News in Review: Jon Jones, GSP vs. Silva, Weidman vs. Boetsch, ONE FC
In less than two weeks, we’ll finally have a good reason to forget about Jon Jones’ controversial decision to decline the fight with Chael Sonnen at UFC 151. But until then, it’s time to look back at four of the biggest news topics that made headlines in the world of Mixed Martial Arts over the past few weeks.
We had Tito Ortiz adding his name to the list of fighters upset with Jon Jones’ decision-making process, the talk about Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre being in works for 2013, Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia continuing their saga, and the recent announcement of Tim Boetsch vs. Chris Weidman for UFC 155, which will take place on December 29th.
Here we go:
More on Jon Jones’ UFC 151 madness
I think Jon Jones’ refusal to fight at UFC 151 is a blessing in disguise for his career as a fighter. Jon Jones is slowly but surely becoming MMA’s first anti-hero. Now, I’m not saying that from now on Jon Jones should concentrate on cancelling every UFC card he signs up to fight at, not at all, but hey – Brock Lesnar wasn’t that popular either. Still, Lesnar helped the Ultimate Fighting Championship to knock on the door of the mainstream sports industry. There are plenty of people who would love Vitor Belfort to KO Jon Jones at UFC 152, but at the same time there also those who will be rooting for the reigning champ. So yeah – “loved by some, hated by many, envied by most, yet wanted by plenty”.
Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre is getting closer?
There’s no better time for GSP and Anderson Silva to finally meet inside the Octagon. Both fighters are not getting any younger, and if you ask me – the world of Mixed Martial Arts simply needs this fight to happen. We need a heavily-promoted superfight to shake things around, and bring freshness to MMA. Cancelled fights, unnecessary rematches, and just bad match-ups have continuously damaged this sport in 2012. GSP vs. Silva is the light at the end of the tunnel.
Chris Weidman vs. Tim Boetsch at UFC 155
Fresh out the oven! It’s hard to be excited about Chris Weidman vs. Tim Boetsch, but still, it’s a good decision by the UFC matchmakers. It’s too early for Weidman to fight Boetsch, who’s getting closer to the title shot picture. Both fighters are on a collision course, which can be solved only inside the Octagon. I’m not sure why Chris Weidman is not fighting Alan Belcher, which could’ve been a super-exciting match-up. Still, Tim Boetsch is a serious threat for Weidman’s title shot aspirations. If Anderson Silva fights Georges St. Pirre, I think there’s a good chance that he will leave the Middleweight for a few more superfights in various weight classes. Such decision could open a big window of opportunities for Weidman, Bisping, Belcher, Stann, and other fighters in the UFC Middleweight division.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia IV
There’s a huge roadblock that prevents from MMA to move forward, and that’s the lack of big-money investors. Up-and-coming promotions such as ONE FC have absolutely no room to develop their fresh talent without using the services of Bob Sapp, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and other veterans that should’ve stopped fighting 3 years ago. PRIDE FC was so great only because its biggest stars were ‘born and raised’ under the same roof. Nogueira, Rampage, Fedor, Cro Cop never fought in the UFC, but this creating an immediate alternative to what is now synonymous with the sport. Even today, there are plenty of fighters who have what it takes to become stars. Unfortunately, not so many promoters are willing to take the risk, which results in Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia getting an opportunity to solve their uninspiring conflict.
