I thought Rumble's team was saying just this week he was staying ready in case Jones couldn't make the fight...
http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/3/3...thony-johnson-is-ready-just-in-case-jon-jones
According to White, who acknowledged the #2 ranked Rumble made the most sense, he 'just had surgery and can't even where a mouthguard for 3 weeks.'
I don't know if Rumble had the surgery before he got the call from White, or after.
I thought Rumble's team was saying just this week he was staying ready in case Jones couldn't make the fight...
http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/3/3...thony-johnson-is-ready-just-in-case-jon-jones
St. Preux is 16-3 in the last 6 years, and those 3 losses only came to top tier talent, meaning Teixeira, Bader, and Mousasi. And that is more than 5 years of fighting in the big leagues.
What top tier talent did he beat while fighting in the big leagues? A washed up shogun?
I do hope that he win's though, it'll screw up dana's plans just like when diaz beat connor and the gsp dream fight went bye bye.
Not suggesting he is going to win over Jon Jones. What I am saying is that he is not a can, and this isnt close to the cheapest fights Jon Jones has had in his career.
He is no can. but he is not on the level of JBJ, rumble, DC and gus.
though he should put on a good show. Not to mention the man has a set on him for stepping up on short notice against JBJ.
In the end it came down to OSP and Evans. Rumble had a dental procedure last week that precludes him from fighting so soon, per his mgmt.
Ariel Helwani tweeted this. Apparently Rumble could not fight due to dentist surgery, and the other choice other than St. Preux was Rashad Evans.
Simply having Jones come back is enough to validate the card. I almost wonder if this is a scheme to have Jones vs Cormier at UFC 200 instead, now as champ vs champ.
If they couldnt get anyone better than the #6 guy then it shouldnt be for an interim title, especially if they wait a month and Gus and Rumble would probably be available. Heck, even Bader should get a shot before OSP. And I dont get how Evans was in contention when he was already booked against Glover..why not Glover too? If this wasnt for a title I dont think anyone would care.
Next thing you know, Connor and Diaz will be fighting for the interim welterweight title. Or any contender match is now for an interim title. lol Dana kinda messed up by stripping Jones in the first place, but I dont even think its been a year since that happened. Jones still walks around with a belt, so this interim title is kinda useless. Unless they intend to strip DC of his title, but the interim champ would still need to fight someone for the real title.
Simply having Jones come back is enough to validate the card. I almost wonder if this is a scheme to have Jones vs Cormier at UFC 200 instead, now as champ vs champ.
LOL Gus is 1-3 in his last 4 and hasn't beaten a top 10 fighter since December 2012, and at that point Shogun was pretty shot. OSP deserves this fight more than Gus. The only thing Gus would have going for him here would be the rematch factor. But his 2 loses since fighting Bones imho show he doesn't deserve a rematch.
Who has OSP beat in the top 10? Of yeah, and even shottier version of Shogun! And Gus is currently ranked #3. If Gus is still ranked higher than OSP after being 1-3 in his last 4, then that says a lot about OSP and the rest of the division. In fact, OSP lost to Glover not too long ago, and they gave OSP the fight over Glover. OSP also lost to Bader. And he was going to lose to Cummins until he caught him with a punch. There are more legitimate options for a title fight than OSP. If OSP wasnt available they probably would have given Manuwa the 'title' shot.
Who has Gus beat that's top 10? UFC's rankings are a joke, 2 loses in a row and you're #3? And one of those loses he looked like shit, got pounded almost unconscious and has been contemplating retiring since. OSP doesn't have better wins, but he has less loses recently and has looked better. Neither deserve to fight for an interim title. This new Bones probably squashes both about the same, lucky punch aside I don't see what OSP can do here.
That's exactly what they are doing. I think they are banking on the raw turnout for Jones regardless, along with their constant crotch itch to strap the belt on him again. It also won't affect the ppv for future Jones fights against DC and Rumble, perhaps add to them. So once again, the UFC proves their promotion is not about the fighters, its about the money.So why is the UFC pretending this fight means more than it does?
That's exactly what they are doing. I think they are banking on the raw turnout for Jones regardless, along with their constant crotch itch to strap the belt on him again. It also won't affect the ppv for future Jones fights against DC and Rumble, perhaps add to them. So once again, the UFC proves their promotion is not about the fighters, its about the money.
No corporation cares about it's fighters. They are businesses and care about the bottom line, period. They find people to hype and ride them until they don't draw and then drop them.
The articles on it read weird. He wasnt caught, he just admitted to taking a banned substance to USADA. He legitimately might not have known, which might be why he admitted he was taking it. lol Anyways, its a bad end for Machida. Rockhold and Mousasi claimed he was a cheater, and now this.