countless times. If Jones wishes to emerge victorious and possibly finish Gustafsson, remaining inside and breaking his opponent’s will may be the answer.
The Ground Game
Jon Jones has made a career off taking down his opponents and either submitting or decimating them with a barrage of strikes from the top. In this fashion, the champion has manhandled the likes of Matt Hamill, Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Bader, ChaelSonnen and even former world champions Quinton Jackson and VitorBelfort.
Jones, however, was unsuccessful in this area against Gustafsson, scoring just one takedown during the whole fight. Jones himself was even taken down for the first time in his professional mixed martial arts career during the bout.
Needless to say, at UFC 165, Jones was faced with his most difficult challenger and barely scraped by with the win, scoring 48-47 on two of the judges’ scorecards.
The light heavyweight champion possesses all the tools to emerge victorious against Gustafsson again. However, if becoming hospitalized for a second time is not a part of Jones’ post-fight plans, finding ways to neutralize Gustafsson in their sophomore effort would be ideal.
Daniel Cormier will meet Dan Henderson at UFC 173 this Saturday. The winner will receive a title shot against whomever the UFC light heavyweight champion is post-Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson.
Should Cormier walk away a winner at UFC 173, there wi…
Daniel Cormier will meet Dan Henderson at UFC 173 this Saturday. The winner will receive a title shot against whomever the UFC light heavyweight champion is post-Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson.
Should Cormier walk away a winner at UFC 173, there will be the question of whether he should wait for his title shot or remain active. Cormier said he is willing to wait, and that is exactly what he should do.
Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be an issue. The timing would have worked out as such that the champion and next contender were on a similar timetable for their fight, but that is not the case in the light heavyweight division.
The next title eliminator is this weekend between Cormier and Henderson, but the title fight between Jones and Gustafsson has not yet been set. It has been rumored for a future date in Sweden, per Matt Erickson of USA Today. That would mean Cormier would have sit out until late 2014 at the earliest, and potentially into 2015, before earning his title shot.
Waiting for a title shot sounds like a good idea in theory, but we have seen it play out negatively as well.
In fact, it recently happened in the light heavyweight division with Henderson. He was slated to face Jon Jones, but he had to pull out with an injury. Henderson has never regained that title shot. There is always a possibility of getting injured, but there also are times where other fighters usurp your role.
That is unlikely to happen to Cormier.
Jones has wrecked the division. He has defeated many of the top fighters, and he is not fond of having rematches. He enjoys new challenges. Also, he has a history with Cormier. Jones’ dominance against other potential contenders, and his backstory with Cormier, make this a less risky venture for Cormier should he choose to wait on the sidelines.
Should Gustafsson defeat Jones, the UFC will need another contender waiting in the wings. Cormier is the appropriate choice for that potential scenario too.
Taking another fight would be more of a risk for Cormier.
No matter how big a favorite he might be, and no matter who the UFC would chose to book him against, anything can happen in MMA. A fight inside the Octagon comes with an inherit risk. That is one Cormier does not need to take with a title shot looming.
Furthermore, the UFC should make Cormier wait. The organization is lacking premier fighters and fights. It needs stars to sell pay-per-views, and Cormier vs. Jones is one of the biggest fights it has in the pipeline.
It is always great to see top fighters in action, but fans can be patient when they see a fight they want waiting in the wings. As such would be the case if Cormier earns his title shot at UFC 173.
For Cormier and the UFC, this is all about risk vs. reward. The risk is much too great for Cormier, in victory at UFC 173, to fight again until the title fight. There is too much interest behind the fight, too great of an risk factor that could derail the plans and far too much money to risk losing in putting Cormier in another big fight where he’s not contending for a title.
Cormier should just head back to AKA and prepare for an extended period of training solely for the championship.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is one of the most controversial fighters in mixed martial arts.
He is a study in contrasts. He often appears humble and respectful. I spent a day with him in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last month as he prepa…
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is one of the most controversial fighters in mixed martial arts.
He is a study in contrasts. He often appears humble and respectful. I spent a day with him in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last month as he prepared to defend his title against Glover Teixeira, and he continually called me “sir.” When I pointed out that such manners were a rare thing these days, Jones told me it was a product of the way his parents raised him and his two brothers, Chandler and Arthur.
“My mom and dad taught us to never express ourselves negatively to adults. And now, even though I’m 26, if you are older than me, you get a please and thank you,” he said. “It’s something that I take seriously.”
On the other hand, there is the version of Jones that is reviled by the fans. The one that is embroiled in various social media controversies and mocks fans for claiming he’s a dirty fighter. The one that took the blame for the cancellation of UFC 151 when he refused to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice.
Jones is a personality split down the middle. He wants to be liked by the fans and speaks often of being a role model and a man who can help the UFC’s continued push into the mainstream. And yet there are moments where he just can’t help himself, when he opts to fire back at his critics rather than taking the high road.
We all behave the same way; it is in our nature. The difference is that we don’t do it under the glare of a public spotlight.
Daniel Cormier, a top-contending light heavyweight who will likely earn a long-awaited bout with Jones if he beats Dan Henderson next week, thinks Jones should embrace the dark side. In wrestling parlance, Cormier believes Jones should stop being a tweener and go full heel.
“If I was Jon Jones, being that people seem to want to dislike him, I would go 100 percent Floyd Mayweather Jr.,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “He wins all the time, and people dislike him, but they always tune into see him.
“People want to believe Jon’s not being 100 percent real with us. They’re thinking that we’re seeing kind of an act, so give them you. If they believe you’re a complete ass, then just be an ass.”
Cormier makes an interesting point. Mayweather built his empire and became the richest man in sports by taking his natural personality, infusing it with a bit of character development and then dialing everything up to 10. He became loud and arrogant and brash. He flaunted his wealth and the things it allowed him to do. He showed us his matching fleet of supercars: black ones in Las Vegas and white ones in Miami, purchased for the ludicrous reason that it helps him know which city he’s waking up in.
Fans hated Mayweather. They still do. But they tune in every time he fights, regardless of the opponent.
“Money” Mayweather, part gimmick and part real life, turned Floyd from a very good boxer into the biggest draw in the history of pay-per-view. People who never watch boxing plop down $70 for the chance to see him get humbled. It never happens, but that doesn’t stop them from opening their wallets and giving him their money.
Can Jones become the UFC’s version of Mayweather?
He has the skills. He is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and has run roughshod over the light heavyweight division. Those who dislike Jones desperately want someone to beat him, but outside of a classic fight with Alexander Gustafsson last year, nobody has come close. He is, quite simply, head and shoulders above the rest of his competition.
And he has the personality. Jones is image-conscious and prefers to keep a tight leash on the way he is presented to the public, but we have seen flashes of his arrogance. There is nothing wrong with arrogance; we expect our highest-level athletes to be cocky. We want to see someone who is miles better than everyone else—who knows he is miles better than everyone else and doesn’t mind telling us that.
For the most part, Jones keeps this part of himself bottled up and hidden away.
It all comes down to this: Jones doesn’t have to be a bad guy. And that’s good, because he isn’t a bad guy. He doesn’t even have to pretend to be a bad guy when the cameras are on. But he should let that arrogance and cockiness, the stuff that comes with being the best fighter in the world, shine through. In fact, he should turn up the volume. He should discuss his greatness. He should flaunt his wealth and his life and all of the things that go along with being the best.
Why? Because there is nothing he can do to convince the fans who already dislike him that he’s actually a good guy at heart. They’re on the opposite side of the fence, and they’re staying there. Adding to their numbers, and creating an intense fire in their bellies to see Jones lose, will catapult him into an entirely new stratosphere of fame and fortune.
And at the end of the day, isn’t that the point of prizefighting? Being known as respectful and skilled is all fine and good, but those traits don’t pay the bills the same way arrogant and dominant do.
It’s time for Jones to embrace and amplify his inner heel and then laugh all the way to the bank.
UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier has some advice for his division’s king, Jon Jones.
Go full heel. Don’t dip your toes in the pool of arrogant behavior.
Dive in, and own the role.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Mar…
UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier has some advice for his division’s king, Jon Jones.
Go full heel. Don’t dip your toes in the pool of arrogant behavior.
Dive in, and own the role.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco, Cormier tossed some career advice Jones’ way, saying that the 26-year-old superstar should embrace the negative vibes and become more like boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. where PR moves are concerned.
The former Olympic wrestler said:
If I was Jon Jones, being that people seem to want to dislike him, I would go 100 percent Floyd Mayweather Jr. He wins all the time, and people dislike him, but they always tune into see him. … They’ll watch to hope that you lose, but at the end of the day, you’ll still be winning, because Floyd Mayweather makes $40 million every time he fights. At the end of the day, that is winning.
Jones’ career inside the Octagon has been nearly perfect to this point. He became the UFC light heavyweight champion at the age of 23, and he’s successfully defended that distinction seven times, a UFC record.
Outside of the cage, however, Jones’ reputation fluctuates between “fake,” “cocky,” and downright “offensive.” (NSFW)
The problem?
Jones constantly tries to rehab his image, even at the expense of providing contradictory stories and messages.
Is he the squeaky-clean Christian family man, or is he the arrogant superstar who flaunts his status as one of the baddest dudes on the planet at all times?
To Cormier, Jones should pick the latter and just roll with it.
It worked for Mr. Mayweather, why can’t it work for “Bones”?
In one of the most epic battles in UFC history, at 165, 