When Jon Jones walked out to face Rashad Evans this past weekend at UFC 145, he was dressed head-to-toe in UFC gear. Jones became the first fighter in MMA history to ever be sponsored by the company. Although it may look like a show…
When Jon Jones walked out to face Rashad Evans this past weekend at UFC 145, he was dressed head-to-toe in UFC gear.
Jones became the first fighter in MMA history to ever be sponsored by the company.
Although it may look like a show of favoritism, there was a big risk involved with sponsoring Jones.
Had he lost to Evans, it could have possibly damaged the brand that the UFC is building with Jones as its new face.
Of course they won’t have to worry about that for a while now, as he dominated Evans to retain his title via unanimous decision.
Usually fighters have multiple sponsors, ranging from clothing companies like TapouT and Ecko, to Anderson Silva’s sponsor Burger King.
Yes, you read that right, Burger King sponsors the greatest MMA fighter of today.
As MMA continues to grow and the UFC gets more and more mainstream, expect the company to sponsor more fighters.
Jones is just the first of many who will be looking to get sponsorship deals with the company who signs his paycheck.
Some fans and fighters may not like the thought of the UFC sponsoring certain fighters.
But when you look at major sports organizations like the NBA and NFL, it makes sense.
Sure, football and basketball players have shoe deals, clothing lines, and other ventures outside the confines of David Stern and Roger Goodell, but at the end of the day they are still products of the NBA and NFL.
These are the biggest organizations in their sport, like the UFC is to MMA, yet they are also brands. And who better than their own athletes to be the faces of their brands?
MMA is a different monster from these sports, and sponsorship plays a big role in many of the fighters’ careers.
But what better sponsor could there be than your best competitors being the face of the company that they fight for and make so popular with fans worldwide?
With UFC 145 now in the rear-view mirror, the Internet remains buzzing about the dominance of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, as he picked apart Rashad Evans in Saturday night’s main event on his way to a one-sided decision victory.Many believed …
With UFC 145 now in the rear-view mirror, the Internet remains buzzing about the dominance of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, as he picked apart Rashad Evans in Saturday night’s main event on his way to a one-sided decision victory.
Many believed that Evans’ game would bring a serious challenge to Jones, especially given the two fighters’ history of training together. But that wasn’t the case. Evans looked just as lost in the cage against Jones as all others who preceded him.
The scariest part? At 24 years old, “Bones” hasn’t even reached his prime. He’s still getting better.
Using his long limbs and innovative striking, Jones held Evans at a distance throughout the fight, rarely allowing Evans an opportunity to even lay a hand on him. One of the top ranked light heavyweight fighters of all time barely even challenged Jones.
… And yet, he still has room for improvement.
There are some things that cannot be taught. Jones’ natural physical gifts would make him an exceptional mixed martial artist even if he wasn’t learning from arguably the best coaches in the sport today. But when you consider that Jones has the benefit of working with Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that he seems to get better by leaps and bounds with every performance.
At UFC 145, Jones showed more innovation as he repeatedly tagged Evans with standing, lightning-fast, jab-like elbows that the challenger had absolutely no answer for. But seemingly dissatisfied with himself—despite dominating round after round—Jones could be heard conversing with his corner between frames, very calmly asking them what he should look to do in the next round. They gave him their advice and then, like a machine, he executed with perfection.
His unpredictability and physical stature has carried him this far, but it’s his insistence on learning more and gaining experience both inside the cage and in training sessions that will make Jones a legend in this sport well before he even reaches his 30s.
Argue all you want, but Jon Jones is already the greatest light heavyweight of all time. Now he’s going to run up the score.
Immediately following his victory over Rashad Evans at UFC 145, Jon Jones learned that he would be matched up against Dan Henderson in his next title defense.Henderson, who was sitting cageside to view the main event, anticipated a potential meeting wi…
Immediately following his victory over Rashad Evans at UFC 145, Jon Jones learned that he would be matched up against Dan Henderson in his next title defense.
Henderson, who was sitting cageside to view the main event, anticipated a potential meeting with either competitor and will attempt to become the only fighter in mixed martial arts history to hold three major championship titles from three different organizations.
The 42-year-old shared his opinion on the upcoming bout with the champion, who will make his fourth title defense since capturing it last year against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.
“He looked pretty solid,” Henderson said while analyzing Jones’ performance. “He threw a lot of stuff that’s, I guess, typical of him. Unorthodox with some nasty elbows. A lot of kicks.”
Henderson had been holding out for a title shot since his last appearance at UFC 139. Since then, the 42-year old has turned down bouts with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and a rematch with Rua.
Although he possesses efficient Greco-Roman wrestling skills, the former two-time Olympian has recently relied more on his striking prowess to determine the outcome of his bouts.
Henderson has finished a majority of his opposition with his devastating knockout power, including former champions Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko.
However, “Hendo” hopes to take a different approach heading into his title bout against Jones.
“You’ve really got to get inside and fight with him and end up in the clinch with him a lot. Jones is better than most guys in the clinch. … (But) that’s where I’m most comfortable,” he said. “At the same time I need to be real careful with catching one of those goofy elbows that he throws.”
Henderson poses as an interesting challenge to Jones and is considered by some fans to be the last legitimate challenge of Jones’ title reign.
The odds might not be in his favour, but at his age Henderson continues to outlast father time and remain a relevant figure at 205 pounds.
And with his career winding down, the UFC must take advantage of Henderson’s marketability for all they can.
UFC Light Heavyweight Jon Jones’ chin was tested a couple of times by his challenger Rashad Evans, and he remained standing—literally—all throughout the fight and again successfully defended his title. Now, we can say that the still c…
UFC Light Heavyweight Jon Jones’ chin was tested a couple of times by his challenger Rashad Evans, and he remained standing—literally—all throughout the fight and again successfully defended his title.
Now, we can say that the still champion’s chin is not made of glass, but is it cut from granite? We can definitely give it a passing mark, but does it merit a grade A?
Evans valiantly fought and landed a solid head kick that flustered Jones “a bit” late in the first round. The former champion and then title challenger then managed to land a right hand in the second stanza, and a more emphatic right in the third.
The dust finally settled after five grueling rounds, with Jones getting his just reward of a unanimous decision victory and Evans truly looking like the beaten fighter with his battered and lumped face. (Did you see Jones’ almost-successful flying armbar attempt in the last seconds of the final round?! Just kidding.)
It’s true that Evans has proven KO power, stamping it over six opponents, most significantly on Chuck Liddell (Knockout of the Night, Knockout of the Year) and then on Forrest Griffin, taking away the latter’s belt.
But take into account that in his previous four straight wins after getting KO’d and dethroned himself by Lyoto Machida in May, 2009, he’s only won one by TKO, over the lately pretty vulnerable Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 last August, 2011.
It appears that after getting KO’d by Machida, Evans has lost some of the sting in his strikes, and the aging and near-retirement Ortiz is no longer a valid gauge for finishing ability.
Going back to our champion, we can also give additional credit to Jones’ chin, jaw and whole skull for surviving Machida’s assaults in UFC 140 last December, 2011, before putting his previous challenger to sleep via standing guillotine choke.
After going through a thread in a popular MMA forum this morning, I find that most comments rank Jones’ chin as “good.”
But is it really great? Well, a great test is on the way courtesy of Dan Henderson’s H-Bombs…assuming they land, even once.
(Was this photo taken with a fish eye lens? Get it?! A FISH EYE LENS!! *crickets*)
Yowza. As if we needed further proof, Rashad Evans sent out this tweet earlier today, confirming once and for all that Jon Jones does is fact have the nastiest elbows in the game. At least he took it in stride, stating the following:
I went 2 UFC 145 in Atlanta and I had the best seat in the house & all I came back with was this fat eye! Wth! I hope those of u that went came back with better souvenirs than I did! =)
Though Evans only received a week suspension, he might want to consider sitting out a little longer while he waits for that baby to deflate. ‘Shad was one of fourteen fighters from Saturday’s card to earn just a seven day suspension for cautionary reasons. Brendan Schaub and Che Mills received 45 day suspensions for their (T)KO losses, where Miguel Torres earned a 60 day suspension for his knockout loss to Michael McDonald. Torres must also undergo a CT scan before he is cleared to return to action.
But worse than Schaub, worse even than Torres, was the indefinite suspension Mac Danzig received for the gnarly ankle injury he suffered in his unanimous decision victory over Efrain Escudero as a result of a first round heel hook. Word has it that while this was occurring, Rousimar Palhares went on a bloodthirsty rampage through Brazil that resulted in the deaths of no less than 400 people.
Check out the photo of the damage, compliments of Danzig’s twitter, along with the full medical suspensions, after the jump.
(Was this photo taken with a fish eye lens? Get it?! A FISH EYE LENS!! *crickets*)
Yowza. As if we needed further proof, Rashad Evans sent out this tweet earlier today, confirming once and for all that Jon Jones does is fact have the nastiest elbows in the game. At least he took it in stride, stating the following:
I went 2 UFC 145 in Atlanta and I had the best seat in the house & all I came back with was this fat eye! Wth! I hope those of u that went came back with better souvenirs than I did! =)
Though Evans only received a week suspension, he might want to consider sitting out a little longer while he waits for that baby to deflate. ‘Shad was one of fourteen fighters from Saturday’s card to earn just a seven day suspension for cautionary reasons. Brendan Schaub and Che Mills received 45 day suspensions for their (T)KO losses, where Miguel Torres earned a 60 day suspension for his knockout loss to Michael McDonald. Torres must also undergo a CT scan before he is cleared to return to action.
But worse than Schaub, worse even than Torres, was the indefinite suspension Mac Danzig received for the gnarly ankle injury he suffered in his unanimous decision victory over Efrain Escudero as a result of a first round heel hook. Word has it that while this was occurring, Rousimar Palhares went on a bloodthirsty rampage through Brazil that resulted in the deaths of no less than 400 people.
Check out the photo of the damage, compliments of Danzig’s twitter, along with the full medical suspensions, below.
(Where does the calf fat end and the ankle fat begin?)
UFC 145 Medical Suspensions Mac Danzig: Suspended indefinitely pending results of right-ankle X-ray Miguel Torres: Suspended 60 days; needs CT scan Che Mills: Suspended 45 days for precautionary reasons Brendan Schaub: Suspended 45 days for precautionary reasons Eddie Yagin: Suspended 30 days, including 21 days with no contact Mark Hominick: Suspended 30 days, including 21 days with no contact Chad Griggs: Suspended 30 days, including 21 days with no contact Matt Brown: Suspended 14 days for precautionary reasons Stephen Thompson: Suspended 14 days for precautionary reasons Keith Wisniewski: Suspended 14 days for precautionary reasons Jon Jones: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Rashad Evans: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Rory MacDonald: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Ben Rothwell: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Michael McDonald: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Mark Bocek: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons John Alessio: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Travis Browne: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Anthony Njokuani: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons John Makdessi: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Efrain Escudero: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Chris Clements: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Marcus Brimage: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons Maximo Blanco: Suspended seven days for precautionary reasons
(Thigh sleeve > Muttonchops? I don’t understand this world anymore.)
By Jack Saladino
After a six week hiatus that threatened to drive UFC fans worldwide into their nearest mental asylum, UFC 145 came back with a fury, providing us with all the sweet KO’s, slick submissions, and classic scraps that we have come to know and love. And now that the storm has passed, we must look to the future for those involved in what was a fantastic night of fights. As always, we’ll take a look at the must-make match-ups for Saturday’s biggest winners, and maybe even a couple of the losers, because they’re people too, we guess.
Let’s get right to it…
Travis Browne– If not for Chad Griggs’ incredible chin, “Hapa” could have just as easily walked away with a Knockout of the Night bonus for that beautiful double flying knee. That being said, Browne was awarded Submission of the Night for only his second career submission victory, and looked like a Jiu-Jitsu whiz while doing so. Browne has steamrolled through most of his opponents, and if the heavyweight division wasn’t so tongue tied at the moment, I would have a long list of potential opponents for the Hawaiian. But Browne has age on his side and would fight tomorrow if you asked him to, so I’m thinking he should step up and fill the vacancy “Bigfoot” Silva left against Roy Nelson. Browne has a month to keep fit and a win over a name like “Big Country” on relatively short notice would ensure his top tier status.
(Thigh sleeve > Muttonchops? I don’t understand this world anymore.)
By Jack Saladino
After a six week hiatus that threatened to drive UFC fans worldwide into their nearest mental asylum, UFC 145 came back with a fury, providing us with all the sweet KO’s, slick submissions, and classic scraps that we have come to know and love. And now that the storm has passed, we must look to the future for those involved in what was a fantastic night of fights. As always, we’ll take a look at the must-make match-ups for Saturday’s biggest winners, and maybe even a couple of the losers, because they’re people too, we guess.
Let’s get right to it…
Travis Browne– If not for Chad Griggs’ incredible chin, “Hapa” could have just as easily walked away with a Knockout of the Night bonus for that beautiful double flying knee. That being said, Browne was awarded Submission of the Night for only his second career submission victory, and looked like a Jiu-Jitsu whiz while doing so. Browne has steamrolled through most of his opponents, and if the heavyweight division wasn’t so tongue tied at the moment, I would have a long list of potential opponents for the Hawaiian. But Browne has age on his side and would fight tomorrow if you asked him to, so I’m thinking he should step up and fill the vacancy “Bigfoot” Silva left against Roy Nelson. Browne has a month to keep fit and a win over a name like “Big Country” on relatively short notice would ensure his top tier status.
Mark Bocek– The pasty Canadian BJJ specialist has had a bumpy road to hoe thus far in his Zuffa career. His only losses have come to title holders, potential contenders, and TUF winners, but his only wins have come over fighters no longer employed by the promotion. And John Alessio, who as of this moment has yet to be booted from the UFC again. For Bocek’s next fight, I’d like to see him get a nice submission in a striker/grappler mismatch against UFC 145 undercard winner Anthony Njokuani. Njokuani made a name for himself in the WEC but has struggled to thrive in the UFC’s tough lightweight division. If he could neutralize the ground game of Bocek and score a KO, it could propel him into notoriety. Potentially, this could be a huge fight for both men.
Eddie Yagin– I couldn’t imagine a better pick for Fight of the Night than Yagin’s huge upset over former number one contender Mark Hominick. With more strikes landed in three rounds than the five round title fight and a no holds barred attitude from both fighters, I was thoroughly pleased with each man’s performance. Unfortunately for Hominick, getting dropped twice, combined with his one-dimensional striking attack, cost him a close split decision for his third loss in a row. This was a big win Yagin, who utilized some powerful kicks to pepper Hominick’s legs and managed to rock “The Machine” on two separate occasions, despite telegraphing damn near every technique he threw. I’d recommend he heals his face up, improves his cardio, and gets ready to fight Armenian judoka Manvel Gamburyan, who’s also coming off three consecutive losses. Both men are relatively small even for featherweight, and would make for a hell of an addition to one of the free “Fight Night” type cards the UFC throws our way every now and again.
Michael McDonald– Be afraid, Mr. Cruz. Be very afraid. After your done trading insults (and tiny fists) with Urijah Faber, you’re going to have to deal with the ridiculous punching power of this youngster. The 21 year old McDonald is thriving off his second consecutive first round KO, and against a former WEC champ nonetheless. If he hasn’t already cemented his spot amongst the bantamweight elite, perhaps a fight against someone like Brad Pickett would. Renan Barao and Ivan Menjivar could be fighting for the #1 contender spot at UFC 148, but I think Pickett or McDonald could also present a serious challenge to the champ.
Ben Rothwell– I’m not sure how Ben Rothwell and Brendan Schaub, who were both coming off rather embarrassing losses (the former more so than the latter), got promoted to the main card over Travis Browne and Chad Griggs, who are both coming off wins. That being said, “Big Ben” survived an early onslaught and got the better of “The Hybrid” in a flurry that earned him Knockout of the Night honors, and finally gave him a UFC highlight to boot. The heavyweight division is upside down right now thanks to Alistair Overeem’s prescription-biased illiteracy, and almost every other big name is tied up at UFC 146. But one heavyweight I’d like to see back in the cage soon is Matt “Meathead” Mitrione, who would match-up perfectly with Rothwell. After suffering his first career loss to Cheick Kongo in October, Mitrione has been devoting most of his time to his family whilst opening up his own gym. He’ll be eager to erase the memory of what was one of the most boring fights this side of Ben Askren vs. anybody against a fellow slugger like Rothwell, so I say we match them up ASAP.
Rory MacDonald– When Rory MacDonald steps into the cage, the only thing he fails to do is give you a bathroom break. It is non-stop action with the GSP protégé, and his domination of Che Mills has earned him a step up in competition. His wrestling prowess is simply too much for a pure striker, so I’d like to see how he fares against a fellow wrestler. After Jon Fitchdisposes of Aaron Simpson at UFC 149, I say test “Ares” against the AKA product, who’s smothering “offense” has frustrated even the most aggressive of competitors at 170.
Jon Jones– The argument has been settled, reach is everything in fighting. Jones’ proved to be too much for Rashad Evans on Saturday night, as he was able to land over 75 strikes to the head alone, according to FightMetric. In the post-fight press conference, Dana White confirmed that Dan Henderson was next in line for the title shot, which would likely go down sometime in the late summer. Honestly, I think Jones deserves some well earned R&R, but then again, I’m not the boss, so I’m ready for sparks to fly.
Rashad Evans– The hype surrounding this fight may or may not have made the evening tougher for Rashad, but the fact of the matter is that he just couldn’t get inside frequently enough to put combos together against Jones. He had success in the first round landing a big head kick and a few flurries, but for the most part, he seemed content to eat jabs and elbows from the outside until the final bell rang. In my opinion, “Suga” should say farewell to the light heavyweight division and drop to 185. His cardio would improve enough for him to challenge most of the top tier middleweights right off the bat, and his fight with Jones would prepare him for what he could expect in a title fight against Anderson Silva. If Rashad chooses to drop, it would take him several months to do so, and by that time the middleweight division could be even more shaken up than it is now. The winner of Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva immediately comes to mind, being that they have both fought in higher weight classes before and have good power to boot. But the winner of Tim Boetsch and Michael Bisping could make for a great fight as well, especially if it meant a rematch with Bisping, who dropped to 185 following his loss to Evans at UFC 78.
When Jon Jones walked out to face Rashad Evans this past weekend at UFC 145, he was dressed head-to-toe in UFC gear. 
