Jon Jones has had a roller coaster ride of a week. On Saturday night at Denver’s UFC 135 main event, Jones crushed Quinton Jackson to retain the light heavyweight championship. On Tuesday, Colorado regulatory officials medically suspended him for…
Jon Jones has had a roller coaster ride of a week.
On Saturday night at Denver’s UFC 135 main event, Jones crushed Quinton Jackson to retain the light heavyweight championship. On Tuesday, Colorado regulatory officials medically suspended him for six months, although the length can be shortened to 45 days.
It’s the same amount of time Aaron Riley got for withdrawing from his fight with Tony Ferguson after claiming he had a broken jaw after the first round. Even crazier, it was much longer than the 60 days Jackson got, who clearly got the worst of Saturday’s bout.
All things considered, it’s really not a big deal according to Chad Dundas of ESPN.com:
Before this and reports that Jon Jones may have injured his foot—supported by accounts that he had to be helped to and from the post-fight news conference—elicit an audible groan from both fight fans and the camp of Rashad Evans, it should be noted that these suspensions are sometimes purely precautionary. If Jones can get the go-ahead from his physician, he can be back to training soon enough, likely in time to make, say, a potential Super Bowl weekend show against Evans.
All he needs is a doctor’s note to reduce the suspension as the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ Office of Boxing is just being cautious. The last thing they want is for him to rush back only to suffer a far greater injury with the department catching the blame.
The limp was quite noticeable in the post-fight press conference, but clearly it wasn’t a factor during the bout.
Jones was likely going to sit on the huge win for a while anyways. He’s the champ and needs to make sure everyone knows as much. Enjoy the belt for the next six months and make sure your ankle is completely healthy before putting the belt on the line.
There is no reason for Jones to rush back into the ring.
After destroying Quinton Jackson at UFC 135, Jon Jones stood in the octagon with his next opponent, Rashad Evans, and said that he was upset his former training partner was ruining another big day for him. But the light heavyweight champion won’t have …
After destroying Quinton Jackson at UFC 135, Jon Jones stood in the octagon with his next opponent, Rashad Evans, and said that he was upset his former training partner was ruining another big day for him. But the light heavyweight champion won’t have to worry about Evans for at least six months.
According to a report on MMAJunkie.com, Jones received a six-month medical suspension. Details of the suspension were not made public, but Jackson, who was beaten around the octagon for four rounds before getting choked out, was only given a two-month suspension.
This is yet another convenient excuse that Jones has to use to avoid his long-awaited, much-anticipated fight with Evans.
Earlier this year, after Jones won the light heavyweight championship, he was supposed to defend the title against Evans, but a mysterious hand injury forced him to withdraw from the fight. It was believed that the injury would require surgery, but Jones was advised not to have the surgery.
So Evans, who had been on the shelf for over a year waiting for then-champion Mauricio Rua to recover from injuries, decided that he had to get back in the octagon, and took a fight with Phil Davis.
Then, as soon as Evans took another fight, Jones decides that his hand is in good enough shape to fight again.
It was sketchy at the time, and this latest mystery makes things look even more convenient for Jones.
Now, to be fair to the situation, we don’t know what is wrong with Jones. He might have done something to himself in the fight with Jackson, though he seemed to be in perfect condition in the post-event press conference.
But this whole thing just doesn’t feel right. It is obvious that something is going on in Jones’ mind that will not allow him to fight Evans. I don’t know if it is just the fact that they were so close before, and Jones wants to recapture that bond, or if Evans knows something about Jones that he can exploit in a fight.
Until the mystery of Jones’ medical suspension is revealed—if it ever is—all we have are a series of questions that don’t have answers.
Despite his best efforts, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was unsuccessful in his attempt to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title against Jon Jones at UFC 135. However, Jackson appears to have moved past his recent loss and now looks to the future. H…
Despite his best efforts, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was unsuccessful in his attempt to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title against Jon Jones at UFC 135.
However, Jackson appears to have moved past his recent loss and now looks to the future. He requested a rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua shortly after the Jones bout and hoped to face him when the UFC returns to Japan next year.
But after learning that Rua is already scheduled to face Dan Henderson in November, Jackson redirected his focus on another opponent.
“I’ll fight Forrest [Griffin] in Japan, me and Forrest just lost, put two losers in there together,” Jackson told Fightline.com.
Jackson and Griffin previously met for the UFC light heavyweight crown at UFC 86 in 2008. The bout was met with controversy after Griffin upset Jackson in a narrow split decision, which the former champion still believes he won.
Considering Jackson’s popularity and success during his tenure in Pride FC, it would make sense to include him on the event.
The UFC plans to make its return to host an event at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan in February 2012.
Filed under: UFC, NewsThis past Saturday’s UFC 135 event from the Pepsi Center in Denver drew a total crowd of 16,344 for a final gate of $2,089,575, the Colorado athletic commission revealed Tuesday.
Of the 16,344 in attendance, 14,247 paid for ticke…
This past Saturday’s UFC 135 event from the Pepsi Center in Denver drew a total crowd of 16,344 for a final gate of $2,089,575, the Colorado athletic commission revealed Tuesday.
Of the 16,344 in attendance, 14,247 paid for tickets and 2,097 were comped.
More UFC 135 notes from the commission are below.
— When it comes to fighter salaries, the commission says it only verifies that fighters are paid by promoters and fighter salaries are not disclosed.
— Tony Ferguson was awarded the victory over Aaron Riley after it became apparent Riley had suffered an injury to his jaw. Riley has since been issued a 180-day suspension which can be reduced to 90 days with medical clearance.
–Despite a dominant win in the main event, Jon Jones was handed a 180-day suspension or 45 days with medical clearance. Meanwhile, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was suspended for 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
— The only other fighter recommended for a further check-up was Jame Te Huna, whom the commission suspended 180 days or minimum 30 days with medical clearance.
Despite looking in the best shape he’s been in a long time, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, 32-9 (7-3 in the UFC) became another victim of Jon Jones at UFC 135. After being picked apart for the better part of three rounds, Jackso…
Despite looking in the best shape he’s been in a long time, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, 32-9 (7-3 in the UFC) became another victim of Jon Jones at UFC 135.
After being picked apart for the better part of three rounds, Jackson was forced to tap after getting caught in a rear naked choke.
Jones became the first person to stop Jackson inside the Octagon.
Although the door may be closed for Rampage to get the UFC title, here are some fights he could take to get right back on track.
Filed under: UFCWhat lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC’s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into…
What lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC‘s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into his best shape in years. The man is a former undisputed world champion, and he could barely lay a finger on Jones.
As Jones continues to progress, he learns how to better utilize his numerous gifts and establish his built-in advantages. Jackson loves to throw his hands, so Jones never let him, lengthening his already ridiculous reach with a steady diet of kicks. How do you punch someone you can’t reach? Answer: you can’t.
MMA math is an inexact science, but you can project how Jones will perform against Rashad Evans. While Evans has a more varied game than Jackson and boasts more speed, he’ll have to navigate the same problem with distance (Evans’ reach is 75 inches, just two inches more than Jackson’s).
At least Evans has had plenty of time to prepare. He’s known he was facing the possibility of fighting Jones since August, and he probably thought about the fight long before that. He also has some feeling for things that make Jones uncomfortable, stemming from their brief history of training together.
Still, it’s hard to shake the image of Jones completely outworking two all-time legends back to back. MMA analysis website FightMetric.com independently scores fights based on offensive striking and grappling. Against Rua, Jones won with an effectiveness score of 345-57. Against Jackson, it was 244-28. Even if you don’t know exactly know what those numbers represent, the scores make it clear he’s routing world-class fighters. Can Evans do any better? Well, we’ve never seen Jones fight a real grudge match, and that element can change a fight dynamic for better or worse. Whatever the answer, it’s going to be fun to find out.
Jon Jones
The best kind of fight booking is when one fight leads seamlessly into the next. That’s what we have here. We know Jones will next face Evans, we simply don’t know when. He’ll probably take a least a month or two off, and then the UFC can begin selling one of MMA’s most genuine rivalries. Prediction: Jones faces Evans in February.
Quinton Jackson
Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see Jackson enter a fight in great shape and give himself the best chance of winning possible. Hopefully the trend continues. There are still several interesting matchups for him, but Jackson has his eye on one or two fights in particular. Prediction: Jackson faces Forrest Griffin in the UFC’s Japan event, expected for February 2012.
Matt Hughes
The two-time welterweight champion turns 38 years old in just a few weeks, and coming off two straight knockout losses, his time is running short. Hughes said he would ask the UFC to put him “on the shelf” while he considers his future, but we already know that his wife doesn’t want him to fight any longer, and Saturday night’s result will only reinforce her opinion. As anyone who’s married knows, you might able to put your wife off for a while, but only for so long. This is probably the end for Mr. Hughes. Happy trails to the legend. Prediction: Hughes calls it quits and stays involved with the UFC in an ambassador type role.
Josh Koscheck
It was a fantastic night for Koscheck after taking the fight on short notice. Now, he faces a bit of an issue. He’s already faced division champion Georges St-Pierre twice, so as long as GSP holds the belt, Koscheck has no chance to get another title match. So his options are either to stay at 170 and continue winning while hoping that someone upsets St-Pierre, or moving up to 185, where he’ll be at a serious size disadvantage. Prediction: Koscheck loves making money, and the bigger, better matchups for him are still at 170. If Diego Sanchez heals in a timely fashion, he’s the pick for a rematch, but if not, how about we send him to the UK to fight Dan Hardy? That sounds fun.
Mark Hunt
With all the hoopla following the Jones-Rampage-Rashad triangle and Matt Hughes’ possible retirement, Mark Hunt’s story got sort of lost. But once upon a time, the UFC tried to pay Hunt to stay home and cut ties. It would have been the easiest payday of his career, but he chose to make his money the old fashioned way. Now a surprising 2-1 in the UFC after beating heavily favored Ben Rothwell, Hunt adds future paydays, all well earned. Prediction: In a battle of kickboxing specialists, Hunt faces Pat Barry in January.
Ben Rothwell
After more than a year on the sidelines, Rothwell has to be terribly disappointed at losing his return bout, but at least he fought through incredible exhaustion and refused to be finished. He’ll certainly get another crack in the octagon, but he needs to make this one count. Prediction: He faces the loser of next month’s Joey Beltran-Stipe Miocic fight early next year.
Travis Browne
Browne didn’t put on the showcase some expected against the durable Brit Rob Broughton, but in the fight game, you have to shrug off an ugly win every now and again. It should still be onward and upward for Browne, who has yet to face defeat in the cage. This time, let’s forget booking the heavyweights in elevation and put him on flat land. Prediction: Browne faces Brendan Schaub.
Nate Diaz
Diaz looks alternately spectacular (striking and jiu-jitsu) and ordinary (wrestling) depending on the opponent in front of him. Until he proves he can stop a takedown though, it’s going to be difficult to project how far he can go. The talent is there, but that one hole needs to be shut, and in the lightweight division, wrestlers are around every corner. Prediction: Diaz faces Jim Miller, a fight that would be off the charts on the intensity scale.
Takanori Gomi
Since coming over to the UFC, Gomi’s had only one flash of his old brilliance when he knocked out Tyson Griffin in April 2010. After losing three of four, the UFC has to be wondering what exactly they have on their hands. Gomi may be a historical great, but right now he’s not bringing the goods. I still think he’ll get one more chance at a winnable fight when the UFC brings the show to Japan. Prediction: Gomi faces Thiago Tavares.
Tim Boetsch
In his second fight since moving down to middleweight, The “Barbarian” again looked strong, giving Nick Ring his first loss. The middleweight division is among the weakest in the UFC, so Boetsch has a chance to make himself a player in short order. Next up should be another fighter riding a win streak. Prediction: Boetsch faces Rousimar Palhares.
Jon Jones has had a roller coaster ride of a week.
This past Saturday’s 
What lessons can we take away from