UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida

[Mr 1 Leg]

x2

[Kemal]

Jon Jones Knows His Long Road to Rashad Evans Goes Through Lyoto Machida

Jon Jones makes it clear he still wants Rashad Evans, and we know Evans still wants him. But the road to each other has been filled with potholes and detours, and the waiting game continues, though neither is ever very far from the other's view.

With the specter of Evans hanging over the proceedings, the UFC on Wednesday officially announced UFC 140 and its main event of champion Jones against challenger Lyoto Machida.

The surprise main event was originally released by UFC president Dana White last week, after Evans' follow-up doctor visit determined he would need more time to rest his injured fight hand. Of course, the new pairing -- cemented by Jones, Machida and White at Toronto's Air Canada Centre -- promises a vastly different dynamic both in and out of the cage, with no past history between the men. For Jones, who had been expecting the long-awaited grudge bout, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"I would prefer each fight to be a little more respectful. It is martial arts. But I'm OK with the other side of it, too. I understand there are two different fan bases. Some people like more of that warrior spirit, discipline and honor, and other people like more of the cage fighter, I'm-gonna-knock-you-out type stuff. So I'm getting more comfortable with both of them, and it is what it is."

That said, Jones (14-1) was clearly disappointed his chance at Evans was scuttled, even if he does have great respect for Machida, who is also a former UFC light heavyweight champion.

Jones said he fully realizes that just because Evans will not be standing in front of him on December 10, there won't be any less to lose if he should fall to defeat. As such, he doesn't expect motivation to be an issue, even with this fight coming so close on the heels of his successful September 24 title defense against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

"I realize what I could lose in the fight that's in front of me, so when it comes to the question of getting up for the fight, it's definitely not an issue," he said. "And as far as getting up for the Rashad Evans fight, after all the drama of last year or so, it's a fight I absolutely cannot lose. I'm actually taught to think that no fight is a big fight. Don't fight the legend, just fight his body and see what happens.

'With Rashad, I'm really trying to teach myself, 'This is not a big fight, Jon. It's not a big fight, Jon,'" he continued. "But it's a huge fight to me right now. I wouldn't want to lose either one of them. So as far as getting up for fights, I'm up."

If Jones is to look past Machida, it could end up as a grave mistake. Despite losing two of his last three, Machida (17-2) is still a complex fighter with knockout power and a strong all-around game. Jones acknowledged that he's "never competed against anyone like him," and said he would spend time studying and learning Machida's tendencies.

Machida, as usual a man of few words, admitted that the initial offer to fight Jones took him by surprise, and that he believes his experience will "speak louder in this fight." Machida did reveal one interesting nugget though, saying that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has already called him about working with him in preparation for the fight.

"I guarantee on December 10, I will very well prepared, and I can overcome his athleticism with my technique," Machida said.

If Jones emerges successful in the fight, he will have won four fights in 10 months, and run through a gauntlet of three former champions in the process. He's also gone from relative obscurity to fame in that time, a transition that has been known to affect many.

For Jones though, everything feels just about right.

"When I joined the sport, I always envisioned wanting to be the best, and trying to be the champion. So I tried to carry myself and think in that type of life, as if it was already so, even before it happened. So now that I'm here, I have this feeling as if I'm right where I'm supposed to be, and right where I worked to be, so I feel comfortable with everything that's happened."

UFC 140 will mark a quick return to Toronto for the promotion, which put on its landmark UFC 129 show in April, drawing over 55,000 fans and a gate surpassing $11 million at the Rogers Centre. The Air Canada Centre is a more traditional sports arena that seats just shy of 20,000 fans in its maximum seating configurations. In his remarks during the press conference, UFC president White called Toronto "without a doubt, the strongest market on the planet." In Jones, the promotion will be showcasing one of the strongest fighters on the planet, even if he comes with an unexpected opponent.

[Fyodor]

Highlights van de press conference:

Dana White: I'd do a fight every week here if I could. We want to go to strong markets and obviously this is the strongest market on the planet.

Jon Jones: The trash talk didn't bother me, it made me better as an individual and a professional. Some like the warrior spirit and the honor and others like the cage fighter aspect.

Dana White: We'll how this goes. We felt this was the correct move based on the time we get here.
Jon Jones: I feel my biggest advantage is my youth and my versatility and the way I approach the sport.

Lyoto Machida: It's hard to say but maybe my experience will be speak louder.

Dana White: I like this fight stylistically. If Jon Jones can walk through Machida the way he walked through Rampage than he has arrived, he is the real deal. The sky's the limit for this kid. He's got the Rashad fight after that and Rashad claims he's getting his number . Machida is stylistically very tough and I think this is a fun fight.

Lyoto Machida: It really caught me by surprise but I'm the type of guy that believes everything happens for a reason and that my time will come.

Dana White: Everywhere we go I want to put on great matchups and every time we go to a new place people tell us, "you better deliver!" When don't we deliver? Obviously coming back to the biggest market on Earth, we wanted to bring a great card here.

Jon Jones: I realize what I can lose and what's in front of me now. When it comes to getting up for a fight, that's not an issue. When it comes to the Rashad Evans fight, that's a fight I cannot lose. Don't fight the legend, just fight his body and see what happens. I try to tell me that it's not a big fight but it's a huge fight.

Jon Jones: I just need to be myself. I'm very real the fact that he's never faced anybody like me just like I've never faced anyone like him. I just want to take it from there.

Lyoto Machida: I guarantee that on December 10th I will be very well prepared and I can overcome his athleticism with my technique.

Dana White: I've said it many times that this guy is the whole package. At such a young age, taking on the names and beating the guys that he has. He might not be a household name, but when he beat Matyushenko, I was blown away with how he's done it. He's dealing with a lot of stuff that puts a lot of pressure on people and at a very young age.

Dana White: It's unbelievable. Before the Rampage fight people were talking pound for pound but I don't want to put the pressure on this guy. Your'e not in your prime until you're 27, 28, 29 years old. It's really impressive. You have to respect what he's been able to do at such a young age and how he's done it.

Lyoto Machida: I felt very welcome by the crowd. I fought a legend in Randy Couture and I was very excited by the crowd.

Jon Jones: It's very obvious in the MMA world that Canadian fans are very rabid and welcoming.

Dana White: We'll do the Rogers Centre when we have the right fight.

Jon Jones: I feel as if I'm able to handle it and balance it very well. I'm trying to learn to carry myself and think. I feel that I'm right where I'm supposed to be and I feel comfortable with what's happened.

Jon Jones: There's not really negatives to come along with a dream coming true. The only negative that has happened is I need to be more careful with the words I say because of the way I'm scrutinized with everything that happens.

Dana White: I think Roger Huerta did it, fought four times in a year but he wasn't champion. Jon Jones was busted up and hurting, his feet were sore and this kid bounces right back and takes the fight. I couldn't tell you how impressed I am.

Jon Jones: I don't think I'll be trainign with George leading up to this fight. Him and Carlos are fighting and I wouldn't want to jeopardize that friendship leading up to this fight.

Lyoto Machida: Anderson's already called me and said he wants to come to my hometown and show me some things. I'm just waiting for this to happen.

Dana White: Seven Canadians will be on this card. Rory MacDonald, Mark Hominick, Claude Patrick and Mark Bocek, my old jiu-jitsu guy.

Dana White: Hominick's gotta start with his next fight.

Dana White: I don't like answering those questions before a fight. I was impressed with Tito's last fight. He was great against Bader and he put on an awesome showing against Rashad. We'll see what happens.

Dana White: Rory's awesome and even Georges St. Pierre says that he's the next Georges St. Pierre. That's a tough fight. Ebersole came out of nowhere and has looked amazing in some pretty cool wins. This kid could be the next superstar. I'm very excited about this guy, don't want to put pressure on him. Mir and Nogueira are excited for this fight. Mir says he wants to get out there and start fighting more. Nogueira and Tito are in a real rough spot. These guys need to come in and perform and win.

Dana White: You can't look past these guys. Jon Jones has two tough fights ahead of him and he'll fight Chael Sonnen. They've got tough fights ahead of them. Jon's 24 years old. He's got business to take care of in the light heavyweight division without worrying about Anderson Silva.

Jon Jones: I think Steven Seagal came back to say high and offer words of encouragement. I appreciate the gesture and I'm glad I made the decision that I did for sure.

[superfreak]

Machida zou het kunnen doen en Rashad ook. Jones heeft een aardige reach maar bijzonder snel is hij niet. Je ziet ook vaak van te voren wat hij gaat doen (oke makkelijk praten als je thuis voor de buis zit... maar toch) en denk dat machida met z'n snelheid en Rashad al helemaal het hem moeilijk kunnen maken. Rashad is ook nog eens een goede worstelaar.

[redjuh]

machida please... kick his fokking head off

[Leventdepevent]

vette partij ik hoop op machida

[K-1sunstarr]

The main event for UFC 140 is set, with Jon Jones set to defend his light heavyweight title against former champion Lyoto Machida.

UFC President Dana White announced on Twitter that Jones vs. Machida will be the main event for the card, which takes place on Dec. 10 in Toronto.

The decision to give the next shot at the light heavyweight title to Machida comes as a surprise because Rashad Evans has long been declared the No. 1 contender. But Evans, who wore a cast on his hand when he faced off with Jones following Jones' victory over Rampage Jackson last month, will apparently not be ready to fight in time for Jones' next title defense.

For Jones, the matchup means he will fight four times in 2011: He beat Ryan Bader in February, Shogun Rua in March and Jackson in September. Fighting this often is rare in the UFC, especially among championship-level fighters, but Jones is apparently ready, and the UFC apparently wants to keep their young star active.

He'll have an interesting stylistic matchup in Machida, whose striking is unlike anything Jones has ever faced before. Then again, Jones' strength, speed and reach is unlike anything Machida has ever faced before. This should be a great fight.

http://middleeasy.com/index.php?opti...:organizations

[K-1sunstarr]

Dit was na de pers conferentie

[tnk2k]

Ik dacht dat Evans tegen het hem ging opnemen?

[tnk2k]

Mooi kut, dit wint Jones op voorhand al. Pfff, met Evans was het nog wel leuk geweest.

[The Company]

Mooi kut, dit wint Jones op voorhand al. Pfff, met Evans was het nog wel leuk geweest.

Machida sloopt Jones by KO.

Beetje net als dit: Clinch, Machida haalt Jones neer en BAM!

[bryan]

Machida sloopt Jones by KO.

Beetje net als dit: Clinch, Machida haalt Jones neer en BAM!

http://i41.tinypic.com/v58qk8.gif

have you seen jones in the clinch ??? Echt het niveau van mma kennis tegenwoordig is om te janken....

[Kemal]

Yves Jabouin vs. Walel Watson Slated for UFC 140

"The Tiger" will meet "The Gazelle" north of the border at UFC 140.

Yves Jabouin, nicknamed "The Tiger," will take on Walel Watson, nicknamed "The Gazelle," on the Dec. 10 card in Toronto, the organization announced Friday afternoon.

Jabouin (16-7) is 2-3 in Zuffa. The Montreal-native won his UFC debut at UFC 134 when he defeated Ian Loveland via unanimous decision. Prior to making his UFC debut in April, he fought for WEC.

The 5-foot-11 Watson looked impressive in his Octagon debut earlier in the month at UFC Live on Versus 6 when he defeated Joseph Sandoval in just 77 seconds via TKO.

UFC 140, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida vs. UFC light heavyweight title, will air live on pay-per-view from Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

Main card

• Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Jon Jones (c) vs. Lyoto Machida
• Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
• Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Antônio Rogério Nogueira
• Welterweight bout: Rory MacDonald vs. Brian Ebersole
• Featherweight bout: Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung

Preliminary card

• Light Heavyweight bout: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Igor Pokrajac
• Lightweight bout: John Makdessi vs. Dennis Hallman
• Welterweight bout: Claude Patrick vs. Rich Attonito
• Lightweight bout: Mark Bocek vs. Nik Lentz
• Lightweight bout: Mitch Clarke vs. John Cholish

Announced bouts

The following fights have been confirmed by UFC.com, but not yet added to the Official Fight Card.

• Bantamweight bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Walel Watson
• Middleweight bout: Jared Hamman vs. Constantinos Philippou

[Kemal]

UFC 140: Rory MacDonald Out, Brian Ebersole Will Now Face Claude Patrick

An injury to one of the UFC's bright young up-and-coming fighters has caused the UFC 140 card to be shifted.

The UFC announced that 22-year-old Canadian welterweight Rory MacDonald has been injured and forced to with draw from UFC 140, which takes place on December 10 in Toronto. The 12-1 MacDonald had been slated to face Brian Ebersole, and it's disappointing news that one of the best young Canadians in MMA won't be able to fight on the next major card in Canada.

Ebersole will stay on the main card and face Claude Patrick, a welterweight from Toronto who's 14-1 in his MMA career, including 3-0 in the UFC.

Patrick had been slated to face Rich Attonito on the UFC 140 preliminary card. Attonito is expected to stay on the card, and the UFC said a new opponent for Attonito will be named soon.

UFC 140 is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida. The other fights on the main card will be Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira an dMark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung.

[Damian_Gray]

jones gaat machida slopen.. hij is sneller, sterker, groter.. ik denk 2de ronde tko voor jones

[Pahlavan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ9A0...el_video_title

[123trisweat]

tx, heerlijke vechter om naar te kijken. Weet me altijd te verrassen

[micha]

was zijn broer er niet bij?

[Kemal]

wat ouder maar misschien leuk om nog even te zien:

[cholitzu]

ben een machida fan, maar helaas gaat hij dit niet winnen. en zoals ik al eerder aangaf, Jones gaat zeker nog een tijdje heersen in zijn divisie.

[Slome]

[123trisweat]

Tx

[redjuh]

de winnaar van Jones vs Machida mag tegen Evans