Unlike other post fight UFC recaps, as I begin to write this piece I am very hesitant as my feelings are torn in numerous directions. That is all due to one man, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (pictured @ left). I don't want to be a hypocrite, I don't want to be a hater and I don't want to be a liar; but this guy evokes all those emotions inside of me.
It is because of such that I've decided to give you my thoughts on UFC 152, besides just the facts. However, because Jones is now spitting quotes on life at every turn he gets on the microphone, I've decided to title this piece 'My Philosophy'; as an ode to the Hip-Hop classic by another philosopher KRS-One. This is where I feel I am being somewhat of a hypocrite, because I too have favorite quotes I try to live by; but this guy thinks he is a modern day Confucius as his whole vocabulary now is nothing but quotes.
Oops, there is part of the hater coming out in me, so let me get to UFC 152 before I really start to unleash the venom. Anyway, the card as a whole was great; if you include the under card fights. The prelims on Facebook were fantastic as all three finished within the first round, two within the first minute; and the prelims on FX were just as good.
The main card began pretty much as the under card had gone as Cub Swanson continues to look like all the potential he's always had has finally come together. He destroyed Charles Oliveira within three minutes all due to his boxing, which is clearly some of the all around best in mixed martial arts. Cub is a force to be reckoned with at featherweight (145 lbs.) and I am so happy that he has finally remained injury free for once.
How and why Matt Hamill and a first time UFC fighter named Roger Hollett got a main card slot ahead of Evan Dunham and TJ Grant is beyond me? Hamill hasn't been interesting since TUF 3, and he wasn't that interesting then, and who is Hollett? Meanwhile, Dunham and Grant put on a three round war for the ages that, oh by the way, ended up becoming 'Fight of the night'. 'Nuff said!
Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann and also the flyweight (125 lbs.) championship between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson were both good fights; but I think the expectations on both were so high, that the final results just didn't live up to the hype. Not fair to all four combatants as they did their thing, it's just that their name value along with what came before them on the card had fans clamoring for something that was just too difficult to live up to.
Now onto the main event between Jones and third or fourth replacement, I've forgotten already, former champion Vitor Belfort. I cannot tell a lie, Jones has gotten under my skin so bad for some reason, that I was pulling for an upset here of major proportions; and it almost happened. In the first minute of the fight, Jones took Belfort down and while in his guard, he got caught in an arm bar. Shades of Fabricio Werdum catching Fedor Emelianenko went through my mind.
The submission was tight, but to Jones credit he did not tap and alas it was not meant to be as he wriggled out of it and the rest was history. For the next three plus rounds it was Jones kicking while standing along with grounding and pounding until he too caught Belfort in a keylock submission that forced the Brazilian to tap. Belfort put up a good fight, but he never really let his legendary hands go and kept opting to pull guard, which had everyone, including cage side analyst Joe Rogan baffled.
Meanwhile, it appears that the early submission attempt by Belfort was legitimately tight as Jones was clearly favoring his right am in his post fight interview and early reports indicate there may be some possible nerve damage to the bicep. While I never would wish any serious harm to any fighter, regardless of how I feel, once again, I cannot lie; this one doesn't bother me much.
In nearly 19 years of MMA, Jones may very well be the fighter I dislike the most. Why, I have such disdain towards the guy, I don't know. I've never met him and don't know him from a can of paint. Yet, I'm a pretty good judge of character and there is something about him that rubs me the wrong way. I feel I can see right through the guy because everything about his persona is phony.
The guy is clearly a great fighter and I am one that feels the word 'great' is used far too loosely in sports, but this guy is great. He's obviously not afraid as he has stepped into the cage with future Hall of Famers in his last five fights. However, his stance this month on fighting Chael Sonnen really turned me off, but my hate stems from way before that.
It's a personal thing for sure, but to me it speaks volume. As a fan of this sport, not a journalist, of all the many fighters and notables I've come across, and I'm talking a lot and a who's who of MMA, he's the only one that didn't give me the time of day when I approached him two and half years ago in Vegas. He wasn't eating at the time and he wasn't with family; he was actually outside a UFC Fan Expo in Mandalay Bay. This was when he was just a budding star, but his arrogance shined right through the sun glasses he was wearing; indoors by the way.
Okay, maybe this is personal and sure, who cares about my feelings towards Jon Jones; especially Jon Jones. However, the boos he received at the weigh-ins on Friday do not lie and they show that I am not the only one that feels this way. The fact that he now has grown a long bushy frazzled beard to go along with all his quotes on life makes it seem as though he is trying to become 'Black Moses'. Well sorry buddy, only Isaac Hayes, the original Black Moses, could pull off that look.
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