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Hyden's Take
HYDEN BLOG: The UFC's Half-Measures With Jon Jones; Thoughts on Latest UFC Injuries
May 6, 2015 - 12:05:56 PM
HYDEN BLOG: The UFC's Half-Measures With Jon Jones; Thoughts on Latest UFC Injuries
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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

Jon Jones was stripped of his UFC Light Heavyweight Title after an incident last weekend where he allegedly ran a red light, crashing into a woman who suffered a broken arm in the accident. Jones fled the scene as well. I don't know all the details and, quite frankly, I don't care. There's no doubt that what Jones did was wrong, but I don't think he should have been stripped of his title just yet.

For one, I think you let the police finish their investigation and let the case play out before making your move. I know Jones has a long history of stupid decisions, but from a practical standpoint, stripping Jones but keeping him in the organization is just ridiculous. How can someone walk around with the championship belt and act as if they're the best when Jones is still around?

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was slated to fight Jones at UFC 187 later this month. With Jones being stripped and removed from the fight, Daniel Cormier steps in to face Rumble for the belt. Cormier just lost to Jones in his last fight, so if he were to win, that would completely invalidate the belt, and essentially render it meaningless. I was heavily leaning towards picking Rumble to beat Jones, so it goes without saying that I'm picking Rumble to knock Cormier out in the first round, but if Cormier somehow wins, that just makes the belt look meaningless. If this new fight were to involve two guys who had never lost to Jones it would be a little bit different. It still wouldn't have made them the best, but you do what you have to.

With regards to Jones, Dana White said that this latest incident is the straw that broke the camel's back. I can't argue that too much. There's no question that Jones needs to wake the hell up. Something has to happen, and maybe this is it. Jones obviously has a lot of guys around him who are more concerned with keeping the gravy train rolling along than helping Jones be a better person. The problem with guys like that is that they're not smart enough to realize that always telling someone yes is a quick way to derail that gravy train.

My problem with the UFC stripping Jones of his title is that it's a half-measure. Stripping him of the belt but keeping him in the company isn't going to get it done. There's no guarantee that this is what wakes Jones up, especially considering that we don't know the UFC's long term plans for Jones. What would it take for Jones to get a title shot? One win? Two? If that's the case, why bother stripping Jones in the first place? Is the UFC going to force Jones to go to rehab? Put him on company probation?

I know there's no truly right or wrong answer in a case like this, and I can certainly understand the thinking behind what the UFC has done, but I think they've handled this in a half-assed way. I think they should have let Jones fight, and then handled things afterward. They could have stripped him then, if he were to beat Rumble. Or they could cut him. To keep him, but strip him, just feels like a half-measure. And there shouldn't be any more half-measures, Walter.

************

Alexander Gustafsson and Khabib Nurmagomedov both hurt themselves this past week. I knew we couldn't get through an extended stretch without more fighters proving they're made of glass. Of course, that's just the fanboy in me talking, I don't really think that. It's just really frustrating that guys hurt themselves when you're getting excited for their fights. I don't know why some of these guys wind up hurt so often, it just sucks. This is exactly why the UFC should never hesitate when it comes to booking guys, especially champions and top contenders. I don't want to see them coaching The Ultimate Fighter or anything like that. I don't want to see them doing anything that's going to slow them down.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez hasn't fought in 19 months. He's scheduled to unify the UFC Heavyweight Title with Interim Champ Fabricio Werdum in June, but even if he's able to fight that night it'll be one fight in 20 months. UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman has fought once in the last 17 months. He's scheduled to defend against Vitor Belfort later this month, thankfully. Former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis went 15 months before actually defending his title for the first time. I can bring up more guys, too, but my point is made.

Injuries happen. It sucks when they do, but they happen. It's why the UFC should do everything they can to get guys to fight as often as possible. I'm not saying to make guys fight every few months or so, but don't schedule them to coach TUF or have them sit out to wait for title contenders. A UFC champion should never have to wait for a fight. If there's no clear-cut contender, then simply make a decision. The belts lose value when they're not defended often. It also hurts the product in general because it leads to weaker cards when champions aren't fighting. Injuries are a part of sports, but it's also on the fighters to train smarter and not be so reckless. The UFC needs to lay their schedule out in a smart manner, but the fighters have to train that way as well.


Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank


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