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  • bones is an anomaly, its not like any bum can come into MMA and be a world champ

    Votes: 24 31.2%
  • yes, it would be bad for MMA to have a guy so inexperienced be the champ

    Votes: 2 2.6%
  • it doesnt matter how long someone trains, if the guy's a good fighter he's a good fighter

    Votes: 30 39.0%
  • its like the brock situation all over again

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Is Jon Jones Winning The Belt Bad For MMA?

4K views 54 replies 37 participants last post by  Davisty69 
#1 ·
the guy is a future champion, but would it be bad for mma if he won the belt this early?

2 years ago, the guy was learning moves off of f*cking youtube videos and now he's fighting for the belt. so how the hell does someone so young and inexperienced come into the deepest, toughest division in MMA and run through everyone? he's a freak athlete yes, but something like this would NEVER happen in any other sport. it would never happen in boxing or basketball or track and field. you have to train for years and years to get elite at those sports..

so why is MMA different?
 
#2 ·
Being at Jackson's camp has jsut a little bit to do with it. If you are training with the best coaches and champs and ex champs you are gonna pick up some good stuff.

It happens in all sport. Look at cristiano Ronaldo in Soccer. He was a very gifted footballer but it wasn't til he went to Man United and trained with the best players and the best coaches that he became world class.
 
#52 ·
It happens in all sport. Look at cristiano Ronaldo in Soccer. He was a very gifted footballer but it wasn't til he went to Man United and trained with the best players and the best coaches that he became world class.
Not a good comparison. Cristiano was playing football as a youth for 10 years before joining Man United. At 18 he terrorised Uniteds defence in pre season so they signed him up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfgdUfDgCq8&feature=related

He didn't learn his moves off youtube, and he was destined for greatness just happened that he made the best possible choice in Alex Ferguson.n
 
#3 · (Edited)
What is wrong with a gifted athlete going to the top fast? GSP got his shot at the belt against Hughes around the same time, with less fights in the UFC at the time.

Sure the LHW division is more stacked right now than the WW division was when GSP got his first shot but I don't really see a big difference.

A lot of the top fighters at LHW are either on a one win streak or on a losing streak, so giving an opportunity to a young star who has been terrorizing whoever he has fought is nothing wrong. If JBJ wins, then he still has to face many good fighters.

Just look what BJ Penn did in BJJ and only training in 3 years, he went into the tournament destroying world class black belts who have been doing this their whole lives.
 
#6 ·
Brock Lesnar joined the HW division when it was at its weakest point ever. Who was there to compete against Randy at the time?

If Brock Lesnar joined the UFC when fighters like JDS,Cain and Carwin fought, there is no way he would get a title shot so quickly.

The situations aren't even comparable. At the worst, you can hold JBJ back and test him against someone like Rampage. There was no one like that for Brock Lesnar.
 
#13 ·
Really hard to figure that out! :)

But seriously, i've said the same things about GSP for example, wich i consider the best Mixed Martial Artist in the world at this moment.
That guy travels from one continent to another to train with the best people in different styles. Always looking to get better and better, even if it's just a small improvement.

Also, i could say the same thing about Cain, Aldo, Cruz or Edgar...or any other fighter. I think they would fit that description almost 100%.

But, idk...with Jones i feel it's a bit different.
When you think of the fact that he had his first MMA training 3 years ago. And 1 year later he beat Bonnar, in the UFC.

His approach towards MMA is unique imo. Sometimes he comes across like a *MMA psychologist*. (something like that)
He admitted he gets obsessed with his opponents and wants to learn everything about them.

I just believe he has all the attributes necessary, to succed.
It's up to become a champion and one of the best ever!
 
#10 ·
mma is an evolving sport

jon jones is just proof of that
showing things we may not of seen before. if he does win i think it'll only be good for the sport.

i dont care who wins
but all this talk of anderson moving up to light heavyweight if gsp doesnt win
it could be a very interesting few months

theres some very interesting match ups being created from these results.

i dont know what this year has in store for us but next year iv got a feeling that ufc will be a whole other animal
 
#14 ·
In my opinion, it looks bad for people outside the Mixed Martial Arts community. Obviously, we all know this guy is an anomaly but, to other they think he's just some run-of-the-mill fighter. It also can used to show that MMA is still in the 'no holds barred' region. Basically, I'm saying that it shows you need very little trainer to become an 'Ultimate Fighter' as most people say.
When people start using Jones as evidence, it can argue that MMA is televised street fighting.
 
#16 ·
You might be right, BUT....that goes for those people who don't understand this sport and how much it evolved in the last years.
I call those people - ignorants!

PS: all those people who think you don't need much training and a lot of time, in order to succed in MMA - are welcomed to try their luck in MMA and go against a mid level fighter :) lol
 
#17 · (Edited)
I'm really getting sick of topics like these...utterly sick of them.

Pretty much every dude looking for attention/a reaction makes some ridiculous topic talking about someone or something is "bad for the sport".

As if ESPN will just go live as soon as Jones wins and announce "Jones has just won the title, how ridiculous that a 13-0 fighter won a world championship! He could've at least been 15-0 or 16-0 like Machida or Rashad!, what a joke MMA is! You know what, we are canceling MMA Live! Oh, and Canada has just reconsidered its sanctioning of it. The sport is a joke. HAHAHAHHA!..13-0 guy winning a title...WOOOOO! Kneeslapper! Dana had us all fooled! Back to you Dan!"

13 fights is far from normal for contending for a title shot. Mind you, most people don't get there in 3 years, but Jones has been fighting and had advanced a lot quicker than most dudes. Most dudes don't even TAKE 13 fights at his age, let alone win them, most being in the top org in the world.

Also, boxing?

Leon ******* Spinks...a 6-0-1 guy beat the greatest HW champion(past prime but didn't matter, he was still the champ) in the history of the sport.and not because he was some prodigious virtuoso. Just because he was pretty damn fortunate and ended up losing a rematch to 100 years old Ali and never doing shit ever again. Of course...that was "bad for the sport"..as we all remember the tarnished legacy of the so called greatest fighter in boxing. :sarcastic12:


As for basketball, dudes have been recruited from random places in Africa just because they were tall then became NBA players.

Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest players to ever play, was essentially recruited for college on a ******* soccer field, and had never even picked up a basketball before then.
 
#32 ·
What in the world are you talking about? First of all Jones has been wrestling for over a decade now so that's plenty of background.

Second of all there are plenty of examples in other sports of prodigies. Mike Tyson destroyed half the world's top boxers and champions at just age 20, after two years of training under Cus D'Amato and doing nothing but street fights his whole life.

No, this is not bad for MMA. This is just a tribute to the incredible work ethic and learning power of guys like Jones, GSP and BJ, who destroy seasoned veterans with better creds at their own game. It's a testament to the human spirit that shows with enough talent hard work, a focused man can do anything.
Absolutely spot on, the 2 of you.

Bones had been wrestling for years. To say hes been training for 2 years is silly. There is no fecking way a dude, without any kind of grappling or martial arts background, will come into MMA and kick ass in 2 years. Bones has been wrestling his monstrous brother(s?) since he was born... literately.
 
#18 ·
I cannot see how this could possibly be bad for MMA! Jones is a good fighter and is very popular among the crowds. Exactly how would that reflect badly on MMA?
 
#20 ·
The hybridization of the sport has already begun.

Generation 1 was style vs style. Since the beginning of time till 1993.
Generation 2 was the beginning of the amalgation of the ground and striking techniques. 1995 - 2000
Generation 3 2000 - 2007 - was the well roundedness of ALL fighters.

Generation 4 2008 - Present - Incorporation of all techniques (BJJ, Muay Thai, Wrestling, plus other art forms), focus on conditioning, and executing tactical + strategical game plans.
Most MMA fighters are in this category now, but only Anderson Silva, GSP, and Jose Aldo have achieved mastery at this level.

Generation 5 - All of the above + extreme naturally physically gifted traits. High Intelligence Quotient. Extreme mental toughness. Strong faith in religion.
- JBJ ???

Generation 6 - Scientific breakdown of everything (nutrition, training, fighting, blood type, disease, genetics - EUGENICS) and molding of the perfect fighter at a very young age.

Jon Jones is a rare exception in that he his humble, naturally gifted, and has a stellar camp behind him. Brock was a brute who was quite one dimensional.

So my answer is no I do not believe it is bad for MMA at all. He respects the sport. However he is still green and has much to learn. I would like to see Shogun take this.
 
#23 ·
the guy is a future champion, but would it be bad for mma if he won the belt this early?

2 years ago, the guy was learning moves off of f*cking youtube videos and now he's fighting for the belt. so how the hell does someone so young and inexperienced come into the deepest, toughest division in MMA and run through everyone? he's a freak athlete yes, but something like this would NEVER happen in any other sport. it would never happen in boxing or basketball or track and field. you have to train for years and years to get elite at those sports..

so why is MMA different?
In no way could I see JBJ winning the belt as a bad thing. As stated sevral times in previous posts, he is not just some run of the mill fighter vaulted to the top. If anything, he was kind of held back from the spot light for a little bit. From the beginning his raw natural talent was apparent very early on and he has begun to be a student of the sport.

Normally I would not even venture into other sports but it was mention that this would NEVER happen in other sports. Aside from the boxing analogies, there are just a few others too name. Barry Sanders had 1750 total yards and 14 TD in his rookie season. Some running backs don't even do that in a career. Michael Jordan dropped 63 on the mighty Celtics during the playoffs of his second season, after missing 64 games with a broken ankle, Albert Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI in his rookie season. All three of those are freaks in their own respected sports, clearly showing that every now and than there are just special athletes that come along. Is JBJ one of them? We will see.

Exactly JBJ isn't your normal person and it will show that Natural Talent to his level can be greater to the extent that he can beat guys that should have WAY better skills and trained more hours then he was born, and still get ran right through...

Its amazing, i dont see him anything like Bruce Lee but i think he is a perfect example of what Bruce Lee taught about to be the perfect type of fighter. To be like water and have No Style, and Limitless is your Limit,

Love this quote.
 
#27 ·
In no way could I see JBJ winning the belt as a bad thing. As stated sevral times in previous posts, he is not just some run of the mill fighter vaulted to the top. If anything, he was kind of held back from the spot light for a little bit. From the beginning his raw natural talent was apparent very early on and he has begun to be a student of the sport.

Normally I would not even venture into other sports but it was mention that this would NEVER happen in other sports. Aside from the boxing analogies, there are just a few others too name. Barry Sanders had 1750 total yards and 14 TD in his rookie season. Some running backs don't even do that in a career. Michael Jordan dropped 63 on the mighty Celtics during the playoffs of his second season, after missing 64 games with a broken ankle, Albert Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI in his rookie season. All three of those are freaks in their own respected sports, clearly showing that every now and than there are just special athletes that come along. Is JBJ one of them? We will see.




Love this quote.
I see what you're saying but its not the same. Jordan, Sanders, and Pujols played their respective sports their whole lives, and even in their rookie years had already trained years to get to that elite level. 2 years ago, JBJ had NO experience in fighting and was learning moves off of youtube, and now he's contending for a championship.
 
#24 ·
Lebron James went from Highschool basketball to the "title shot" so to speak. That's basically what JBJ is doing, he's that good that he can skip a few steps like college ball.
 
#29 ·
If we are being honest Mma is still too new to be considered an elite sport with elite athletes. Pro wrestlers just can't decide I wanna be an Nfl qb then lead the Cowboys to a superbowl. In mma it is still new so people can pick it up later in life and still become a champion.
 
#31 ·
What in the world are you talking about? First of all Jones has been wrestling for over a decade now so that's plenty of background.

Second of all there are plenty of examples in other sports of prodigies. Mike Tyson destroyed half the world's top boxers and champions at just age 20, after two years of training under Cus D'Amato and doing nothing but street fights his whole life.

No, this is not bad for MMA. This is just a tribute to the incredible work ethic and learning power of guys like Jones, GSP and BJ, who destroy seasoned veterans with better creds at their own game. It's a testament to the human spirit that shows with enough talent hard work, a focused man can do anything.
 
#40 ·
Bad for the sport? Hardly.

He's very marketable, talented, well spoken and he's a good dude. You won't catch him doing anything to damage his rep like Phelps did when he got caught smoking pot or Kobe Bryant's Colorado **** case, personally I don't care what they do as it's their lives but you know how the media is. There's a very good chance in the very near future Jon Jones is the face of MMA, and he'd be a good fit for it.

The bad thing is, he's gotta go through the greatest Light Heavyweight of all time to get the belt. And there's a good chance he's left laying on the mat looking at the ceiling.
 
#41 ·
I think something a lot of people just don't seem to consider is the quality of the fighter. JBJ is such a quality fighter that no one came make any negative claims with any real conviction. He has never been tied to cheating, drugs, slacking off when preparing for a fight, been involved in lawsuits that affect his ability to fight, ever had to worry about asking a judge to go to another state to compete, etc. Everything I just listed has happened in the UFC, but none of them associated with JBJ.

And that is the just the quality of the man. What about his fights? Are they boring? Does he focus on points to make sure he wins rounds, does he lay one someone to win out a round, does he avoid an area of a fight because his opponent is supposedly strong there, does he duck fighters? No, JBJ is arguably the most consistent exciting fighter in the UFC who gives us something to talk about after every fight.

JBJ winning the title could only be bad for JBJ because he could Belfort himself, but he seems to be trying hard to make sure that doesn't happen. JBJ winning the title is only positive for the UFC.
 
#42 ·
No way. This isn't like Brock where we could all see he's just an animal using his size and strength to win a fight (he was ******* 1-1, c'mon) and then getting a title shot. Jones has proven he has legit skills. He's undefeated and he's never been so much as challenged in the ring. In my mind I'm comparing this to Silva. He's got this crazy natural penchant for MMA and the training is only making him better. If he's been walking through dudes like he is with this little training when he's this young, imagine what he's going to be like 5 years from now. He's going to be nigh unstoppable. Imagine if Silva had won his belt 5+ years earlier. I'm not saying Jones is going to reign over the LHW division like Anderson, but he's got the same natural talent as Anderson and he's going nowhere but up from here. If he wins the title and gets a few defenses under his belt I don't see anyone taking it from him until he leaves it.
 
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