Tag: Jon Jones

UFC 165 Live Streaming Pre-Fight Press Conference with Jones and Gustafsson

The next UFC fight card won’t take place until July 27, when the promotion heads to Seattle for UFC on Fox 8, but that doesn’t mean the wheels will stop rolling on the UFC machine. On Tuesday, July 9, the promotion will be in Toronto to get…

The next UFC fight card won’t take place until July 27, when the promotion heads to Seattle for UFC on Fox 8, but that doesn’t mean the wheels will stop rolling on the UFC machine. On Tuesday, July 9, the promotion will be in Toronto to get things started for UFC 165.

UFC 165 will take place at the Air Canada Centre on September 21. A light heavyweight title fight will headline the event. Champion Jon Jones will put his belt on the line against Alexander Gustafsson. A second title fight will be the evening’s co-main event as interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao defends his title against Eddie Wineland.

Jones and Gustafsson will be in Toronto on Tuesday for a public press conference at the Real Sports Bar and Grill. Joining the fighters will be the UFC Director of Canadian Operations, Tom Wright. The press conference will get under way at 12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT.

Speaking about UFC 165’s main event, UFC president Dana White said, “Jon Jones is re-writing the record book for the light heavyweight division…He is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world with a record-tying five straight title defenses by age 25. This bout with Gustafsson is an awesome fight. Alex is a big man plus he’s mean and hungry—and excited for the opportunity to fight Jones.”

 

UFC 165 Fight Card (announced fights):

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson

Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland

Daniel Omielanczuk vs. Nandor Guelmino

Stephen Thompson vs. Chris Clements

Michel Prazeres vs. Mark Bocek

Myles Jury vs. Mike Ricci

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Ivan Menjivar

 

**Dana White quote via UFC

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Chris Weidman: I’m Focused on Anderson Silva Rematch, ‘Superfights Will Come’

Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman believes he can beat Anderson Silva again, and while he isn’t thinking about superfights yet, he thinks those options will be available soon. “The All-American” said as much in an appearance on…

Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman believes he can beat Anderson Silva again, and while he isn’t thinking about superfights yet, he thinks those options will be available soon. 

“The All-American” said as much in an appearance on Ariel Helwani‘s The MMA Hour this afternoon, noting that there is no other fight he wants more than a rematch with Silva.

“(Silva) deserves a rematch,” Weidman told Helwani over the phone. “I still think I would beat (Silva) again … There is going to be a rematch, and I’m focused on Anderson Silva, superfights will come … I want the rematch, that’s the fight I want.” 

Weidman also indicated that the suggested timeline of having the rematch during Super Bowl Weekend in February would be “perfect” for him, as he has a few bumps and bruises he wants to heal up before he’s back in the cage. 

While there is no questioning that “The Spider” deserves an immediate rematch, given his 17-fight win streak and 10 successful title defenses, the Brazilian himself cast doubt on Silva-Weidman II. 

Silva was tentatively linked to a superfight with UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones with another victory on Saturday night, but Weidman brought those plans to a screeching halt.

Speaking with color commentator Joe Rogan immediately after the loss, Silva said he was not interested in fighting Weidman again, or even competing for the middleweight strap again (via MMA Junkie).

Nevertheless, Weidman said the UFC told him that is the fight to expect next, so he is talking their word at face value. 

As expected, other middleweight contenders not named Anderson Silva are chomping at the bit for a shot at the new champion, including Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort. 

While the UFC’s newest titleholder reiterated he fully expects to fight Silva a second time, he’s open to taking on Bisping or Belfort, though he believes “The Phenom” deserves it more. 

“I think Vitor deserves [a shot] more than Bisping, but it’s UFC’s call,” Weidman said succinctly. 

Bisping called out Weidman on Twitter within minutes after he beat Silva, while Belfort wasted no time in relentlessly asking UFC President Dana White for another title fight (via Yahoo! Sports).

“The Count” has almost no shot chance at fighting for the middleweight strap given that he’s just 2-2 in his past four fights, beating Brian Stann and Alan Belcher and losing to Chael Sonnen and, coincidentally, Belfort. 

On the other hand, Belfort has won four of his past five bouts, with his sole loss coming in a light heavyweight title fight against Jones on a short notice fight at UFC 152 in September. 

Since then, the Brazilian slugger has bounced back with headkick knockouts over Bisping and former Strikeforce 185-pound titleholder Luke Rockhold. 

Will fans be treated to Weidman vs. Silva II during Super Bowl weekend next year or will the Brazilian legend actually stick to his word and turn down one of the biggest rematches in UFC history?

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

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Dana White Declares Jon Jones Is the New Pound for Pound King of MMA

Anderson Silva’s historic loss on Saturday night sent ripples through the MMA world that were far reaching beyond just the middleweight division, where he reigned as champion for seven years and 10 straight fights. Silva’s iconic run as champion was al…

Anderson Silva‘s historic loss on Saturday night sent ripples through the MMA world that were far reaching beyond just the middleweight division, where he reigned as champion for seven years and 10 straight fights.

Silva’s iconic run as champion was also elevated as he jumped up in weight on three different occasions earning him the status as the greatest fighter of all time, but he was also widely recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

He no longer holds that distinction after being knocked out by Chris Weidman on Saturday night.

While the pound-for-pound list is completely subjective, it’s still a topic that comes up often and holds weight with many fans, journalists and fighters in the industry.

So with Silva now relinquishing that spot for the first time in years, who takes over the slot as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?

“Jon Jones,” UFC president Dana White answered when asked that very question after the end of the UFC 162 post-fight press conference.

Jones is currently the top-ranked UFC light heavyweight champion, standing alone at the top of one of the toughest divisions in the history of the promotion.

With an 18-1 record overall (his one loss was by disqualification in a fight he was winning), Jones is almost the picture of perfection, thus far, in his UFC and entire MMA career.

He won the title by beating a former Pride legend and UFC champion in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and has gone on to defeat four more former champions as well during his reign. He’s also been devastating with nine finishes in his 12 UFC wins.

Jones will next face Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165 headed to Toronto on September 21. If Jones is victorious, he will stand alone as the greatest UFC light heavyweight champion with six consecutive title defenses in a row. 

The current record is five title defenses held by Jones and former UFC champion Tito Ortiz.

As for Silva, one loss doesn’t completely take him out of the discussion as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.

White believes that the former middleweight champion earned his spot at the top long enough that he shouldn’t fall very far—even after being knocked out by Weidman. As a matter of fact, in his rankings, Silva would still sit higher than the man who just beat him.

“Anderson’s still on the list,” White stated.  “I’d still put him above Weidman.”

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Jon Jones: ‘I Wish the Media Would Let Anderson Focus on Chris Weidman’

Jon Jones is growing tired of the media bombarding Anderson Silva with superfight talk.The UFC light heavyweight champ knows a thing or two about the importance of remaining focused on the task at hand and not looking too far ahead.At UFC 162, Silva wi…

Jon Jones is growing tired of the media bombarding Anderson Silva with superfight talk.

The UFC light heavyweight champ knows a thing or two about the importance of remaining focused on the task at hand and not looking too far ahead.

At UFC 162, Silva will defend his middleweight title for an 11th time against undefeated contender Chris Weidman. There has never been a more dangerous matchup for Silva on paper, and a sizable chunk of the MMA community is banking on a historic upset.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of fans consider this bout a transitional fight that will ultimately pave the way for a dream match between Silva and Jones. The public’s infatuation with super fights has pushed the media to follow suit and ask redundant questions.

At a media luncheon on Monday, Silva attempted to bypass the superfight talk by flat out admitting he didn’t believe he could defeat Jones at light heavyweight. Unfortunately, his comments only fueled the media’s interest in the bout, and questions have since been pouring in about whether or not Silva is afraid of Jones.

On Wednesday, Jones hopped on Twitter in defense of Silva.

 

Jones has always been open about the overwhelming respect he has for Silva as a fighter and a person. In an interview with ESPN Radio, he called a fight with Silva a “lose-lose situation.”

He doesn’t want to be the guy to end Silva’s run, but he also doesn’t want to lose to Silva either.

As Jones bluntly puts it in the interview, “Some things were just not meant to be seen.”

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Roy Jones Jr. Flying to UFC 162 to Discuss Fighting Anderson Silva With Dana White

(Please enjoy this Roy Jones Jr. boxing highlight video. And then, please remember that all those fights happened a very long time ago, in a very different sport than MMA)

Sadly, we may be closer than ever to an Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight. On Thursday, Dana White told MMA Junkie that the former boxing pound for pound champ is coming to UFC 162 this Saturday in Vegas to discuss fighting Anderson Silva in the UFC.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole also confirmed with Jones Jr. that he is meeting with White to discuss fighting “The Spider” under MMA rules in the UFC. Jones Jr., of course, is a future hall of fame boxer that is at least ten years out of his prime.

For years, Jones Jr. looked unbeatable but over the past ten years he has lost seven times in fifteen outings, four of those losses coming by way of ugly KO or TKO. The forty four year-old needs to give up fighting of any kind for the good of his health.

Jones Jr. has been so far gone for so long that, even in 2009 when Silva was vocal about wanting to box him, it seemed like a dangerous proposition for the former Olympian. Add a half decade and MMA rules into the mix and a Silva vs. Roy Jr. fight sounds almost masochistic.

For whatever reason, thogh, Anderson Silva has kept Jones Jr.’s name in his mouth for years, now. Often times it looked as if he used the threat of boxing Roy as a bargaining chip with the UFC but this is the first time that White has seemed at all open to the idea of his middleweight champ fighting Jones Jr. and they are talking about doing it in MMA.

As we all know, if White wants to put together a sham boxing vs. MMA bout in the UFC, he can get it done. We’re not sure what Silva or White think they will accomplish by trotting out yet another sadly brain-bruised former boxing champion to the Octagon and having a UFC legend beat them with ease, but it now appears that this “super fight” might be the only one we’re getting with Silva anytime soon.

Then again, this is far from the first time Jones Jr. or Silva have campaigned for this fight. Heck, it isn’t even the first time Jones Jr. has said he’d go to a UFC event to watch Silva in person and try to make a bout happen. Despite all that, the fight has never happened.

Let’s hope it still won’t. Ultimately, we can’t blame promoters for being promoters and fighters for being fighters.

How can Dana White ignore two huge names saying they want to fight each other and make him a lot of money? How can we fault fighters like Roy for wanting to fight, even when they are far removed from their prime?

Ultimately, it will be the responsibility of any and all athletic commissions to not allow this fight or any like it to happen.


(Please enjoy this Roy Jones Jr. boxing highlight video. And then, please remember that all those fights happened a very long time ago, in a very different sport than MMA)

Sadly, we may be closer than ever to an Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight. On Thursday, Dana White told MMA Junkie that the former boxing pound for pound champ is coming to UFC 162 this Saturday in Vegas to discuss fighting Anderson Silva in the UFC.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole also confirmed with Jones Jr. that he is meeting with White to discuss fighting “The Spider” under MMA rules in the UFC. Jones Jr., of course, is a future hall of fame boxer that is at least ten years out of his prime.

For years, Jones Jr. looked unbeatable but over the past ten years he has lost seven times in fifteen outings, four of those losses coming by way of ugly KO or TKO. The forty four year-old needs to give up fighting of any kind for the good of his health.

Jones Jr. has been so far gone for so long that, even in 2009 when Silva was vocal about wanting to box him, it seemed like a dangerous proposition for the former Olympian. Add a half decade and MMA rules into the mix and a Silva vs. Roy Jr. fight sounds almost masochistic.

For whatever reason, thogh, Anderson Silva has kept Jones Jr.’s name in his mouth for years, now. Often times it looked as if he used the threat of boxing Roy as a bargaining chip with the UFC but this is the first time that White has seemed at all open to the idea of his middleweight champ fighting Jones Jr. and they are talking about doing it in MMA.

As we all know, if White wants to put together a sham boxing vs. MMA bout in the UFC, he can get it done. We’re not sure what Silva or White think they will accomplish by trotting out yet another sadly brain-bruised former boxing champion to the Octagon and having a UFC legend beat them with ease, but it now appears that this “super fight” might be the only one we’re getting with Silva anytime soon.

Then again, this is far from the first time Jones Jr. or Silva have campaigned for this fight. Heck, it isn’t even the first time Jones Jr. has said he’d go to a UFC event to watch Silva in person and try to make a bout happen. Despite all that, the fight has never happened.

Let’s hope it still won’t. Ultimately, we can’t blame promoters for being promoters and fighters for being fighters.

How can Dana White ignore two huge names saying they want to fight each other and make him a lot of money? How can we fault fighters like Roy for wanting to fight, even when they are far removed from their prime?

Ultimately, it will be the responsibility of any and all athletic commissions to not allow this fight or any like it to happen. Allowing a former boxing champion who is in his mid forties and who has spent the last decade getting pummeled to continue to box is itself embarrassing to the commissions that continue to sanction Jones Jr. To allow him to also take on perhaps the best mixed martial arts fighter in history, while he is still in his apparent prime, in the boxer’s first ever MMA bout would be unconscionable.

We can’t imagine any real commission, like those of Nevada, New Jersey or California sanctioning an Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr. MMA bout. Well, we hope not.

James Toney was sanctioned to fight Randy Couture, after all.

If Silva wants to make the big super-fight money that he’s surely earned, either he needs to bite the bullet and take on Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre needs to suck it up and fight Anderson.

– Elias Cepeda

Anderson Silva Makes It Clear—He Is Not Scared of Jon Jones or Any Fighter

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has a big fight in front of him Saturday night when he faces Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 162, but that doesn’t mean other potential opponents aren’t going to come up. With Silva’s record of 16 wins wi…

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has a big fight in front of him Saturday night when he faces Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 162, but that doesn’t mean other potential opponents aren’t going to come up.

With Silva’s record of 16 wins with no losses in the UFC, there is always a good chance he’s going to come away victorious and move onto the next challenge of his illustrious career.

Earlier this week while at a media luncheon, Silva was asked about the possibility of a superfight at some point against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. His reaction surprised more than a few people (via MMAFighting).

“Jon Jones in his class is the best,” Silva said. “If I fight Jon Jones, I don’t think I’m going to win.”

The response was met with some shock and awe because rarely does a fighter—especially one with Silva’s credentials—openly admit that any potential bout would not go his way.

On Tuesday night during an interview with UFC Tonight, co-host Chael Sonnen brought Jones up to Silva again to get a little more detail on why he said what he said about a fight against the light heavyweight champion.

Whether his answer earlier this week was Silva’s way of stirring the pot during fight week, or he was just having fun with the media, his response on Tuesday seemed a little more genuine.

“My opinion is this—I fight Jon Jones, or all the guys in my class, all the guys that work in the UFC. I respect all the fighters and respect Jon Jones. I respect Chris Weidman,” Silva said.

“But I’m here for working. I’m not scared for Jon Jones, for Chris Weidman, or whoever. I’m here for a fight, that’s it, it’s simple.”

If Silva is successful against Weidman on Saturday night, there is currently not a No. 1 contender already waiting in line for the next title shot. Former UFC champion Vitor Belfort has done his best to stake his claim, but it’s still hard to forget the front kick to the mush he received in the first round the last time he took on Silva in the Octagon.

So what about a potential move to 205 pounds where Silva has already fought three times previously, including one win over former champion Forrest Griffin?

“I don’t know. I have my place in my class. I don’t have the big goal to change my class,” Silva revealed. “I have my belt in my class, I have my story in my class, that’s it.”

At least for now it seems Silva will stick around at middleweight, and that’s where he will keep his focus through this weekend when he faces Weidman at UFC 162.

“It’s a great fight, Saturday night,” Silva said about the title bout. “Weidman has good jiu-jitsu, good wrestling, good stand up. It’s a great fight.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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