CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPWINDOWS APPRSS
NEW FORUM

GOT THE MMATORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Kindle Fire
Windows Phone
MMATORCH IPHONE APP

MMATORCH

All the MMA News • Plus Intelligent, Brilliant, Addictive Points of View!
Independently Covering MMA Since 1993 • No Big Corporate Bosses

Keller's Take
KELLER BLOG: Quick thoughts on UFC 151 cancellation, Jon Jones decision
Aug 23, 2012 - 9:41:08 PM
KELLER BLOG: Quick thoughts on UFC 151 cancellation, Jon Jones decision
DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM
...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!



Staff07KellerMMA_120_11.jpg
By Wade Keller, MMATorch Supervising Editor

Here are some thoughts on today's big story regarding the cancelation of UFC 151 due to Dan Henderson's injury and then Jon Jones's subsequent refusal to fight Chael Sonnen instead...

-Jon Jones is taking heat, and I understand the perspective - although I disagree with those upset at him. As UFC Champion, some might argue, he should be ready for any and all challengers as a fight approaches, knowing that injuries can happen.

The counter-argument, though, is that the sport of MMA has evolved just too much to ask that of fighters. Fighters train for a specific opponent. If they are going to be asked to train for a Scheduled Opponent in addition to a possible Substitution Opponent, they need to know that's expected of them. Instead, it's been an option to take or turn down a change in opponent.

If UFC wants to change the policy and list a champion as being contractually obligated to train for and prepare for both a Scheduled Opponent and a list of one or two Substitute Opponents, then that's different. Jones wasn't preparing for anything but Dan Henderson.

The championship is too important, and Chael Sonnen too dangerous, to expect Jones to face Sonnen without having a full camp preparing - through studying his style and specific physical preparation - for Sonnen.

If a title weren't on the line, and if promises could be made that a loss wouldn't be held against him, I could see greater justification for being upset with Jones. Losing the title because he didn't have time to properly prepare is just not a fair risk to ask him to take.

-If Dana White wants to avoid this in the future, then here's one of what I'm sure will be many helpful suggestions from many people in coming days. From now on, don't ever book one-match shows (i.e. a show reliant on one fight to be a worthy PPV). Ideally, be three fights deep where any one stiff justifies it being a PPV event. Also, always have the champion, as noted above, preparing to fight not only his scheduled opponent, but two back-ups, ideally two back-ups who are scheduled against one another on the undercard so they have a reason to train besides counting on an injury before being given a fight.

Also, perhaps cut back on the number of PPV events so cards can be more "loaded" so that, for instance, it can survive the loss of any single fight, and ideally the loss of any two fights. If a fight card loses two top fights, FX or Fuel should be on standby to air the event free.

That way the undercard fighters still can fight as scheduled and the fans who bought airline tickets and booked hotels and took vacation time can still at least see a live event. I don't think UFC owes those fans a refund if there are injuries any more than the NFL does if a star quarterback goes down days before a big game.

(Wade Keller is Supervising Editor of MMATorch.com. He has been covering the sport of MMA in the Torch Newsletter since before UFC1. He attended as credentialed media UFC's debut in Las Vegas, Nev. in September 2001. He has over a decade of training in Tae Kwan Do and is a double-black-stripe belt and has also trained at North Star Martial Arts Academy in judo and jiu jistu.)


DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
FLASHBACK: Keller's 1993 editorial on UFC 1 answering the question - what if pro wrestling were real?
KELLER: Trying to figure out what was going on in Silva's head during the fight and how he'll react tomorrow when he wakes up without the belt
IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON A MOBILE DEVICE (PHONE, TABLET) PLEASE CLICK HERE

comments powered by Disqus
HERE ARE EVEN MORE ARTICLES THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

SELECT ARTICLES BY CATEGORY
SEARCH MMATORCH BY KEYWORD


MMATORCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING MMA EVENTS
CLICK TO SEE A UFC VIDEO BELOW

ARTICLES OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE
MMATORCH POLL - VOTE NOW!

Will T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber eventually fight?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Do you think Daniel Cormier will defeat returning Jon Jones to legitimize UFC Light Heavyweight Title reign?
 
pollcode.com free polls

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

MMATORCH WEEKLY LIVECAST
Listen to the weekly MMATORCH LIVECAST on Blog Talk Radio


MMATORCH STAFF

EDITORS:

Wade Keller, supervising editor
(mmatorch@gmail.com)

Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:

Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey


Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.

MORE MMA SITES
CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPWINDOWS APPRSS
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY