There’s so much hate in MMA. In recent days, yet another volley of hate was flung at Jon Jones, this time for his refusal to fight Chael Sonnen. It got me thinking: How well-liked are today’s UFC champs, really? Being a well-liked champion isn’t e…
In recent days, yet another volley of hate was flung at Jon Jones, this time for his refusal to fight Chael Sonnen. It got me thinking: How well-liked are today’s UFC champs, really?
Being a well-liked champion isn’t easy. They live under surveillance—no mistake goes unnoticed. When a champ makes a public action, it’s bound to be scrutinized by hordes of UFC message boarders. And by God, their fights better not disappoint.
In fact, message boards are a nifty place to feel the pulse of the fan community. Any Sherdogger has a true sense of which fighters are favored and which are hated. It’s especially easy to tell which fighters are hated, since Sherdog is barbed with spiteful words. I guess there’s no thrill in praise.
Herein is a ranking of UFC champs from least hated to most hated. It’s subjective and you may disagree. The rankings are based on my experiences digging through message boards, along with my time in drunken crowds during pay-per-views. If you’ve been to a bar on fight night, you know that uninhibited hate flows as freely as the booze.
Some of the more hated champs also enjoy many fans, but this list doesn’t consider that; haters only.
More news is beginning to trickle in regarding the absolutely absurdity that is the Jon Jones title defense after UFC 151 was cancelled. We know that Jones is now fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, but the question remains: What happened to the propose…
More news is beginning to trickle in regarding the absolutely absurdity that is the Jon Jones title defense after UFC 151 was cancelled. We know that Jones is now fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, but the question remains: What happened to the proposed bout with Lyoto Machida?
On the emergency phone call yesterday with UFC President Dana White, White announced that Machida would face Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 152 in Toronto. He made it a point to explain that Jones had to accept the fight, and that if he didn’t, there would be consequences. The UFC even went as far as to create an updated poster for UFC 152 featuring Jones and Machida.
This brings us back to the original question of what happened to Machida?
This afternoon, Machida’s management team released a statement explaining why the karate specialist is not fighting Jones in Toronto.
Machida’s reasoning is because he didn’t want to take a fight on four weeks’ notice. This isn’t the first time that he’s turned down a bout on short notice. He was briefly linked to Rashad Evans at UFC 133 last summer, but tried to get additional money to take the bout.
Regarding UFC 152, Machida had the following to say: “I want to serve the UFC and recapture the belt. I always respect my opponent. For those reasons, I must prepare myself in the manner I believe in.”
The release went even further to explain that Machida would have taken the bout at UFC 153 in Brazil had it been offered. It would have allowed for an additional three weeks for preparations.
It’s hard to tell truth from fiction these days where Chael Sonnen is concerned.UFC’s resident trash-talker hasn’t stopped flapping his gums since Jon Jones refused to fight him on short notice for UFC 151 after Dan Henderson went down with a knee inju…
It’s hard to tell truth from fiction these days where Chael Sonnen is concerned.
UFC’s resident trash-talker hasn’t stopped flapping his gums since Jon Jones refused to fight him on short notice for UFC 151 after Dan Henderson went down with a knee injury.
Jon Jones is a delusional brat. He talks of being a businessman?! What?! What risks did he take? What capital did he raise? Where exactly is his office located? How many people does he employ? Hey JJ, put me on the phone with your secretary… Oh wait, what?
He then followed that up with a message from his Facebook page only hours later:
I am no longer permitted to speak ill of the former champion Jon Jones as we have come to an agreement. I will stop tearing him down verbally and in exchange he has relinquished his belt to me. I would like to read a prepared statement from the former Champion.
Mr Sonnen, In every mans life a choice must eventually be made. Run or fight. I said I wouldn’t duck any man as champion. But you are no ordinary man. You’ve spoken nothing but truth in your attempt to gain a title fight with me. My last act of cowardness is to hand over what you would have beaten out of me 8 days from today. The UFC LHW Title. Now I must refocus my life. Good luck Champ.
Signed, Jon Bones Jones
Color me skeptical, but I’m not buying this for a second. There’s no flipping way that Jones had any part of this.
Everyone knows that Sonnen can’t keep his mouth shut, and this is professional fighting we’re talking about. Trash talking has been going on like this since the dawn of mankind.
But is this a good thing for the UFC?
Back when Muhammad Ali was on top of the world, he perfected the art of trash-talking. What he did both in and out of the ring was great for the sport of boxing.
From my perspective, Mixed Martial Arts needs guys like Sonnen. There’s nothing more appealing for fans of the sport than when trash-talkers like him get beat down and shut up for a minute, and there’s nothing more irritating than when they win.
The power of emotions is a strong aphrodisiac to advertising companies, and as the sport of MMA continues to grow in popularity, the UFC can only benefit from keeping Sonnen and others like him around to stir the pot.
People either love him or hate him. There is no in between.
As long as us media types continue to talk about Sonnen, he’s good for the UFC.
The reason us media types continue to talk about Sonnen is because the masses can’t get enough of his pot-stirring words.
Long live the power of emotions. Keep flapping those gums, Sonnen.
Things are not sitting particularly well in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after Jon Jones made history by turning down the opportunity to defend his title (via Kevin Iole of Yahoo!). This, of course, prompted the first-ever cancellation of a UFC c…
Things are not sitting particularly well in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after Jon Jones made history by turning down the opportunity to defend his title (via Kevin Iole of Yahoo!).
This, of course, prompted the first-ever cancellation of a UFC card, an instance that has stirred something deep in the bowels of the often-irritable Dana White.
However, even with all the fingers seeming to point toward one side of the argument, we need to ask: Was Jones justified in his decision?
With Dan Henderson’s injury coming just nine days before the duo were set to meet in the octagon, Chael Sonnen was swiftly appointed as successor to the Jones challenge.
No matter how much it may seem as if they do it for our enjoyment, not all fighters are out there getting seven shades of shark shampoo beaten out of them for our benefit.
Jones isn’t long after signing one of the biggest sponsorship deals in the world of professional sports with Nike (via MMAWeekly.com), an endorsement that makes him one of the richest competitors in his field.
The 25-year-old has always exuded the impression of a down-to-earth guy that just happens to be lethal in a one-on-one standoff.
In short terms, Jones has worked hard to get to where he is and earn the money that he has.
Whatever Jones’ motivation may truly be—whether it’s money, power or just bragging rights—it’s easier to see where he’s coming from than many would at first sight.
In Sonnen, Jones would have faced an opponent with massive wrestling ability and relentless determination, even in a sport where determination is an attribute that gets traded about in every event.
To go with all that abstract positivity is a very solid set of fists that, even with his decent chin, could quite easily knock Jones for six were he to slip up for even a second.
“Bones” will have been looking at the prospect of fighting Sonnen, an opponent he hadn’t even been training for, and thinking: “Am I willing to throw away all that I’ve worked for?”
“I signed a contract a long time ago to fight Dan Henderson. That’s what I studied for, and that’s what I prepared myself for. To take a fight with a different opponent in which I would basically have three days of training before traveling and then starting to cut weight I just thought would be the dumbest idea ever. I wouldn’t have been properly prepared.”
It’s understandable. If Carly Rae Jepsen was booked for months to appear at a re-envisaging of Live Aid, she’d be over the moon.
However, if the “Call Me Maybe” star’s agents then told her it was a mistake, and that she’d actually be playing to a crowd at Burning Man, she might be slightly bemused.
Jones has supplied MMA fans with massive amounts of entertainment since he first entered the UFC as a 20-year-old.
Surely, after dedicating so much of his life to that cause, he may have earned a slight reprieve?
While it may seem like a selfish decision right now, the reason that Jones has gotten to his current status is because he’s calm, calculated and never enters a fight without a game plan.
For that reason, you can see why he wasn’t about to change strategy now.
Reputations are built over a lifetime but can be ruined in seconds.
Another reason we may want to let up on Jones is because this audience-impacting choice may not have been a choice of his at all—more of his coach and trainer, Greg Jackson.
According to Ken Pishna of MMAWeekly.com, White phrased Jackson as advising his fighter that to take up the challenge of Sonnen would “the biggest mistake of his entire career.”
The same article goes on to explain how the UFC president lambasted the Jackson/Jones decision, citing the other fighters’ need for their matches on the undercard as a reason.
This, too, is fair.
While Jones has his multimillion dollar deals with multiple global brands, there are those on the undercard who are somewhat more desperate to prove themselves at any opportunity thrown their way.
A lot of the animosity towards the decision that came out of Jones’ camp is undoubtedly coming from a section of the MMA fraternity that are simply fed up with the champ’s success.
If there’s anything people love to see more than the rise of a hero, it’s the dramatic fall of one.
Jones is certainly a hero to many and, as was touched upon earlier, he hasn’t gotten there by making rash decisions.
In the grand scheme of things, fighting Sonnen would have assuredly been a rash decision.
As is often the scale of reference in MMA, the Sonnen bout would have provided Jones with maximum risk and minimum gain.
He would have been expected to beat his opponent as the firm favourite, but if he lost by some chance, he would have lost everything.
Come UFC 152, many will have forgotten about this, a landmark in the sport, and they will care solely about the result that comes after those 15 minutes.
Regardless of White’s business-minded hatred towards the decision, Jones is merely thinking of Numero Uno and, for being that honest, it’s hard to lump too much blame on him.
With the whirlwind of anger being directed at Jon Jones following UFC 151 being deleted from existence, only one question comes to my mind: Was Jones told that his declining to fight Chael Sonnen would cost the fans and fellow fighters the entire 151 c…
With the whirlwind of anger being directed at Jon Jones following UFC 151 being deleted from existence, only one question comes to my mind: Was Jones told that his declining to fight Chael Sonnen would cost the fans and fellow fighters the entire 151 card?
It is a very important question to ask before you blame the light heavyweight champion for the loss of an entire event.
Selfish decision or not, Jones has the right to accept or decline a fight at anytime. He signed to fight Dan Henderson, and Henderson got hurt. That leaves him and his management free to listen to the UFC’s plans and accept them or not.
Regardless of what Jones decides, the show must go on. It’s as simple as that. Word came out on Friday per USA Today that Lyoto Machida was offered to step in, in a rematch that Jones reluctantly accepted. Then, Machida declined. Why no hate towards Lyoto? Lyoto should be chomping at the bit to avenge what happened to him last December—eight days or not.
These men are highly trained athletes who should be able to fight with little notice, and we have some of them declining left, right and center.
So now, it turns out it will be Jones vs. Vitor Belfort on September 22nd at UFC 152 in Toronto.
Instead of cancelling the 151 card card and leaving fans, other fighters and themselves furious, the UFC and president Dana White should have used their muscle to force two fighters to fill in and make this card happen.
There is talk that they did not want another low-value, low-revenue event to go down, and I say that is completely the wrong approach. Stand by your roster and to hell with all those “fans” and “media” who bitch and complain about quality of card and declining pay-per-view numbers.
The UFC is playing right into the hands of those complainers by cancelling an entire card and saying it is not worthy of going off. The show must go on. If UFC 149 in Calgary was not cancelled, then no card should be cancelled, and the UFC has now opened a vicious can of worms. The show must go on. Did I say that already?
Chris Weidman told MMAFighting.com that he offered to step in and fight Jones for his belt, and we all know that Chael Sonnen was an inch away from talking himself into a shot; and people are holding him up on a pedestal. Of course these two wanted to fight. It is a win-win for both of them to get a shot at Jones.
Why not settle them both down by saying, “OK boys, you both want to fight and Jones doesn’t. You two are the UFC 151 main event. Go save the card.” Sonnen vs Weidman. Would they be as eager to put it on the line against each other? I’m not so sure.
You can say chicken Jones all you want, but we all know that is not the case. Be as mad as you want at him for not wanting to fight Sonnen and all comers. Just don’t blame Jones for the cancelling of UFC 151.
It wasn’t his decision to scrap the entire thing. All he did was decline a fight on eight days notice. If you want to be mad at someone for cancelling the card, be mad at White for making a frustrated, emotional decision that certainly can’t and won’t be good for business.
Simply put, yes.UFC commissioner Dana White’s press conference on August 23, 2012 (h/t MMA Mania) attacked defending light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones and his trainer, Greg Jackson, for their unwillingness to defend the title at …
Simply put, yes.
UFC commissioner Dana White‘s press conference on August 23, 2012 (h/t MMA Mania) attacked defending light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones and his trainer, Greg Jackson, for their unwillingness to defend the title at UFC 151 on short notice.
The original competitor, Dan Henderson, was deemed unable to go with a partial tear in his knee, specifically the MCL. White ran through his Rolodex before Chael Sonnen, a loud-mouthed American fighter and two-time middleweight title challenger, agreed to the fight.
Jones, however, was not interested in fighting Sonnen, as his trainer Greg Jackson advised him that taking the fight on eight days’ notice would be a bad business decision.
Outraged, Dana White addressed the ramifications of this decision by Jackson and Jones when prompted by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in a Q&A segment of the outrageous press conference.
“It’s a major, major deal. We lose shit loads of money, money that’s already been spent. Were eight days out [of the fight]. It’s the first time we’ve ever done this.”
Meltzer asked what the fans can expect from this cancellation, to which White replied, “They’ll get refunded.”
The press conference has been the source of a lot of intrigue, and it may bring UFC more attention than the September 1 series of fights would have. This attention comes mainly because of White’s foul language and his apparent hatred of Jones and Jackson for the decision they made.
Jones’ unwillingness to fight caused White to cancel the entire pay-per-view event, which, in turn, cancelled those fights on the undercard as well.
Yet White did not seem as concerned with the undercard, replying to a question from David Martin of mmaweekly.com with “We’ll figure it out,” when asked how he will handle the other fights that were set to occur in Las Vegas, Nev. on the first day of September.
This is where White goes over the line in his bashing of Jones. White is pinning this whole thing on Jones, who he sees as already an unpopular champion of the sport. In doing this, White puts the pressure on Jones to carry both the UFC and any card he appears on, as White made it obvious that without the headline fight, there is no reason to go forth with the event.
The commissioner began running commercials for the Jones vs. Sonnen fight as soon as Sonnen told him he accepted the fight offer. He did not consult Jones before pursuing this campaign, assuming the fighter would be fine with White’s decision to find a replacement.
Asked by Foxsports.com’s Claudine Graham in the same Q&A segment if he thought Jones was scared to lose, White replied:
“I don’t know. I don’t know why someone considered the pound-for-pound best wouldn’t want to fight anybody.”
White will never forgive Jon “Bones” Jones for this maneuver, and he may do all that he can to ruin his trainer’s credibility. The commissioner said of Jackson:
“[He’s] a sport killer, this guy is from another planet, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
The commissioner mocked the trainer and fighter’s reasoning of a business decision, saying, “I always laugh when a fighter says I’m a businessmen. No you’re not, you’re a fighter.”
White then brought up the most difficult fighter to deal with in the history of UFC, Tito Ortiz, and said that though he was a pain in the neck, he never turned down a fight.
ESPN’s Todd Graham asked how the recent turmoil affects Jones’ UFC sponsorship and his relationship with the sport, to which White could only say, “A lot.”
It looks like Dana White will hold a grudge against Jones going forward, and possibly encourage UFC commercial campaigns to bring up this refusal to fight when creating future ads for the sport.
Jones and Jackson, meanwhile, can only prepare for their next fight, and hope Dana White does not continue to verbally bash the two of them in an over-the-top manner.
The commissioner will get a lot of heat for this, and deservedly so. He attacked one of his players and his trainer, which is something that commissioners in other sports do not often do.
UFC is different and does not need a nice guy running the show, but White is letting money issues drive his anger toward Jones, as this anger is surfacing itself in an irrational, hate-filled manner.
More news is beginning to trickle in regarding the absolutely absurdity that is the Jon Jones title defense after UFC 151 was cancelled. We know that Jones is now fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, but the question remains: What happened to the proposed bout with