Is Jon Jones Faking an Injury to Avoid Fighting Rashad Evans?
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 5:59 PM EDT
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PrintNews broke today that Jon Jones has pulled out of his upcoming light heavyweight title defense against Rashad Evans, apparently due to ligering hand injury incurred in his UFC 128 title fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Evans will instead face Phil Davis in a non-title fight.
Given the circumstances of the situation and statements made in the past by Jones, his recent decision arguably deserves some scrutiny.
UFC 128 took place over one month ago. Jones mentioned having injured his hand in some post-fight interviews and received an indefinite medical suspension pending X-ray, MRI, and orthopedic clearance of his right hand. A torn ligament was cited as the reason for Jones now pulling out of UFC 133, scheduled for August 5th, almost fifteen weeks away. Mike Fagan referenced MDAdvice.com which suggests a 6 to 10 week recovery period for torn ligaments. This would clearly create time constraints for Jones to rehab the injury and then get a minimum ideal of training camp of 8 weeks, especially for a title fight.
What brings Jones' injury claim into question are his previous statements regarding competing against fellow Jackson's MMA fighters. In an April 5, 2010 MMA Scraps Radio interview with Pat Barry (then a host of the show), Jon Jones discussed fighting teammates and stated that he would fake an injury to avoid fighting Rashad Evans (emphasis below is mine):
"I just think there’s lots of ways around it. You know, you could fake injuries. You could do anything. I mean, there’s just so many ways around it, you know?"
It seems unlikely that the injury is not genuine given the documented medical suspension following UFC 128, but the unusually long delay in determining that it would impact the upcoming bout may point to an exageration and its use as a convenient excuse now that Evans' strong emotional reaction has become evident. Given alleged past occurances by other fighters of faking injuries to avoid fights, Jones' remarks last year, and the intense reaction the Jones-Evans matchup has elicited, the issue raises interesting questions and deserves further investigation.
[UPDATE]
The injury is real and Jones will be receiving surgery, but according to Jones himself "it doesn’t affect my punching or grappling". Essentially, he is having elective surgery and will be able to call himself Champion for an extra several months before even having to defend the title (which can translate into big money down the road). Matthew Roth at Head Kick Legend noted that Jones' marriage is upcoming and speculated that this may also be a contract negotiation ploy.
Rashad Evans, who not long ago was about to challenge Shogun as a favorite, is now in the position of having to face a tough Phil Davis in a non-title fight with a year's ring rust just to re-earn the shot as a big underdog to Jon Jones (while dealing with a new camp and fighting at a time of Jones' choosing). Ouch.
Audio after the jump. (HT: MMA Scraps Radio / Youtube)
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Cain Velasquez waited almost two months before pulling out of his bout with Junior dos Santos with an injury. Is he using an injury to duck a fight too?
I think that the claim Jones suffered the injury in his fight vs. Cain hurting his shoulder while training are a bit different.
U C O N N Huskies
2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Champs!
by Austin Martin on Apr 25, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
except Cain hurt him in the fight
from MMAfighting.com:
He thinks it could have occurred in the early seconds of the match when he used an underhook to defend a Lesnar takedown try, but can’t say for sure. Regardless, Velasquez said that he felt fine during the fight and even in the immediate aftermath. But a few hours later, when his adrenaline levels returned to normal, he knew something was wrong.
And what about Jose Aldo? Was he ducking Grispi when he got injured a few months before UFC 125? Of course not.
Aldo’s situation was exactly the same as Jones. It was a long-standing injury that he could fight through, but his management stepped in to protect him and convinced him to have it taken care of. That’s exactly what’s happening with Jones. His management convinced him to take care of his injury once and for all before it gets too serious.
The jealousy towards Jones around here is absolutely unbelievable. He can’t do anything right these days, it seems.
Betteridge's Law in action!
I love that shit.
"Ellismania is, along with the black President, a symbol of the future." - Mayhem Miller
Tweeter!
See,
I was going to say that too, but the fact that he specifically mentioned faking injuries… it’s definitely sketchy.
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest!
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on Apr 25, 2011 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought the title was incendiary
but this is definitely a bit sketchy, you’re right.
U C O N N Huskies
2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Champs!
Felt the same way
But the question has to be asked. Did he know about this possibility while he was smack talking on Twitter? I hope this bout gets rescheduled if only to show you can’t dodge fights.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
I follow the Snowden School of Writing...
…but without his talent.
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Ha! Don’t sell him long.
I think your post will probably become a front pager for someone else somewhere though.
U C O N N Huskies
2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Champs!
by Austin Martin on Apr 25, 2011 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions
You can’t stop the Internet!
- Joe Rogan
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
It is elective it sounds like
He said it’s a recorring injury since college that does not effect his striking or grappling. Surprising.
"I am going to punch faces." --Wanderlei Silva
War Miller Bros.
Not that surprising if you buy my theory. :)
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh I know
I just meant surprising that he would admit that, lol
"I am going to punch faces." --Wanderlei Silva
War Miller Bros.
by Jay Bittner on Apr 26, 2011 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m sure that if this was a fake injury that was part of long reaching conspiracy to avoid the fight they probably would have skipped the soap opera and major pain in the ass about Rashad needing to switch camps.
I don't actually think Jones is faking the injury, although I was obviously suspicious when I started writing/researching.
But contrary to what some people said, he did in fact receive a medical suspension after 128 and is now apparently having “minor surgery”.
I just thought it deserved some investigation given that he said he would be willing to fake an injury rather than fight Evans even for the belt or a million dollars and no one else brought it up.
Assuming there’s anything to this at all, I also don’t think it was a conspiracy, but rather a case of Jones seeing how upset Rashad has become and exagerating the thumb injury to avoid the fight.
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions
No.
This was obviously the work of Greg Jackson.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Apr 25, 2011 6:35 PM EDT reply actions
Please, Tonya’s more of a baseball bat in a dark alley kind of a girl. This has the stink of ninjas to it.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Apr 25, 2011 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
This has the stink of ninjas to it.
It’s true! I did it for the story!
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Shazam!!! I knew it!
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Apr 25, 2011 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking that
Before Rashad “hurt” his knee, Condit did too a couple weeks before Rashad.
Next thing you'll tell me
Is that Mr. McMahon didn’t really get hurt when the Titantron fell on him. It’s still real to me!
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
Umm
I don’t think that the athletic commission who suspended him indefinitely after the fight would lie for Jon Jones’ sake.
Not suggesting that. See the line after the quote.
by HarmlessNinja on Apr 25, 2011 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder what the exact recovery time is for this
I don’t see why they couldn’t just move the fight back one card.
Idiots
Anyone that thinks he’s “faking” it is a damn idiot. Rashad is always going to be right there at a title shot, so what is Jones going to do “fake” a injury every time they’re suppose to fight?
Get real, he was and is welling to fight him. Stop being such fools. These two will fight in the near future.
Unless Davis pulls the upset.
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest!
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on Apr 26, 2011 4:59 AM EDT up reply actions
let’s play a game, it’s called not insulting people. you’re losing so far.
U C O N N Huskies
2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Champs!
by Austin Martin on Apr 26, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
If you're an idiot you're an idiot, I'm not going to sugar coat it. I know you're probably use to being babied. Stupid remarks lead to that conclusion.
by Who is Ryoto on Apr 28, 2011 4:16 AM EDT up reply actions
It's a fix!
Randy Couture will now beat Machida in spectacular fashion and will change his mind on retirement. Rashad will lose to Davis in a boring decision by being out-wrestled. This will set up Couture for one last title shot against Jones. Couture beats Jones in a hard fought, grinding decision and retires after winning the LHW belt one last time. This sets up a LHW tourney with the top UFC and Strikeforce LHWs. The End
by Str8_right on Apr 26, 2011 10:39 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
YES!!!
he is faking, so he wouldn’t have to completely destroy his buddy Rashad.
The real reason he is faking is so he and Sugar can coach the next TUF!
I met Jon Jones in the Newark Airport 3 days before this injury
And I shook the very hand he now needs surgery on. I take full responsibility for this injury, but would like my MMA record to be changed to 1-0 with a submission victory over JBJ
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