Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS — Mixed martial arts has had its “Prodigy” and its “Phenom.” Jon Jones may not have a nickname that so accurately captures his youthful brilliance or rapid ascent in the MMA world — he goes by “Bones” — but he appears every…
LAS VEGAS — Mixed martial arts has had its “Prodigy” and its “Phenom.” Jon Jones may not have a nickname that so accurately captures his youthful brilliance or rapid ascent in the MMA world — he goes by “Bones” — but he appears every bit the next-level talent with the capabilities of dominating his weight class for the next decade.
Or maybe even longer.
“I think this kid has all the tools to be maybe the best ever someday,” UFC president Dana White said after Jones handed Ryan Bader his first career loss during a second-round submission win at UFC 126.
(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa…
(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa does that ridiculous duck-face thing, and Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos face off for the unofficial Mexican Bantamweight Championship. All photos courtesy of the UFC 126: Weigh In Pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com)
Fuck football. Unless you were cursed enough to grow up in Green Bay, or you’re a supporter of dudes who get accused of rape a lot, you know as well as I do that this weekend belongs to cage-fighting. And if you don’t, you can piss off right now. Seriously. The rest of us will wait.
Now then. Tonight’s ultra-stacked lineup features the longest-reigning champion in UFC history defending his middleweight title for the eighth time against a power-punching dynamo who used to be a UFC champion himself, seven years and one weight-class ago. Supporting the main event will be a scrap between two Octagon icons and former belt-holders (Franklin vs. Griffin), a fight that could produce the future of the 205-pound division (Jones vs. Bader), Miguel Torres’s breathtaking mullet, and the UFC debuts of some exciting imported talent from Japan.
Live UFC 126 results will be stacking up after the jump, beginning with a quick recap of the Yamamoto/Johnson Facebook match at 8:25 p.m. ET, leading into the Spike TV prelims broadcast at 9 p.m., and finally the pay-per-view broadcast at 10 p.m. So we’ve got a long night of fighting in front of us — but hey, nobody ever said being an MMA fan would be easy.
Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — Fight week has evolved into a mega-event feel. The intensity between main event participants Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in the middleweight championship match is palpable, there are stars on the card like Forres…
LAS VEGAS — Fight week has evolved into a mega-event feel. The intensity between main event participants Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in the middleweight championship match is palpable, there are stars on the card like Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin, and the buzz around Jon Jones is hard to miss. Continuing the momentum, Friday’s UFC 126 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Bay Events Center were packed, thousands of fans making sure not a single seat went unfilled.
Silva and Belfort gave the fans a preview of what’s to come, engaging in one of the most intense staredowns in UFC history before exchanging words and eventually being separated by UFC personnel.
Silva, playing on Belfort’s recent assertions that he “wears a mask,” in putting on a different persona to intimidate his opponents, took the words literally, wearing a white mask and going nose-to-nose with Belfort before ripping it off and exchanging some words with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion. He and Belfort heatedly went back and forth, with both refusing to back down until being pulled apart.
(VidProps: ESPN)
If you’re not already pumped for UFC 126, there isn’t much we (or modern medicine) can do for you at this point. The card is stacked, the matchups are stellar and the UFC middleweight champion showed up at the weigh-in looki…
If you’re not already pumped for UFC 126, there isn’t much we (or modern medicine) can do for you at this point. The card is stacked, the matchups are stellar and the UFC middleweight champion showed up at the weigh-in looking like he just stepped out of the orgy scene in “Eyes Wide Shut” and damn near started a brawl. What more do you want? Fine, we’ve got a couple more tidbits for you, but after this we’re done until tonight’s live blog and tomorrow’s aftermath retrospectives.
First, some interesting stuff came out of ESPN’s MMA Live weigh-in special (video at top) on Friday. Most notably, Franklin McNeil makes the wild, barely attributable claim that estranged trainer Shawn Tompkins has been leaking secrets to Anderson Silva’s camp since splitting with Vitor Belfort a couple weeks ago. Basically McNeil quotes “several” anonymous sources telling him hazy things about Tompkins “being in contact with Team Silva” and he “assumes” that it means Tompkins is stabbing Vitor in the back. Dude, and people call us rumor mongers? He also refers to Shawn Tompkins as “Thompson” at least once here, but that’s really beside the point.
Also, we’ve got quotes from Jon Jones that make him sound either totally prepared for Ryan Bader, or not prepared at all. It’s all after the jump …
(Props: Neon Bar Fights via MiddleEasy)
Not only does UFC light-heavyweight contender Jon Jones have a lot of hype, his hype has a lot of hype. By that I mean, Jones’s lofty reputation has become a major talking point in itself. Ryan Bader wants t…
Not only does UFC light-heavyweight contender Jon Jones have a lot of hype, his hype has a lot of hype. By that I mean, Jones’s lofty reputation has become a major talking point in itself. Ryan Bader wants to end that hype at UFC 126; Jones wants to transcend it. On Sunday morning, Bones could be living with his first real defeat, while keyboard warriors claim he was never that great in the first place.
That’s because hype is fragile. Legacy, on the other hand, can never be taken away — and if Jones slashes through Bader tomorrow night, he’ll be one step closer to securing his own. What really makes Jon Jones interesting is that his journey in the sport is just beginning. His pro debut was in April 2008, less than three years ago. The path in front of him is limitless.
Anyway, check out this highlight reel, because it’s honestly one of the best we’ve ever seen.
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveLAS VEGAS — It’s time to take the big step for either Jon Jones or Ryan Bader at UFC 126. They both can’t make it. One of them will move on and into the title picture, and the other will be left behind to pick up th…
LAS VEGAS — It’s time to take the big step for either Jon Jones or Ryan Bader at UFC 126. They both can’t make it. One of them will move on and into the title picture, and the other will be left behind to pick up the pieces.
Until now it’s been smooth sailing for each. Bader — a former NCAA wrestling All-American — is a perfect 12-0 since turning pro in 2007, while Jones — also a collegiate wrestler — has only a minor blip on his 11-1 record, the only loss coming via disqualification for illegal elbows in a fight he was otherwise dominating. Each man also has a signature win. For Bader it was a unanimous decision over respected veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119; for Jones it was a first-round thrashing of Brandon Vera.
For two fighters who have had fairly parallel careers, it’s notable that oddsmakers and bettors have Jones as a more than 3-to-1 favorite. For those who don’t follow gambling, that’s a significant number that means Jones is an overwhelming pick to win.
LAS VEGAS — Mixed martial arts has had its “Prodigy” and its “Phenom.” Jon Jones may not have a nickname that so accurately captures his youthful brilliance or rapid ascent in the MMA world — he goes by “Bones” — but he appears every bit the next-level talent with the capabilities of dominating his weight class for the next decade.
LAS VEGAS — Fight week has evolved into a mega-event feel. The intensity between main event participants 
LAS VEGAS — It’s time to take the big step for either 