Jon “Bones” Jones has gone full heel.A lot has been made about how the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is “ducking” a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson. Gustafsson gave Bones one of the hardest fights of his life in September 2013, leaving the …
Jon “Bones” Jones has gone full heel.
A lot has been made about how the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is “ducking” a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson. Gustafsson gave Bones one of the hardest fights of his life in September 2013, leaving the champion battered and bruised. Bones won in a very controversial unanimous decision, and a rematch has been expected and anticipated ever since.
Yet here we are, with no date set and no contract signed.
Naturally, fans have been quick to accuse Jones of “ducking,” and they may be right. Jones, however, responds to that claim in the above video. Saying that he wants a match against the rapidly ascending Daniel Cormier, he does not feel that the ducking argument holds water.
His response isn’t exactly kind, either.
Note: Jones deleted the video on his Instagram account shortly after posting.
Like him or not, UFC president Dana White has been an ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts.
Credited for keeping the UFC alive, White can easily be considered one of the top five most influential people in the history of the sport.
His teeth-…
Like him or not, UFC president Dana White has been an ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts.
Credited for keeping the UFC alive, White can easily be considered one of the top five most influential people in the history of the sport.
His teeth-sinking control sometimes overstays its welcome, but, for the most part, his ambitious and performance-driven demands of every intricate part of the promotion have transformed the UFC into the international avenue it is today.
But as accountable and hands-on as White currently is, there will come a time when his presidential hourglass will expire.
That will create an unthinkable void of epic proportions—one that will force the UFC as a whole to sift through worthy candidates, proven executives and unique personalities who could potentially handle the pressure and lifestyle the position so adamantly demands.
So, who fits that profile? Who is capable of handling that role with flying colors?
Is there someone who has displayed the confidence, professional demeanor and overall gusto to get the job done?
Well, White apparently already has a dog in the race when it comes to his replacement.
“I think Chael [Sonnen] would be fantastic,” said White in a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco. “The thing is with Chael, though, is that he over-exaggerates too much, and you don’t know what’s real and what’s not.”
Sonnen is one of the more outspoken masters of the mic and has been known to fib in the past, so it may surprise some people that Sonnen‘s name would come out of White’s mouth.
But if you look at the picture as a whole, there’s no other fighter in the world better than Sonnen at promoting fights, stirring interest amongst fans, seeing things from an open-minded business perspective and understanding what it will take to maintain promotional promise.
Are there other candidates with better backgrounds in business growth and corporate stability? Absolutely.
But being the commissioner of the UFC demands a certain amount of knowledge of the fight game. White’s job is not only dictated by business deals and international saturation, but it is also often mapped out by his ability to talk with the media, discuss past and future fights, and understand how to represent the company in a professional, yet personal, matter.
That’s why a guy like Sonnen makes more sense than one might think.
“Chael is obviously a passionate guy,” added White. “I think he loves [the sport], and he’s great.”
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Sonnen loves the sport of MMA, but handling the demands of White’s position could spell mental insanity.
As the president of a company like the UFC, you need to possess a certain level of crazy. The job can be volatile at times and even unbearable, but if there’s a man in the shadows right now who can handle that unpredictable lifestyle, it would be Sonnen.
There’s tough, and then there’s Tammi Musumeci. During Sunday’s International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Championship finals, Musumeci found herself in a terrible spot against multiple world champion, Michelle Nicolini. Using strategic grappl…
There’s tough, and then there’s Tammi Musumeci. During Sunday’s International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Championship finals, Musumeci found herself in a terrible spot against multiple world champion, Michelle Nicolini. Using strategic grappling, newly signed Legacy FC fighter Nicolini contorted Musumeci in such a way that great torque was placed on Musumeci’s arm.
(Note: The video below shows a graphic arm injury. It is not for the squeamish.)
This is a nasty injury. So what? Injuries happen all the time, right? Well, that may be true, but the injury isn’t the important part here—it was her ability to gut it out, survive and finish the fight. There is no quit in this one.
Musumeci was actually up on points, and winning the fight, before the dramatic transition from Nicolini who ended up winning the match 13-6.
Bruce Buffer is the veteran voice of the Octagon in the UFC. If you hear him announce your name, you know you’ve hit the big time.UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping recently got married, and Buffer was there to give a trademark performance.&nbs…
Bruce Buffer is the veteran voice of the Octagon in the UFC. If you hear him announce your name, you know you’ve hit the big time.
UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping recently got married, and Buffer was there to give a trademark performance.
UFC welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger believes women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is talented enough to hang with her male counterparts inside the cage based on her skill and work ethic.
“The Juggernaut” made the bold proclamation in an i…
UFC welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger believes women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is talented enough to hang with her male counterparts inside the cage based on her skill and work ethic.
“The Juggernaut” made the bold proclamation in an interview with Fox Sports on Friday:
“Oh, yeah. She could and she would,” Ellenberger said. “I’ve known her for a few years but what really stands out with her is she works harder than most people in this sport. Male or female, it doesn’t matter. She’s always in the gym whether she has a fight coming up or not. And it shows … There’s no secret to success but hard work, and she’s one of the hardest-working people in the sport in my opinion … She absolutely could beat a lot of the guys in that division”
Rousey, a former Olympic bronze medalist in judo, is a perfect 9-0 inside the Octagon and has only gone beyond the first round in a fight on one occasion.
Currently boasting four successful title defenses, the “Rowdy” one will step into the cage for the third time in just six-and-a-half months or so when she again defends her belt against Alexis Davis at UFC 175 on July 5.
According to FoxSports.com, Davis seems to believe karma is on her side and that Rousey is due for a letdown. Whether that is wishful thinking will be decided inside the Octagon.
The 27-year-old part-time movie star has yet to truly be tested inside the cage, seeing virtually no offensive output from her opponents outside of her bouts with Miesha Tate and her UFC debut against Liz Carmouche.
According to the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings, Rousey is the No. 10 fighter in the world, behind UFC welterweight champ Johny Hendricks and in front of middleweight title contender VitorBelfort.
While Rousey and Ellenberger train at two different gyms, MMA Fighting reports that the heavy-handed wrestler has been boxing with Rousey‘s head striking coach, Edmond Tarverdyan.
Furthermore, Ellenberger has been frequenting the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy to round out his grappling game—a facility Rousey also visits regularly.
Considering women’s MMA has only been a part of the UFC for 15 months, fight fans are probably a ways off from seeing Rousey slug it out with the likes of Urijah Faber or Dominick Cruz.
But if it could happen, would the fans be interested in watching?
JohnHeinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com
