MMA News Thread
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UFC on FOX 5 odds: Champ Henderson opens as heavy favorite over Diaz
The oddsmakers are heavily favoring UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in his next title defense.
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported Wednesday, Henderson (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meets top contender Nate Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in the headliner of December's UFC on FOX 5 event.
Noted and influential MMA oddsmaker Joey Oddessa has set an opening "Odessa line" with Henderson at -340 and Diaz at +260, which makes the champ an approximate 3-to-1 favorite.
Henderson, who defended his belt for the first time with a narrow split-decision victory over ex-champ Frankie Edgar this past weekend at UFC 150, returns Dec. 8 for his network-televised main event with Diaz. The challenger earned his title shot with three consecutive victories, including a decision win over Donald Cerrone and then a submission victory over Jim Miller earlier this year in the UFC on FOX 3 headliner.
Oddessa, though, points to the Cerrone fight as a possible reason people are overvaluing Diaz.
"If Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone didn't have a gentleman's agreement to stand and bang, Diaz wouldn't be fighting Henderson at UFC on FOX 5," Oddessa, who can be found on Twitter at @mmaodds, told MMAjunkie.com. "I think Cerrone hurt him in the first round and decided not to pursue finishing him on the ground. That was his downfall."
Diaz, though, has the conditioning for deeper rounds, and his constant barrage of punches should present a unique challenge to Henderson.
Gustafsson, MacDonald also favorites
Oddessa has also opened lines for UFC on FOX 5's other two big matchups.
Light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson (-145) is a small favorite over former champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (+115), who recently headlined UFC on FOX 4 but didn't put away underdog Brandon Vera until the fourth round.
Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has won six straight while Rua (21-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated between wins and losses over his past six fights.
"After Rua's last performance, I'm hard pressed to make him a favorite against anybody at the top of 205," Oddessa said.
Additionally, after their bout was scratched from UFC 152 and rebooked for UFC on FOX 5, fast-rising welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald (-285) is a nearly 3-to-1 favorite over former two-division champ B.J. Penn (+225).
MacDonald (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who's won three straight fights since a loss to now-interim champ Carlos Condit, suffered a cut in training that required 38 stitches, and his bout with Penn (16-8-2 MMA, 12-7-2 UFC) was postponed three months.
The oddsmakers are heavily favoring UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in his next title defense.
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported Wednesday, Henderson (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meets top contender Nate Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in the headliner of December's UFC on FOX 5 event.
Noted and influential MMA oddsmaker Joey Oddessa has set an opening "Odessa line" with Henderson at -340 and Diaz at +260, which makes the champ an approximate 3-to-1 favorite.
Henderson, who defended his belt for the first time with a narrow split-decision victory over ex-champ Frankie Edgar this past weekend at UFC 150, returns Dec. 8 for his network-televised main event with Diaz. The challenger earned his title shot with three consecutive victories, including a decision win over Donald Cerrone and then a submission victory over Jim Miller earlier this year in the UFC on FOX 3 headliner.
Oddessa, though, points to the Cerrone fight as a possible reason people are overvaluing Diaz.
"If Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone didn't have a gentleman's agreement to stand and bang, Diaz wouldn't be fighting Henderson at UFC on FOX 5," Oddessa, who can be found on Twitter at @mmaodds, told MMAjunkie.com. "I think Cerrone hurt him in the first round and decided not to pursue finishing him on the ground. That was his downfall."
Diaz, though, has the conditioning for deeper rounds, and his constant barrage of punches should present a unique challenge to Henderson.
Gustafsson, MacDonald also favorites
Oddessa has also opened lines for UFC on FOX 5's other two big matchups.
Light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson (-145) is a small favorite over former champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (+115), who recently headlined UFC on FOX 4 but didn't put away underdog Brandon Vera until the fourth round.
Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has won six straight while Rua (21-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated between wins and losses over his past six fights.
"After Rua's last performance, I'm hard pressed to make him a favorite against anybody at the top of 205," Oddessa said.
Additionally, after their bout was scratched from UFC 152 and rebooked for UFC on FOX 5, fast-rising welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald (-285) is a nearly 3-to-1 favorite over former two-division champ B.J. Penn (+225).
MacDonald (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who's won three straight fights since a loss to now-interim champ Carlos Condit, suffered a cut in training that required 38 stitches, and his bout with Penn (16-8-2 MMA, 12-7-2 UFC) was postponed three months.
Oh I know that is or was supposed to be the fight but recently they showed interviews from both JDS & Overeem and they seem to be trying to set that fight up. The only problem is Overeem isnt able to be licsensed until Dec 27th so it would be hard to make a fight and promote while a guy is suspended. Overeem said he was planning to go for his licsence early for good behavior etc.... so well see. Either way if Overeem doesnt get the first crack Im sure he will fight the winner which should be JDS. Got Em!!
Jon Jones laments loss of UFC 151 but stands behind decision to turn down replacement
UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is no happier than you are at the cancellation of September's UFC 151 card, an event he was supposed to headline.
But with opponent Dan Henderson forced to withdraw from the card just nine days before the event, Jones believes he made the right choice for his family and his career.
And while "Bones" admits he feels terrible for the other 20 fighters on the card who were affected by his decision not to accept a fight with replacement opponent Chael Sonnen, he hopes fans can understand the motivation behind his decision was simple: to ensure he's fighting at peak performance each and every time he steps into the cage.
"Dan Henderson got hurt, and the fight was canceled," Jones told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "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."
UFC President Dana White on Thursday morning revealed Henderson suffered a knee injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the planned UFC 151 event, which was set to take place Sept. 1 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. And while White admitted finding an opponent willing to step in on such short notice was a difficult proposition, he revealed Sonnen had agreed to answer the call.
There was just one problem: Jones wasn't willing to take the fight.
Without a suitable main event in place, White and UFC brass elected to cancel the entire event, and the fiery UFC head admitted he was "disgusted" at Jones' decision.
Jones said he never intended for the entire event to be scrapped and apologized to the remaining fighters on the card who were all forced to reschedule their next appearances.
"I definitely apologize to the other fighters on the card," Jones said. "I feel terrible, but it also wasn't my decision to cancel the whole card. I don't make those decisions.
"I take a lot of pride in the way I perform, and I want to put on the best performance possible every time I fight. I don't want to go out there just to win the fight. I want to go out there to dominate. I want to make it look effortless. I want it to be a beautiful thing."
In Henderson, Jones was preparing for a relentless warrior with a right hand capable of stopping any man. In Sonnen, he would be facing a southpaw who relies in his superior wrestling technique to put opponents on their back and eat ground-and-pound blows.
Jones said he didn't feel like what ultimately boiled down to just a few days was near enough time to prepare for such a drastic change – especially with the majority of his coaching staff committed to spending most of fight week in the Philippines to corner Andrei Arlovski at ONE FC 5.
"Chael is completely different fighter," Jones said. "This is war. This is strategy. You have to go in there prepared and know that you did your homework. I wouldn't be the same warrior if I just jumped in there blindly and was cutting weight while I was trying to prepare for the fight.
"Greg Jackson wasn't going to show up until Friday. Coach (Mike) Winkeljohn wasn't going to be there until Wednesday or Thursday. I would have been pretty much on my own trying to prepare for a new opponent. That's just not the best way to prepare."
Thus far, Jones has endured a largely negative response from fans and many MMA pundits. The 25-year-old champion admits it hurts for observers to question his rationale, but he stands behind his decision.
"If this was my first fight in the UFC and I really didn't have a choice and they needed somebody to step in last-minute, if it was that type of scenario, then I'd probably more open to it," Jones said. "But I'm a UFC champion, and I need to perform that way. If I would have taken this fight, that would have been letting my ego get in the way and not using my intellect. This is war, and you have to go in there prepared.
"The criticism does bother me, but I have to stand by my decision. I have to be the man that I am. With such large audiences comes great criticism. There will be a lot of scrutiny, but I've got to do what makes me happy and feels right to me. At the end of the day, I have to make the best choice for me and my family."
Jones now meets Lyoto Machida in the main event of UFC 152, which takes place Sept. 22 in Toronto. It's a rematch that Jones recently admitted he wasn't exactly thrilled to take, but now that it's booked, "Bones" said he's attacking the challenge at full-strength.
"I just hiked about eight miles today," Jones said. "I'm moving forward. I'm continuing to work, and I'm working on transforming my body from great shape to phenomenal shape. My goal now is to beat Lyoto better than I did the first time. I want to be a better version of myself, and I'm looking forward to it.
"This is a professional sport. It's not just a backyard fight. You put everything on the line every time you step into the cage, and I now have a new mission. I'm all-in now, and I won't give anything less than my full effort."
And so Jones heads back to camp, looking to put the distractions of Thursday's controversial decision behind him. A few more impressive wins will go a long way toward winning back fans he may have alienated with his decision to not fight Sonnen, and "Bones" said he's even willing to someday to face the self-appointed "Gangster from West Linn, Oregon." He just wants what he feels is adequate time to prepare for a championship contest.
"I apologize to the people that lost money on tickets and travel and things like that," Jones said. "I don't apologize for my decision, but I do apologize for the way it affected people. I hope people can understand I was just trying to do the best thing for my career.
"Dan Henderson got hurt, and our fight was canceled. As difficult as it is to deal with everything that's happened, I just didn't feel like I had enough time to prepare both physically and mentally for a fight with a new opponent. I just didn't feel I had enough to prepare properly and perform at my best. Whether Chael Sonnen actually deserves a title shot really isn't my place to say. But if he wants to fight on Sept. 22, then I'm fine with that."
UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is no happier than you are at the cancellation of September's UFC 151 card, an event he was supposed to headline.
But with opponent Dan Henderson forced to withdraw from the card just nine days before the event, Jones believes he made the right choice for his family and his career.
And while "Bones" admits he feels terrible for the other 20 fighters on the card who were affected by his decision not to accept a fight with replacement opponent Chael Sonnen, he hopes fans can understand the motivation behind his decision was simple: to ensure he's fighting at peak performance each and every time he steps into the cage.
"Dan Henderson got hurt, and the fight was canceled," Jones told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "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."
UFC President Dana White on Thursday morning revealed Henderson suffered a knee injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the planned UFC 151 event, which was set to take place Sept. 1 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. And while White admitted finding an opponent willing to step in on such short notice was a difficult proposition, he revealed Sonnen had agreed to answer the call.
There was just one problem: Jones wasn't willing to take the fight.
Without a suitable main event in place, White and UFC brass elected to cancel the entire event, and the fiery UFC head admitted he was "disgusted" at Jones' decision.
Jones said he never intended for the entire event to be scrapped and apologized to the remaining fighters on the card who were all forced to reschedule their next appearances.
"I definitely apologize to the other fighters on the card," Jones said. "I feel terrible, but it also wasn't my decision to cancel the whole card. I don't make those decisions.
"I take a lot of pride in the way I perform, and I want to put on the best performance possible every time I fight. I don't want to go out there just to win the fight. I want to go out there to dominate. I want to make it look effortless. I want it to be a beautiful thing."
In Henderson, Jones was preparing for a relentless warrior with a right hand capable of stopping any man. In Sonnen, he would be facing a southpaw who relies in his superior wrestling technique to put opponents on their back and eat ground-and-pound blows.
Jones said he didn't feel like what ultimately boiled down to just a few days was near enough time to prepare for such a drastic change – especially with the majority of his coaching staff committed to spending most of fight week in the Philippines to corner Andrei Arlovski at ONE FC 5.
"Chael is completely different fighter," Jones said. "This is war. This is strategy. You have to go in there prepared and know that you did your homework. I wouldn't be the same warrior if I just jumped in there blindly and was cutting weight while I was trying to prepare for the fight.
"Greg Jackson wasn't going to show up until Friday. Coach (Mike) Winkeljohn wasn't going to be there until Wednesday or Thursday. I would have been pretty much on my own trying to prepare for a new opponent. That's just not the best way to prepare."
Thus far, Jones has endured a largely negative response from fans and many MMA pundits. The 25-year-old champion admits it hurts for observers to question his rationale, but he stands behind his decision.
"If this was my first fight in the UFC and I really didn't have a choice and they needed somebody to step in last-minute, if it was that type of scenario, then I'd probably more open to it," Jones said. "But I'm a UFC champion, and I need to perform that way. If I would have taken this fight, that would have been letting my ego get in the way and not using my intellect. This is war, and you have to go in there prepared.
"The criticism does bother me, but I have to stand by my decision. I have to be the man that I am. With such large audiences comes great criticism. There will be a lot of scrutiny, but I've got to do what makes me happy and feels right to me. At the end of the day, I have to make the best choice for me and my family."
Jones now meets Lyoto Machida in the main event of UFC 152, which takes place Sept. 22 in Toronto. It's a rematch that Jones recently admitted he wasn't exactly thrilled to take, but now that it's booked, "Bones" said he's attacking the challenge at full-strength.
"I just hiked about eight miles today," Jones said. "I'm moving forward. I'm continuing to work, and I'm working on transforming my body from great shape to phenomenal shape. My goal now is to beat Lyoto better than I did the first time. I want to be a better version of myself, and I'm looking forward to it.
"This is a professional sport. It's not just a backyard fight. You put everything on the line every time you step into the cage, and I now have a new mission. I'm all-in now, and I won't give anything less than my full effort."
And so Jones heads back to camp, looking to put the distractions of Thursday's controversial decision behind him. A few more impressive wins will go a long way toward winning back fans he may have alienated with his decision to not fight Sonnen, and "Bones" said he's even willing to someday to face the self-appointed "Gangster from West Linn, Oregon." He just wants what he feels is adequate time to prepare for a championship contest.
"I apologize to the people that lost money on tickets and travel and things like that," Jones said. "I don't apologize for my decision, but I do apologize for the way it affected people. I hope people can understand I was just trying to do the best thing for my career.
"Dan Henderson got hurt, and our fight was canceled. As difficult as it is to deal with everything that's happened, I just didn't feel like I had enough time to prepare both physically and mentally for a fight with a new opponent. I just didn't feel I had enough to prepare properly and perform at my best. Whether Chael Sonnen actually deserves a title shot really isn't my place to say. But if he wants to fight on Sept. 22, then I'm fine with that."
Castillo-Johnson, Roller-Volkmann latest shifts from UFC 151 to UFC on FX 5
The changes resulting from Thursday's UFC 151 cancellation continue, and UFC on FX 5 is the beneficiary.
Lightweight bouts between Danny Castillo (14-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Michael Johnson (11-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Shane Roller (11-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Jacob Volkmann (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) have been moved from next week's scrapped show in Las Vegas to October in Minneapolis.
UFC officials on Thursday night announced the changes, bringing UFC on FX 5 up to 13 announced or rumored bouts.
UFC on FX 5 takes place Oct. 5 at Target Center in Minneapolis and airs live on FX and FUEL TV. The card is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. It is the UFC's first trip to Minneapolis since UFC 87 in 2008.
UFC 151 on Thursday was cancelled when light heavyweight title challenger Dan Henderson was forced out with a knee injury and, according to UFC President Dana White, champion Jon Jones turned down a fight against Chael Sonnen, who had offered to step in for Henderson for the main event.
Earlier Thursday, the UFC announced that the UFC 151 co-main event welterweight rematch between Jake Ellenberger and Jay Hieron had moved to UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis. Although Ellenberger-Hieron will be the co-main event, the placement of the two new lightweight bouts has not been announced.
Castillo, who has won six of his last seven, with just a decision loss to Volkmann a year ago the lone blemish in that stretch. The Team Alpha Male product has won three straight against Shamar Bailey, Anthony Njokuani and John Cholish. Johnson will be in pursuit of his third straight victory and his fourth in five fights. The "TUF 12" runner-up has back-to-back wins over Roller and "TUF 14" champ Tony Ferguson.
Roller in July snapped a three-fight skid when he outpointed John Alessio at UFC 148. That win snapped a slump that saw him drop fights to Melvin Guillard (knockout), T.J. Grant (submission) and Michael Johnson (decision). Before coming to the UFC, Roller, like Castillo, was a standout in the WEC, going 6-2 in that promotion – with his only losses coming to eventual champs Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis. Volkmann in May had a five-fight win streak snapped when he was submitted by Paul Sass at UFC 146. Before that, Volkmann had a streak of five decisions over names including Castillo and Efrain Escudero.
The latest UFC on FX 5 card now includes:
•Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
•Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron
•John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga
•Rob Broughton vs. Matt Mitrione
•Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards
•Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado*•Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson
•Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann
•Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson
•Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens
•Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater
•Phil Harris vs. Darren Uyenoyama
•Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski
The changes resulting from Thursday's UFC 151 cancellation continue, and UFC on FX 5 is the beneficiary.
Lightweight bouts between Danny Castillo (14-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Michael Johnson (11-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Shane Roller (11-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Jacob Volkmann (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) have been moved from next week's scrapped show in Las Vegas to October in Minneapolis.
UFC officials on Thursday night announced the changes, bringing UFC on FX 5 up to 13 announced or rumored bouts.
UFC on FX 5 takes place Oct. 5 at Target Center in Minneapolis and airs live on FX and FUEL TV. The card is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. It is the UFC's first trip to Minneapolis since UFC 87 in 2008.
UFC 151 on Thursday was cancelled when light heavyweight title challenger Dan Henderson was forced out with a knee injury and, according to UFC President Dana White, champion Jon Jones turned down a fight against Chael Sonnen, who had offered to step in for Henderson for the main event.
Earlier Thursday, the UFC announced that the UFC 151 co-main event welterweight rematch between Jake Ellenberger and Jay Hieron had moved to UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis. Although Ellenberger-Hieron will be the co-main event, the placement of the two new lightweight bouts has not been announced.
Castillo, who has won six of his last seven, with just a decision loss to Volkmann a year ago the lone blemish in that stretch. The Team Alpha Male product has won three straight against Shamar Bailey, Anthony Njokuani and John Cholish. Johnson will be in pursuit of his third straight victory and his fourth in five fights. The "TUF 12" runner-up has back-to-back wins over Roller and "TUF 14" champ Tony Ferguson.
Roller in July snapped a three-fight skid when he outpointed John Alessio at UFC 148. That win snapped a slump that saw him drop fights to Melvin Guillard (knockout), T.J. Grant (submission) and Michael Johnson (decision). Before coming to the UFC, Roller, like Castillo, was a standout in the WEC, going 6-2 in that promotion – with his only losses coming to eventual champs Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis. Volkmann in May had a five-fight win streak snapped when he was submitted by Paul Sass at UFC 146. Before that, Volkmann had a streak of five decisions over names including Castillo and Efrain Escudero.
The latest UFC on FX 5 card now includes:
•Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
•Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron
•John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga
•Rob Broughton vs. Matt Mitrione
•Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards
•Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado*•Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson
•Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann
•Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson
•Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens
•Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater
•Phil Harris vs. Darren Uyenoyama
•Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski
Chael Sonnen says UFC 151 was 'bigger than one bratty, entitled kid,' it's too late
We can argue all we want about who looks bad and who looks worse after the cancelation of UFC 151, but the one person who seems beyond reproach in this whole mess is – bizarrely enough – Chael Sonnen.
The controversial former middleweight contender is, according to UFC President Dana White, the lone fighter who was willing to step up on eight days' notice and face light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He's also the one who assumed the fight was his after a phone call with UFC representatives on Wednesday night, he said, only to find out otherwise when the champion proved to have other ideas.
"All I ever heard was a flat-out offer," Sonnen told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It was, 'Hey, do you want to fight Jon Jones next Saturday night?' I said yes, and that was it. We got off the phone. I was just waiting on the contract at that point."
With that bit of business settled, Sonnen said he headed off to his evening training session where he practiced "like a normal day, except maybe a little bit harder," then returned home, where he thought there'd be a contract awaiting his signature. But no, not yet. Figuring it was only a matter of time, Sonnen went to bed. When he got a phone call from White at around six o'clock Thursday morning telling him that Jones had turned the fight down, he was confused.
"I didn't know that was an option," he said. "I've never heard of such a thing. I follow boxing real close and MMA and the whole bit, and I can't ever remember hearing of a thing like this where a champion is healthy and in shape and is headlining a card, and he won't take the fight. ...It's a unique situation."
The question on Sonnen's mind, he said, was why? Why would Jones, who was already in training and preparing for a bout on the same night, turn down a fight with him? Of course, Sonnen being Sonnen, he's not one to let the opportunity for a little trash talk slip by. Not when it's this inviting.
"I'm not saying that Jon Jones is chicken cordon bleu, and I'm not saying that he's chicken salad. What I'm saying is he is chicken shhhh ... should I finish the sentence?" Sonnen said.
Not bad, considering he's had less than a full day to work on it. But come on, seriously.
"Listen, I don't know Jon Jones and I won't try to guess," Sonnen said. "That's not my type of guy. I wasn't brought up that way. Those aren't the guys that helped me. I had Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson and Randy Couture. Not only physically did they show me the holds that I know how to use, but mentally, it's anybody, anytime, anywhere. Some guys love to put that on t-shirts and walk around like tough guys, but some of us actually live by that rule. It's a real important rule for me, because if there's one thing I hate it's a bully."
Here's where the careful reader might remark that this is the same exact term Jones used to describe Sonnen recently, telling MMAjunkie.com that the former middleweight was "a bona fide bully" for his remarks about Brazilians in the lead-up to his bouts with UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva.
But according to Sonnen, Jones "needs to consult a dictionary," because bullies don't call out fighters who are at the top of their game, as Sonnen insists he has, and they certainly aren't as willing as he is to step in and fight on short notice.
"It's very important to me that I'm not a bully, and the only litmus test I have for that is that I will fight any man there is," Sonnen said. "The day that changes, the day there's one single guy that I won't fight, then I won't fight any of them. I will never pick or say, 'Oh, I'll fight this guy because I think I can beat him.' That's what a bully does, and I'm not signing up to be one of those."
So what would Sonnen like to be? UFC light heavyweight champ, perhaps? Sure, that'd be nice, he said, "but I've got plenty of belts to keep my pants up."
How about some money then? A main event pay-per-view bout with Jones would probably have made for a very merry Christmas at the Sonnen household, but that wasn't his main motivation when he accepted the fight, he insisted.
"I'm the highest paid fighter in the UFC by a lot. It's not even close. I don't mean to bring up money and make it uncomfortable, but that's the reality. I don't need Jon Jones. If I had Jon Jones' contract, that would not be a good day for me. If Jon Jones had my contract, he'd burn his."
So what then? What was going through Sonnen's mind when, without a training camp to prepare or even much experience as a light heavyweight, he jumped at the chance to fight the man who many consider to be among the best fighters to ever compete in the division? If it wasn't about money or titles, what was it about?
Why, he's so very glad you asked.
"I was willing to step in to help the industry, to help the company, and to help the sport that I love," said Sonnen. "I have fans and friends and people I don't even know who are flying in to see this. There's people who have had to take time off work, save money, find babysitters, all so they can go out and see the greatest show known to man: a live UFC. There are fighters on the undercard who are quite literally depending on this $5,000 or $10,000 guarantee they get for showing up and walking out there and competing in the hardest sport in the world just to keep their lights on next month. And there's a domino effect from there. Those guys have managers and gym dues and sparring partners [for whom] the $75 or $100 they get is the difference between a meal or not. This is a huge deal. This is so much bigger than one bratty, entitled kid named Jon Jones."
And this is how, without throwing a single punch or even breaking a sweat, the legend of Chael Sonnen just got a little bit greater. Because, say what you want about Jones or White or the UFC itself, but it's hard to criticize the one guy who picked up the phone and said nothing but yes. Don't think he doesn't realize it, either.
We can argue all we want about who looks bad and who looks worse after the cancelation of UFC 151, but the one person who seems beyond reproach in this whole mess is – bizarrely enough – Chael Sonnen.
The controversial former middleweight contender is, according to UFC President Dana White, the lone fighter who was willing to step up on eight days' notice and face light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He's also the one who assumed the fight was his after a phone call with UFC representatives on Wednesday night, he said, only to find out otherwise when the champion proved to have other ideas.
"All I ever heard was a flat-out offer," Sonnen told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It was, 'Hey, do you want to fight Jon Jones next Saturday night?' I said yes, and that was it. We got off the phone. I was just waiting on the contract at that point."
With that bit of business settled, Sonnen said he headed off to his evening training session where he practiced "like a normal day, except maybe a little bit harder," then returned home, where he thought there'd be a contract awaiting his signature. But no, not yet. Figuring it was only a matter of time, Sonnen went to bed. When he got a phone call from White at around six o'clock Thursday morning telling him that Jones had turned the fight down, he was confused.
"I didn't know that was an option," he said. "I've never heard of such a thing. I follow boxing real close and MMA and the whole bit, and I can't ever remember hearing of a thing like this where a champion is healthy and in shape and is headlining a card, and he won't take the fight. ...It's a unique situation."
The question on Sonnen's mind, he said, was why? Why would Jones, who was already in training and preparing for a bout on the same night, turn down a fight with him? Of course, Sonnen being Sonnen, he's not one to let the opportunity for a little trash talk slip by. Not when it's this inviting.
"I'm not saying that Jon Jones is chicken cordon bleu, and I'm not saying that he's chicken salad. What I'm saying is he is chicken shhhh ... should I finish the sentence?" Sonnen said.
Not bad, considering he's had less than a full day to work on it. But come on, seriously.
"Listen, I don't know Jon Jones and I won't try to guess," Sonnen said. "That's not my type of guy. I wasn't brought up that way. Those aren't the guys that helped me. I had Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson and Randy Couture. Not only physically did they show me the holds that I know how to use, but mentally, it's anybody, anytime, anywhere. Some guys love to put that on t-shirts and walk around like tough guys, but some of us actually live by that rule. It's a real important rule for me, because if there's one thing I hate it's a bully."
Here's where the careful reader might remark that this is the same exact term Jones used to describe Sonnen recently, telling MMAjunkie.com that the former middleweight was "a bona fide bully" for his remarks about Brazilians in the lead-up to his bouts with UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva.
But according to Sonnen, Jones "needs to consult a dictionary," because bullies don't call out fighters who are at the top of their game, as Sonnen insists he has, and they certainly aren't as willing as he is to step in and fight on short notice.
"It's very important to me that I'm not a bully, and the only litmus test I have for that is that I will fight any man there is," Sonnen said. "The day that changes, the day there's one single guy that I won't fight, then I won't fight any of them. I will never pick or say, 'Oh, I'll fight this guy because I think I can beat him.' That's what a bully does, and I'm not signing up to be one of those."
So what would Sonnen like to be? UFC light heavyweight champ, perhaps? Sure, that'd be nice, he said, "but I've got plenty of belts to keep my pants up."
How about some money then? A main event pay-per-view bout with Jones would probably have made for a very merry Christmas at the Sonnen household, but that wasn't his main motivation when he accepted the fight, he insisted.
"I'm the highest paid fighter in the UFC by a lot. It's not even close. I don't mean to bring up money and make it uncomfortable, but that's the reality. I don't need Jon Jones. If I had Jon Jones' contract, that would not be a good day for me. If Jon Jones had my contract, he'd burn his."
So what then? What was going through Sonnen's mind when, without a training camp to prepare or even much experience as a light heavyweight, he jumped at the chance to fight the man who many consider to be among the best fighters to ever compete in the division? If it wasn't about money or titles, what was it about?
Why, he's so very glad you asked.
"I was willing to step in to help the industry, to help the company, and to help the sport that I love," said Sonnen. "I have fans and friends and people I don't even know who are flying in to see this. There's people who have had to take time off work, save money, find babysitters, all so they can go out and see the greatest show known to man: a live UFC. There are fighters on the undercard who are quite literally depending on this $5,000 or $10,000 guarantee they get for showing up and walking out there and competing in the hardest sport in the world just to keep their lights on next month. And there's a domino effect from there. Those guys have managers and gym dues and sparring partners [for whom] the $75 or $100 they get is the difference between a meal or not. This is a huge deal. This is so much bigger than one bratty, entitled kid named Jon Jones."
And this is how, without throwing a single punch or even breaking a sweat, the legend of Chael Sonnen just got a little bit greater. Because, say what you want about Jones or White or the UFC itself, but it's hard to criticize the one guy who picked up the phone and said nothing but yes. Don't think he doesn't realize it, either.
Ellenberger, Hougland and Hallman discuss UFC 151 cancellation, champ Jones
Jake Ellenberger woke up today to a queue of text messages from friends and family saying they were sorry to hear about what happened to him.
The last time he woke up to those kind of messages, his grandmother had passed away.
"So I'm thinking somebody died," Ellenberger today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm thinking, 'Holy [expletive].'"
Nobody died, of course. But an event was canceled – UFC 151, which was scheduled to take place Sept. 1 before UFC President Dana White pulled the plug. Light heavyweight champ Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the headliner, refused a short-notice fight with Chael Sonnen (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and left the promotion without options.
Ellenberger didn't have any options when it came to the decision to scratch the event, nor did any other fighters scheduled for UFC 151.
"In my opinion, I don't think you should be able to choose who you fight when you're the champ," he said. "Like most cases, you shouldn't have a choice. But if you're the champ, you're the best in the world, you have the belt for a reason, and I don't think you should choose who you fight."
Despite that feeling, Ellenberger (27-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC), whose co-main-event fight with Jay Hieron (23-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) today was moved to UFC on FX 5 on Oct. 5, said he hadn't been in Jones' position and wasn't angry at him.
That wasn't the case with Jeff Hougland (15-7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Takeya Mizugaki (10-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on UFC 151's FX-televised preliminary card. He expressed anger that he was made to receive the bad news along with the rest of the world.
"I know I'm no Anderson Silva or big name in the company, but I do give my blood and sweat just like every other guy," he said. "I would have liked a phone call the day before. It just makes you feel like, man, you're just not appreciated. I'm still going to throw down. I'm still going to take years of my life and try to give the best entertainment that I can. I just thought they would call me."
On Jones: "Our lives are basically in his hands," Hougland said.
Dennis Hallman (51-14-2 MMA, 4-5 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Thiago Tavares (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) on the event's pay-per-view main card, joked that he might lose his house.
"He is a selfish jerk," the veteran said of Jones. "Fighters, we have a feast-and-famine kind of thing. When you're expected to get paid [$40,000] and you don't ... it's kind of a slap in the face. Financially, it's really devastating. For me, I've already been postponed from Aug. 11 to September, so I had to bump my bills forward and my creditors. It's kind of devastating."
In Hougland's case, it was the second time in which family and friends had booked airline tickets and hotel rooms to watch him fight, only to see a change to the event. He just put in his last day of hard training and had already gone out of pocket to fund his camp.
"They're not going to want to follow me around," he said. "I'm not going to get any sponsor money. I don't think we get 'show' money because we didn't show."
During a media teleconference announcing UFC 151's cancellation, White said that main- and preliminary-card fighters would likely be rebooked for other events, but he couldn't give specifics.
It was hardly a silver lining, though, for those who needed the money, and those who very much wanted to compete.
"The cards are lined up," Hougland said. "Are they going to screw those guys over and move them? Probably not. They're just going to push us farther back or fit us in if somebody gets hurt. I don't want a short-notice fight. I wanted to fight Mizugaki."
An injury, of course, sparked the cancelation of UFC 151. Injuries have ravaged the promotion's schedule in 2012, and several high-profile headliners have been altered. In all cases, however, the show went on, and the fighters got paid.
Earlier this year, the UFC moved UFC 145 from March in Montreal to April in Atlanta. UFC 151, however, marks the first time in the promotion's history that an event has been outright canceled.
Ellenberger praised Sonnen for offering to fight Jones on short notice. Hallman said that spirit was badly needed at the top of the food chain.
"I'm kind of disappointed that the UFC decided to market guys that aren't real fighters or are just selfish," Hallman said. "[Jones] made a stupid decision. We're fighters, and we fight."
Jake Ellenberger woke up today to a queue of text messages from friends and family saying they were sorry to hear about what happened to him.
The last time he woke up to those kind of messages, his grandmother had passed away.
"So I'm thinking somebody died," Ellenberger today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm thinking, 'Holy [expletive].'"
Nobody died, of course. But an event was canceled – UFC 151, which was scheduled to take place Sept. 1 before UFC President Dana White pulled the plug. Light heavyweight champ Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the headliner, refused a short-notice fight with Chael Sonnen (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and left the promotion without options.
Ellenberger didn't have any options when it came to the decision to scratch the event, nor did any other fighters scheduled for UFC 151.
"In my opinion, I don't think you should be able to choose who you fight when you're the champ," he said. "Like most cases, you shouldn't have a choice. But if you're the champ, you're the best in the world, you have the belt for a reason, and I don't think you should choose who you fight."
Despite that feeling, Ellenberger (27-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC), whose co-main-event fight with Jay Hieron (23-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) today was moved to UFC on FX 5 on Oct. 5, said he hadn't been in Jones' position and wasn't angry at him.
That wasn't the case with Jeff Hougland (15-7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Takeya Mizugaki (10-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on UFC 151's FX-televised preliminary card. He expressed anger that he was made to receive the bad news along with the rest of the world.
"I know I'm no Anderson Silva or big name in the company, but I do give my blood and sweat just like every other guy," he said. "I would have liked a phone call the day before. It just makes you feel like, man, you're just not appreciated. I'm still going to throw down. I'm still going to take years of my life and try to give the best entertainment that I can. I just thought they would call me."
On Jones: "Our lives are basically in his hands," Hougland said.
Dennis Hallman (51-14-2 MMA, 4-5 UFC), who was scheduled to fight Thiago Tavares (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) on the event's pay-per-view main card, joked that he might lose his house.
"He is a selfish jerk," the veteran said of Jones. "Fighters, we have a feast-and-famine kind of thing. When you're expected to get paid [$40,000] and you don't ... it's kind of a slap in the face. Financially, it's really devastating. For me, I've already been postponed from Aug. 11 to September, so I had to bump my bills forward and my creditors. It's kind of devastating."
In Hougland's case, it was the second time in which family and friends had booked airline tickets and hotel rooms to watch him fight, only to see a change to the event. He just put in his last day of hard training and had already gone out of pocket to fund his camp.
"They're not going to want to follow me around," he said. "I'm not going to get any sponsor money. I don't think we get 'show' money because we didn't show."
During a media teleconference announcing UFC 151's cancellation, White said that main- and preliminary-card fighters would likely be rebooked for other events, but he couldn't give specifics.
It was hardly a silver lining, though, for those who needed the money, and those who very much wanted to compete.
"The cards are lined up," Hougland said. "Are they going to screw those guys over and move them? Probably not. They're just going to push us farther back or fit us in if somebody gets hurt. I don't want a short-notice fight. I wanted to fight Mizugaki."
An injury, of course, sparked the cancelation of UFC 151. Injuries have ravaged the promotion's schedule in 2012, and several high-profile headliners have been altered. In all cases, however, the show went on, and the fighters got paid.
Earlier this year, the UFC moved UFC 145 from March in Montreal to April in Atlanta. UFC 151, however, marks the first time in the promotion's history that an event has been outright canceled.
Ellenberger praised Sonnen for offering to fight Jones on short notice. Hallman said that spirit was badly needed at the top of the food chain.
"I'm kind of disappointed that the UFC decided to market guys that aren't real fighters or are just selfish," Hallman said. "[Jones] made a stupid decision. We're fighters, and we fight."
Anderson Silva Offered to Save UFC 151
According to UFC president Dana White, Silva relayed a message through his manager Ed Soares just moments after White announced on Thursday that UFC 151 was canceled after Jon Jones turned down a fight against Chael Sonnen. The middleweight champion, who admitted he wasn't in the best shape, volunteered to fight on eight days' notice in Las Vegas against another light heavyweight fighter. Unfortunately, he was a few hours late as the promotion had already decided to scrap the event.
White said he never expected Silva to offer his services and appreciated the offer.
Jones will now meet Vitor Belfort for the light heavyweight title on Sept. 22 in Toronto after Lyoto Machida turned down the fight due to not having enough time to train.
According to UFC president Dana White, Silva relayed a message through his manager Ed Soares just moments after White announced on Thursday that UFC 151 was canceled after Jon Jones turned down a fight against Chael Sonnen. The middleweight champion, who admitted he wasn't in the best shape, volunteered to fight on eight days' notice in Las Vegas against another light heavyweight fighter. Unfortunately, he was a few hours late as the promotion had already decided to scrap the event.
White said he never expected Silva to offer his services and appreciated the offer.
Jones will now meet Vitor Belfort for the light heavyweight title on Sept. 22 in Toronto after Lyoto Machida turned down the fight due to not having enough time to train.
Rumble Johnson shows up to Titan FC weigh ins 45 minutes late and collapses.....for a fight at 205 lol holy shit, I can't believe this guy made 170 at one point, when he couldn't make 185 I was shocked, but now he's collapsing to make 205, that's terrible, dude's kidney's must be shot.
TitanFC stream for those without AXS
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/68810/1/tfc-24:-titan-fighting-championships-24-live-stream-online.html
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/68810/1/tfc-24:-titan-fighting-championships-24-live-stream-online.html
