“I REALLY THINK QUITE HIGHLY OF GREG JACKSON. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HIS OPINION AND INFLUENCE ON JON IS EARNED... JON RESPECTS HIM. HE EARNED THAT. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE REPERCUSSIONS FOR COACH JACKSON, BUT THAT’S WHAT HE’S HIRED TO DO. HE’S NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE UFC.
DUANE: The issue of Chael to me is he lost at middleweight then tweeted his way straight into a title shot at LHW, in terms of being a different fighter I think Henderson is way, way better at everything Chael does well so that excuse doesn’t hold water at all. Anyway you look at it Chael is an easier fight than Henderson. ALAN: So Jackson has a point. But it is a fighting sport and one of the problems we have talked about before is fighters not fighting and looking for a way to win the game, not beat the fighter.
GREG JACKSON - IMAGE © MARTIN MCNEIL
- CHAEL SONNEN
couch and into a fight. So taking a fight of that calibre with a guy that’s ready, on three days’ notice, for a world championship, without any time to prepare, is just not professional to me.”
might not be obvious to people outside medialand. That all said most people don’t care about such things and Jones’s refusal just makes him look weak and prima donna-ish. It doesn’t help him at all that he tweeted about being ready to fight anyone only a few weeks ago. ALAN: Jackson did not say much at first, but did tell MMAWeekly.com “It was actually three days notice; it’s not eight days notice because you don’t train the last week of a fight camp. That’s when you do media and weight cutting; there’s no real training going on there. When I was asked if fighting Sonnen for a world title on three days notice was a smart idea, I said no. “Chael is in a great position in that he’d been training with Dan Henderson for this fight, getting him ready, and he’s in shape. He knows the plan on what they’re gonna do to get around Jon. So he’s ready to go,” Jackson continued. “It’s not like he’s stepping off the
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DUANE: One thing no one can question is Jones fights to win as does Sonnen and Henderson but as I say Chael is an easier fight than Henderson. ALAN: Jones is one of the few Jackson fighters who is good to watch. You have to love Sonnen. Did you see what he said to Bleacher Report? Too funny... “When I decided to go after the light heavyweight championship, I knew that I’d win it like I always do. I just didn’t know it would be by forfeit. But I do stand before you today the light heavyweight champion.” DUANE: He is amusing but I think it’s all a bit too much ‘WWE’ how he can get a title shot from simply being witty in the media. The facts are he is coming off a loss, a bad loss for that matter and he is unproven as a LHW so going straight into a title shot for me is just unjustified. ALAN: That is the only valid point, which
Jones only raised later. Sonnen showed his true balanced view on the whole thing saying ON HENDERSON “I’m in the same position today as I was yesterday,” Sonnen said. “The fight’s going to happen sooner or later. It’s not like I’m not going to beat this guy up. It’s just a matter of when. My biggest concern isn’t with the fight or myself at all. My biggest concern is with Dan Henderson and his health. I have a personal relationship with him. I know his kids and how much he loves playing with them, so I just hate to see the guy’s health in any kind of jeopardy.” ON JACKSON AND JONES “I really think quite highly of Greg Jackson. You have to understand his opinion and influence on Jon is earned,” Sonnen said. “Jon respects him. He earned that. I understand there are repercussions for Coach Jackson, but that’s what he’s hired to do. He’s not an employee of the UFC. He’s a coach and he gave the advice