Surprise surprise, somebody else has an opinion of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.In one of the most recent criticisms of the champion, heavyweight Matt Mitrione added a classic Mitrione quote when he called out Jon Jones.I’m not a fan of Jon…
Surprise surprise, somebody else has an opinion of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
In one of the most recent criticisms of the champion, heavyweight Matt Mitrione added a classic Mitrione quote when he called out Jon Jones.
I’m not a fan of Jon Jones as a person, but I like Jon Jones as a fighter…I think he shows a lot of douchey quality when he talks about, “Well, I’m a business man,” I’m just being honest.
Mitrione went on further stating that he would love to get his hands on the once-defeated superstar.
Overtime, I think he went from being a pretty cool guy, pretty humble, to being about as arrogant as I can handle. He’s so cocky, he seems like really, so disingenuous and just blah, just not my flavor of a human being, that’s all. I even told Joe Silva, if Jon Jones is talking about going to heavyweight, I’d love to welcome Jon Jones to the heavyweight division.
While this is not the first person to comment negatively on Jones’ personality and call him out for a fight, it’s very odd for Mitrione to call out Jones.
The reason this is odd for Mitrione to call out Jones is that he wants to “…be James Irvin,” referring to Anderson Silva fighting up a weight class against Irvin. That was a weird choice of words, as Irvin was knocked out very quickly in that fight.
If Mitrione wants to fight Jones at heavyweight, he better work on his wrestling and all-around game in general. If he struggled against Cheick Kongo, he would struggle even more with Jones.
Dana White’s distaste for MMA trainer Greg Jackson shows no sign of abating after the UFC president questioned Jackson’s relationship with his fighters on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight. According to White, Jackson is a businessman, and n…
Dana White’s distaste for MMA trainer Greg Jackson shows no sign of abating after the UFC president questioned Jackson’s relationship with his fighters on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight.
According to White, Jackson is a businessman, and none of the men who train with him should mistake him for a family member.
“The thing you have to understand about Greg Jackson—and I’ve said it before—this guy is a businessman, first and foremost. Before anything, this guy is a businessman. He’s built a business. ‘We’re a family, we’re a family’, that’s what he kept telling Rashad (Evans) and Jon (Jones), so they wouldn’t fight because they’re a family,” White explained.
“I told Rashad and Jon, he’s not your family. Greg Jackson is not your family member. If things go bad for you tomorrow, brother Greg isn’t going to be there for you. Is he going to pay your bills? Is he going to take care of your family? No, he’s not,” he added.
White blamed Jackson, along with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, personally for the cancellation of UFC 151. When Jones’ opponent Dan Henderson had to pull out of the fight due to injury, it was Jackson who advised Jones not to take on short-notice replacement Chael Sonnen.
At the time, White said Jackson was “a f****** sport killer” for telling Jones not to take the fight. Two weeks later, his invectives against Jackson continue.
Referring to the title fight between Jones and Rashad Evans, both coached by Jackson, White said:
“You saw when push came to shove, who did Greg Jackson pick? Who did he ultimately pick at the end? He picked Jon Jones, the guy he believed would beat Rashad, that’s a fact. That’s a business, he’s a businessman.”
Jon Jones is a blue-chip talent. He is a rapidly rising megastar who has already compiled an amazing anthology of highlight moves. Legends such as Quinton Jackson and Shogun Rua have been completely dismantled by the youngest champion of all-time.
Howe…
Jon Jones is a blue-chip talent. He is a rapidly rising megastar who has already compiled an amazing anthology of highlight moves. Legends such as Quinton Jackson and Shogun Rua have been completely dismantled by the youngest champion of all-time.
However, the most exciting MMA fighter on the planet is quickly becoming the least popular one. Despite his prodigious talent, he cannot overcome his youth.
His immaturity was once again exposed as he tried to defend himself for not accepting the now infamous non-fight with Chael Sonnen at the cancelled UFC 151.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, he befuddled fans with non sequiturs and misinformation that were certain to exacerbate his lack of popularity. The link for that interview is provided below.
The electric champ should not be lambasted for turning down a fight on eight days notice. It would have been noble if he had taken the contest, but he deserves an opportunity to properly prepare to defend his title. While a champion is obliged to defend his title, they should be given time to prepare for a different fighter. Contrary to Dana White‘s analysis, Jones is correct in that Chael and Henderson are much different opponents.
Dan has a powerful right hand, and Chael has limited power in his hands and is a southpaw. Sonnen prefers to attack with power double-leg takedowns, while Dan prefers the clinch. “Hendo” will often allow an opponent to get back to their feet where Sonnen loves to smother from top guard position. J.J.’s refusal of the fight may be forgiven, it did seem hypocritical though as Jones had posted this message on his Twitter account in May of 2012.
Jones further cited a reason for not taking the fight that seemed curious at best. He believed that Chael is not deserving of a fight with him and he, Jones, would not be anyone’s “jackpot.” Being a belt-holder automatically makes one a “jackpot” and that is an inherent responsibility of being a champion. One cannot refuse a fight for spite.
The champion, by definition, is one who defends the belt against whomever the organization chooses. It is, after all, the UFC belt and not the “Jon Jones ” title. Jon should not be hubristic enough to refuse a fight because he feels the challenger beneath him. The esteem of the title is the “jackpot”- not Jones. This is especially true if this opponent is a last-ditch effort to save the show and no other viable option exists.
An ensuing argument seemed to contradict itself when he rated Chael as a dangerous top-five fighter but still deemed him unworthy. Jones went on to discredit Sonnen’s UFC record (6-5) and falsely stated that Chael lost his last two fights.
Chael has not lost consecutive fights since 2004. In fact, he is 5-2 in his last seven fights, and in the two fights he lost against Anderson Silva, he won five of seven rounds. On one hand, he won’t fight him because he is unworthy yet he regards him as a top-five fighter. Sound like convincing logic to you or more like the petulant rationalization of a spoiled brat?
With eight days to go, the promotion is warranted some flexibility in finding an opponent. The importance of filling the main event slot should be paramount over Jones’ personal indignity to facing someone whom he deems to have not merited an opportunity to compete for his “jackpot.”
Admittedly, Jon is correct in that Chael is not a ranked 205 fighter, as his recent fights have been at 185, but this speaks to the necessity of the situation. This would not have been a precedent. For example, Frankie Edgar’s first fight at 145 is for a title, also due to an injury. Should Anderson Silva drop to 170, he would have an instant title shot verse GSP. This makes for great fights not the opposite.
Jon also accused Chael of being a racist because of his pejorative comments about Brazil. The inhabitants of Brazil are not their own race. They are compatriots. According to Wikipedia, over 48 percent of the population is white, which is the same ethnic group as Chael. Sonnen could be accused of xenophobia or cultural insensitivity, but just as Americans are not a race, nor are Brazilians. Taking the moral high ground by labeling one a racist seems to lack conviction.
Jones says that the UFC cannot ask him to put his livelihood on the line. Asking a fighter to fight seems rather commonplace, especially when the person is the champion and is officially sponsored by the promotion. They were not asking him to risk his livelihood by competing in a spelling bee. They asked the champ to defend his belt on the same night he had been contracted to compete under identical conditions but with a different opponent. Seems rational to me.
On Vitor Belfort, Jones’ opponent for UFC 152, Jones states that he is honoured to fight him. This is Belfort’s return to the UFC after competing in various other organizations. As a 19-year-old, he was the UFC Heavyweight Tournament winner. His return to the UFC has seen him go 3-1 and having never fought at 205.
It seems incongruent that Vitor, in Jones’ mind, is a legitimate contender worthy of a title shot without having recently competed in this division, while Chael was an unacceptable last-minute replacement for the same reason.
“Bones” will amaze fans and be a massive PPV draw because of his fighting ability. No one can deny the entertainment value in watching him perform his art.
At 25, he has many more highlights to wow the world with. While many will watch to see him lose, no true fan will want to miss his shows. There is no true threat to the young lion’s throne on the horizon. It appears, for the time being, that his toughest obstacle to overcome is his age.
(Hey Bjorn, can you switch the big screen over to MTV 2? This fight is boring the shit out of meheywaitaminute!)
You know, with all the talk of “fakeness”, “arrogance”, and “haters” that has utterly dominated any Jon Jones/UFC 151-related article we have posted since the infamous event occurred, perhaps we should be thankful that there are still a few guys out there who will tell it the way it is with little to no regard for their “brand,” their fanbase, or any fight promoters that might be interested in them. Honesty appears to be a fleeting quality in MMA fighters — and athletes in general — and is often swept under the rug in favor of the kind of politically correct, sponsor-gaining rhetoric that has been carbon-copied from athlete to athlete to the point of delirium. It’s an unfortunate side effect of a culture insistent on turning everyone who can throw a ball, a punch, or a kick into a “role model.”
So, like we said, maybe we should take more time to appreciate the select guys in the MMA biz who couldn’t care less about extravagance or endorsement in an ever-popularizing sport, and would rather just speak their mind when asked to do so. We’re referring of course, to Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, who has shown in the past that he gives not a shit what MMA fans, writers, or even certain UFC presidents think about his…let’s call it “routine” style of fighting.
Askren has seen his fair share of haters since exploding army-crawling onto the MMA scene back in 2009, mainly as a result of his seemingly carefree attitude in regards to finishing a fight. Although his record stands at a perfect 10-0, Askren has only finished two of his fights, and only one if you take into account that his submission victory over Ryan Thomas at Bellator 14 was the product of a referee blunder. Whereas most of Askren’s “lay-n-pray” counterparts would likely insist that they are at the minimum always looking for a finish in a fight that simply hasn’t present itself, Askren outwardly stated in an interview with MMAJunkie that he will probably never even look for a knockout in a fight no matter how long he is in the game.
OK, maybe honesty is an overrated quality.
Full story after the jump.
(Hey Bjorn, can you switch the big screen over to MTV 2? This fight is boring the shit out of meheywaitaminute!)
You know, with all the talk of “fakeness”, “arrogance”, and “haters” that has utterly dominated any Jon Jones/UFC 151-related article we have posted since the infamous event occurred, perhaps we should be thankful that there are still a few guys out there who will tell it the way it is with little to no regard for their “brand,” their fanbase, or any fight promoters that might be interested in them. Honesty appears to be a fleeting quality in MMA fighters — and athletes in general — and is often swept under the rug in favor of the kind of politically correct, sponsor-gaining rhetoric that has been carbon-copied from athlete to athlete to the point of delirium. It’s an unfortunate side effect of a culture insistent on turning everyone who can throw a ball, a punch, or a kick into a “role model.”
So, like we said, maybe we should take more time to appreciate the select guys in the MMA biz who couldn’t care less about extravagance or endorsement in an ever-popularizing sport, and would rather just speak their mind when asked to do so. We’re referring of course, to Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, who has shown in the past that he gives not a shit what MMA fans, writers, or even certain UFC presidents think about his…let’s call it “routine” style of fighting.
Askren has seen his fair share of haters since exploding army-crawling onto the MMA scene back in 2009, mainly as a result of his seemingly carefree attitude in regards to finishing a fight. Although his record stands at a perfect 10-0, Askren has only finished two of his fights, and only one if you take into account that his submission victory over Ryan Thomas at Bellator 14 was the product of a referee blunder. Whereas most of Askren’s “lay-n-pray” counterparts would likely insist that they are at the minimum always looking for a finish in a fight that simply hasn’t present itself, Askren outwardly stated in an interview with MMAJunkie that he will probably never even look for a knockout in a fight no matter how long he is in the game.
Am I going out there looking for the knockout ever? Probably not. I doubt I’ll ever do that. I’m smart enough to stick with what I do well. I know I wrestle and use my offensive jiu-jitsu better than almost anyone in MMA. So I’m going to stick to my guns.
Now, where we’d like to say that we appreciate Askren’s honesty here, this kind of statement is not only rather depressing considering what Askren claims to do for a living, but rather foolish from a strategic standpoint as well. Part of being a great champion, or even a great fighter for that matter, comes from the ability, or at least the desire, to be constantly improving and adding newer facets to one’s game. Askren seems to be admitting that he not only cares less about improving himself as a fighter, but that he would feel awkward even attempting to step outside of his comfort zone. Then again, Askren could just be lulling his future opponents into a state of lethargy before the fight begins, only to shock them by unleashing a Nate Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia-esque combo on them out of nowhere.
But yeah, he’ll probably just stick to raping people’s legs, because psychology tells him that he won’t even be an elite-level athlete for another half decade or so:
When I won a Bellator tournament, I was only a year and four months into my fighting career, maybe. My outlook was, OK, now I get all this time to actually get good at this.
I’ve been with (trainer) Duke (Roufus) for one year now. I’m not under the delusion that I’m going to become a world-class striker in a year. That’s crazy. If anybody thinks they can actually do that, they’re an idiot.
If you read a lot of the psychology research, they say to become a world-class competitor in something, it takes 10 years, roughly. So, I haven’t got 10 years. I’ll be plenty well retired from fighting by the time I hit 10 years in fighting.
Again, I hate to turn the focus on Jon Jones, but Bones would probably laugh at such a notion if it were presented to him (unless Greg Jackson was the one presenting that theory. ZING!). The truth is, the glass ceiling is only as high as you set it, and for Askren to claim that he doesn’t even stand a chance at becoming a well-rounded athlete in less than ten years is ridiculous. Is he as freakishly built and ultra-athletic as Jones? Not even close, but neither was Chuck Liddell, who used his superior wrestling background as a basis upon which to hone his striking game. We’re not saying anyone can become a striking phenom in a year, but Askren is simply selling himself short if he believes he will never possess the ability to at least outstrike one of his opponents down the line. For Christ’s sake, he’s already been in the game for three years, and has shown so little improvement that it begs one to ask if he even trains striking in his camps.
When you take into account the recent Spike TV deal Bellator inked with Viacom, Askren’s statements take on a self-destructive quality as well. I mean, how is a company supposed to market a fighter who doesn’t even care to market himself? Askren’s last two title defenses (and his last five or so fights before that) were forgotten by their viewing audiences before they even reached the second round, and if Askren likes to think about career longevity, he might want to start thinking about ways to make himself more marketable. Let’s be honest, Chael Sonnen is nowhere near the most exciting fighter in the world, and in fact is pretty low on the in-ring excitability totem pole, which is something I just made up. But he makes us want to watch him fight because he has the uncanny power to instill a confidence in his abilities that we have never really seen come to fruition. Sonnen’s fighting ability is the Bigfoot of fighting abilities; it may or may not exist, but everyone is still going to talk about it.
But instead of trying any of the above options, it seems that Askren is destined to use the “MMA fans don’t understand me” argument that has led to the career-defining turns of absolutely noone:
I don’t expect them to appreciate it. I would say the majority of MMA fans don’t have a great technical knowledge base, and really, what they want to see is people snapping arms, or people knocking people out. There’s no appreciation for the finer points of jiu-jitsu or wrestling. But I’m OK with that. It’s not like I feel the need to change it or think I actually can.
Well Ben, I may not speak for the majority of MMA fans, but simply put, you are dead wrong here. MMA fans don’t need to see mangled limbs and vicious knockouts, but we do need to see the slightest desire to finish a fight, something you have not shown as long as we’ve known you. You preach about “the finer points of Jiu-Jitsu”, but we fail to see where laying in someone’s guard round after round fits into the mindset that the Gracie family brought to the early days of the UFC. Back then, Jiu-Jitsu was something that struck unexpected fear into the hearts of competitors, not something Royce used to outpoint his fellow fighters without the slightest comprehension of aggression.
Anyway, agree or disagree with Askren in the comments section. But for the love of God, don’t turn this thread into a discussion on Jon Jones.
On August 9, 2008, a young 21-year-old named Jon Jones made his UFC debut after just two weeks notice. Fighting on short notice was nothing new for Jones, as he fought three times in April that year. Jones was a perfect 6-0 before his first U…
On August 9, 2008, a young 21-year-old named Jon Jones made his UFC debut after just two weeks notice.
Fighting on short notice was nothing new for Jones, as he fought three times in April that year.
Jones was a perfect 6-0 before his first UFC fight and had never went the distance.
The same year he made his UFC debut was also the year he became an MMA pro.
Fast forward to 2012 and Jones is sitting at the top of the MMA world.
The current UFC light heavyweight champion is arguably the second best fighter in the world despite only being in the sport for four years.
And despite recent controversies such as a DUI and not accepting a fight against ChaelSonnen to save UFC 151, it is hard to argue that Jones is still not the poster boy for the UFC.
But focusing on his in-ring ability alone, Jones has already had one of the best careers in MMA history.
After beating veterans like Brandon Vera, Stephan Bonnar and Vladimir Matyushenko, Jones faced off against another rising star with a similar record in Ryan Bader.
Jones dominated Bader, defeating him by submission at UFC 126.
Just one short month later, Jones would step in for then-friend, Rashad Evans, and take on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC title.
Jones defeated Rua by TKO and would go on to defend the title against two other former champions in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and LyotoMachida.
It’s not uncommon for young fighters to dominate older ones if they are past their prime.
But Jones not only dominated older competition, he dominated fighters who were champions and at the peak of their careers.
Jones added Evans to the list at UFC 145 in April.
Jones has often been called the leader of the new school. Although he has been freakishly dominating, he is not the only young fighter who has easily taken out the competition.
UFC champions Junior dos Santos and Jose Aldo have both proven to be great threats without getting in much trouble during a fight.
Aldo is just a few days away from turning 26, while dos Santos is 28 and has only had 16 fights in his pro career.
Like Jones, Aldo and dos Santos have one loss a piece.
But despite other fighters being good and his own recent downfalls, Jones is still the face of the next generation of MMA fighter.
While he may not be the most popular among fans or Dana White at the moment, until there is somebody who can stop his reign, Jones will remain the leader of the new school.
With two title fights, a middleweight bout with huge championship implications and one of the most stacked cards in recent memory, UFC 152 is set to be one of the biggest events of 2012. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is set to headline the card …
With two title fights, a middleweight bout with huge championship implications and one of the most stacked cards in recent memory, UFC 152 is set to be one of the biggest events of 2012.
Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is set to headline the card against long-time MMA veteran and dangerous striker Vitor Belfort, and in a rare treat, the co-main event features a second title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship.
The entire fight card is full of exciting matchups, and anyone with even the slightest interest in MMA should go out of their way to check out this card.
Surprise surprise, somebody else has an opinion of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
