UFC's Jon Jones On Fighting Anderson Silva: We Could Lose Sponsorships

"It's not that he won't fight me or I won't fight him. To be dead honest, it's that we both have a lot to lose and we both respect each other a lot and we both are striving for personal greatness. I don't want to crack on his greatness and I don't want him cracking on my greatness.

"We're in completely different weight classes. We both have sponsor deals and things that are really important to us and a big part of that sponsorship package is being a winning-being a champion. Having us fight each other means one of our championships goes away.

"I respect Anderson Silva so much that I don't want to be the guy to beat him. I don't want to lose to him either. It's a lose-lose situation for me."

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/10/3150278/ufc-jon-jones-vs-anderson-silva-we-could-both-lose-sponsorships#storyjump

So the best in the world don't want to fight because of sponsors. Too damn bad. I understand they are in different weight classes and I wouldn't mind seeing Silva vs. Lombard, Rockhold, and possibly Mousasi but eventually this fight would have to happen. It is a great dream match up.

I really am interested in seeing Hector Lombard against Anderson Silva. But hector does have a tough fight ahead of him in Tim Boetsch.
The issue with the sponsors is pathetic.
But the real question is what sponsor is keeping the fight from happening?
Could the sponsor be the ufc who sponsored Jones in his last fight against Rashad?

Anderson don't want this fight is simple, not only he don't want the fight like he don't want to move up before Jones was the champion. Jones is just trying to don't drop the ball on him when the media ask for the superfight due some apreciation for Anderson. I want to him move up but even he being is a big mw he never misses weight and look dead on the scales.

The UFC, where the best duck the best. Basically they are all (GSP, Silva, Jones) trying to build artificial legacies. They all want people to think they are the best and as long as they don't fight each other people will. Real fighters want to challenge themselves, not duck.

Kinosis wrote:The UFC, where the best duck the best. Basically they are all (GSP, Silva, Jones) trying to build artificial legacies. They all want people to think they are the best and as long as they don't fight each other people will. Real fighters want to challenge themselves, not duck.

So GSP sould fight Jones because he never faced a real challege? This not early vale tudo days anymore, if they were on same weightclass they already would fight each other you can't avoid this fights due you very small bargain power w/ zuffa, remember they want the money over anyone else. When Brock return they put him vs Overeem and trash Lesnar after he leave the company, this could happen w/ anderson, gsp or jones when they became older. They put GSP vs Diaz, the most dangerous fight for him and the fight who i wanted to see the most, didn't happen due gsp injury and diaz just got suspended again.

bolsheet wrote:

Kinosis wrote:The UFC, where the best duck the best. Basically they are all (GSP, Silva, Jones) trying to build artificial legacies. They all want people to think they are the best and as long as they don't fight each other people will. Real fighters want to challenge themselves, not duck.

So GSP sould fight Jones because he never faced a real challege? This not early vale tudo days anymore, if they were on same weightclass they already would fight each other you can't avoid this fights due you very small bargain power w/ zuffa, remember they want the money over anyone else. When Brock return they put him vs Overeem and trash Lesnar after he leave the company, this could happen w/ anderson, gsp or jones when they became older. They put GSP vs Diaz, the most dangerous fight for him and the fight who i wanted to see the most, didn't happen due gsp injury and diaz just got suspended again.

No, GSP is someone people wanted to see fight Silva for years. I threw him in with those guys because GSP is always crying about gaining 15lbs to make MW even though he comes in on fight night at 194lbs or so. As of this second Silva vs GSP doesn't make much sense because GSP has been out for over a year but it made sense before he was hurt and is a fight everyone wanted. If GSP comes back and wins a couple more it makes sense again.

Kinosis wrote:
No, GSP is someone people wanted to see fight Silva for years. I threw him in with those guys because GSP is always crying about gaining 15lbs to make MW even though he comes in on fight night at 194lbs or so. As of this second Silva vs GSP doesn't make much sense because GSP has been out for over a year but it made sense before he was hurt and is a fight everyone wanted. If GSP comes back and wins a couple more it makes sense again.

If GSP goes 194lbs at fight night, Anderson goes 220, i'm not saying that it's cool, but it's the rules now days about cutting weight. Just my personal preference, i would ratter see diaz vs gsp over gsp vs anderson.

I rather see them both, or Diaz vs Silva if Diaz beat GSP.

I just don't want to hear people say any of these guys are GOAT when they are just ducking and dodging each other because they don't want to lose their hype or sponsors.

I hear you but even if them would fight each other you would see stupid people say dumb things anyway, world is not perfect.

I understand. I suppose in the end I just hate the mindset fighters have these days. They should want to be the best and want to challenge the best. Dana says the UFC is where the best fight the best, great, I just want to see it if that is a true statement.

bolsheet wrote:

Kinosis wrote:The UFC, where the best duck the best. Basically they are all (GSP, Silva, Jones) trying to build artificial legacies. They all want people to think they are the best and as long as they don't fight each other people will. Real fighters want to challenge themselves, not duck.

So GSP sould fight Jones because he never faced a real challege? This not early vale tudo days anymore, if they were on same weightclass they already would fight each other you can't avoid this fights due you very small bargain power w/ zuffa, remember they want the money over anyone else. When Brock return they put him vs Overeem and trash Lesnar after he leave the company, this could happen w/ anderson, gsp or jones when they became older. They put GSP vs Diaz, the most dangerous fight for him and the fight who i wanted to see the most, didn't happen due gsp injury and diaz just got suspended again.

These guys are ducking each other and trying to protect their record by not fighting tough fighters, only fighters that they could win against. So long as Zuffa hypes them up then everyone will believe that they are the best. These guys will say that they are the best strikers without ever going up against another top striker. These guys wont put it all on the line and challenge themselves by fighting the best from outside the UFC or even inside.

You know full well that Anderson and JJ can be in the same weight division, both fighters as well.

There was a time when fighters will fight the best, even if the other fighter isnt in the same weight. Fedor and Igor comes to mind, fighting guys far heavier than themselves. A weight difference between JJ and Anderson is that big. Especially when you compare the weight differences that Fedor had to contend with.

bolsheet wrote:

Kinosis wrote:
No, GSP is someone people wanted to see fight Silva for years. I threw him in with those guys because GSP is always crying about gaining 15lbs to make MW even though he comes in on fight night at 194lbs or so. As of this second Silva vs GSP doesn't make much sense because GSP has been out for over a year but it made sense before he was hurt and is a fight everyone wanted. If GSP comes back and wins a couple more it makes sense again.

If GSP goes 194lbs at fight night, Anderson goes 220, i'm not saying that it's cool, but it's the rules now days about cutting weight. Just my personal preference, i would ratter see diaz vs gsp over gsp vs anderson.

194lbs versus 205lbs. Anderson could eat one more big mac and he would have made weight. So what if he goes up against someone 20lbs heavier than him.

If he wants to be honestly regarded as even close to Fedor's GOAT status then Anderson should take than fight and not hide in an already weak division.

What is the rules about weight cutting? Its just a poor excuse for ducking.

Kinosis wrote:I understand. I suppose in the end I just hate the mindset fighters have these days. They should want to be the best and want to challenge the best. Dana says the UFC is where the best fight the best, great, I just want to see it if that is a true statement.

We all know by now that Dana is bull shitting.

Why do you think Anderson and JDS both lost more fights outside the UFC than inside. Its because these UFC guys only fight other hyped up fighters and not the best fighters.

If Anderson wanted to challenge himself and prove his striking ability then he should fight other top fighters, going to Golden Glory and fighting their kickboxer come MMA fighter should really put his striking to the test.

But no, for all the hype, Anderson has NEVER FOUGHT A TOP CLASS K-1 LEVEL STRIKER!

In my day... the great boxers would have been shamed off the face of the earth for dropping weight classes for easier competition. The best moved up when they had no more real competition in their weight class. If not, their careers would have been severely downgraded by boxing historians.

On a side note.. You put Muhammad Ali next to Anderson he's the same size. Ali never cut weight. He walked around and fought at 205 - 220 during his prime. Haha!


Prime Ali
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 205 - 220 lbs (walk around/no cut)
Reach: 80 in


Prime Anderson
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Weight: 185 lbs (cutting down from up to 220 lbs)
Reach: 77 in


If Anderson fought 'only' up to MW for his career there still would be a good case for saying he hid there when he was physically as big as any UFC LHW (see weigh in square off vs Griffin). The fact that he won comfortably a LHW two times demolishing a recent champion while not looking out-powered or undersized says a lot. I'm sure every pro boxer even today would say Anderson dropping back down to MW for much weaker competition was more than a bit of a womanly move. Like I said... sports historians don't look kindly on those things when making their GOAT lists down the road.

So Shogun, Rampage, Machida and Evans didn´t have any sponsors? Jones doesn´t make sense.

Dagwood wrote:In my day... the great boxers would have been shamed off the face of the earth for dropping weight classes for easier competition. The best moved up when they had no more real competition in their weight class. If not, their careers would have been severely downgraded by boxing historians.

On a side note.. You put Muhammad Ali next to Anderson he's the same size. Ali never cut weight. He walked around and fought at 205 - 220 during his prime. Haha!


Prime Ali
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 205 - 220 lbs (walk around/no cut)
Reach: 80 in


Prime Anderson
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Weight: 185 lbs (cutting down from up to 220 lbs)
Reach: 77 in


If Anderson fought 'only' up to MW for his career there still would be a good case for saying he hid there when he was physically as big as any UFC LHW (see weigh in square off vs Griffin). The fact that he won comfortably a LHW two times demolishing a recent champion while not looking out-powered or undersized says a lot. I'm sure every pro boxer even today would say Anderson dropping back down to MW for much weaker competition was more than a bit of a womanly move. Like I said... sports historians don't look kindly on those things when making their GOAT lists down the road.

Word from the wise!

Moving up weight to fight tougher competition is why me and many others admire a gutsy boxer like Manny.

either one or both fighters is ducking each other or Zuffa is forcing their cash cows apart to milk both of them for as much as they are worth.

My guess is that its a bit of both.

Greatness is made by those who fight the best fighters out there in meaningful fights. This is pathetic as hell and if anything is the main argument for Silva not being close to GOAT status. He's thoroughly behind Shogun and Wand in fact, as well as Big Nog. Imagine if Roberto Duran would've fought at between lightweight and Jr. Welter his entire career instead of stepping up to fight the best fighters of his era. Imagine if Tommy Hearns would've stuck to WW instead of moving up to challenge the same guys. The list goes on and on.

monaroCountry wrote:
We all know by now that Dana is bull shitting.

Why do you think Anderson and JDS both lost more fights outside the UFC than inside. Its because these UFC guys only fight other hyped up fighters and not the best fighters.

If Anderson wanted to challenge himself and prove his striking ability then he should fight other top fighters, going to Golden Glory and fighting their kickboxer come MMA fighter should really put his striking to the test.

But no, for all the hype, Anderson has NEVER FOUGHT A TOP CLASS K-1 LEVEL STRIKER!

He had a exclusive deal w/ UFC since 2006 and now is making millions for fight and getting big sponsors for his fights, why go out now to fight on Glory who isn't even broadcast here or in america? If you was on the fight game for a living was a easy choice to make (Like Bibiano just said it's all about the money). Outside the organization JDS lost because his submission defence wasn't good and maybe still bad, but fighters develop on better fighters especialy when he lost he only had trained any combat sport for less than 3 years (he don't have any kind of backround) and his ufc record is impressive don't say that he is all hype. Before lost outside zuffa, anderson has beaten Sakurai, Newton, Murray and who on the ufc roster pool is better striker than him for make the match-up?

If he wants to be honestly regarded as even close to Fedor's GOAT status then Anderson should take than fight and not hide in an already weak division.

I never said that he was the GOAT, but i don't think the middleweight division sucks.

Word from the wise!

Moving up weight to fight tougher competition is why me and many others admire a gutsy boxer like Manny.

Manny stat is overrated also, because a lot of this weight classes are junior lightweight, junior welterweight and not just the true weightclasses: lightweight, welterweight like Henry Armstrong. He was moving up and facing easy competition witch past prime guys on Mosley, Margarito and the small fighters that he faced recently are not past prime fighters like Marquez and Bradley. I care more about the match-up than the weight diference, just my personall preference.

Wish this match would happen and end in a double ko. Both these guys bug me Jones far more of course.