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Dana White: Sonnen wasn't ready for UFC 152

2K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  StandThemUp 
#1 ·
President Dana White said today that Vitor Belfort's desire to fight champ Jon Jones won him a title shot.

The desire of Chael Sonnen, who volunteered to save the ill-fated UFC 151, wasn't enough. White said the outspoken light-heavyweight didn't have enough time to prepare for UFC 152, and Belfort got the nod.

"People talk a lot of [expletive], but nobody's too excited to fight Jones right now," White said on a Tuesday call with media members. "When it came time for them to get the title shot, they turned it down. Vitor was calling (UFC executive) Lorenzo (Fertitta) up and said, 'I want this fight with Jon Jones so bad.'"

White praised Sonnen (28-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC), who most recently lost a second bid for middleweight champ Anderson Silva's middleweight belt, for stepping up to fight Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) when an injury forced Dan Henderson to withdraw from UFC 151. But when Jones denied Sonnen, prompting the cancelation of the Sept. 1 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, and Lyoto Machida turned down a title shot at UFC 152, Belfort (21-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was a better candidate for the Sept. 22 event.

"Vitor was already in camp," White said. "Vitor begged for the fight, and it made more sense."

Many fans and observers have questioned why the UFC chose Belfort, who before the short-notice opportunity was set to fight middleweight Alan Belcher at UFC 153, over Sonnen, who kickstarted an announced bid for the light-heavyweight title by calling out Jones.

White, however, said it wasn't a choice.

"Vitor stepped up and took the fight," he said. "Guys that were next in line for the fight wanted nothing to do with it."

But for critics, the UFC executive said anyone with doubts is welcome to sit out UFC 152.

"Don't watch it," White said. "If you don't like this fight and you don't think this is going to be a great fight, don't watch it."

UFC 152 takes place at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Sept. 22 with a main card on pay-per-view and prelims on FX and Facebook.

For more on UFC 152 in Toronto, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/30585/dan...r-ufc-152-belfort-made-sense-as-contender.mma
Sonnen might not have had a opportunity to except, can't tell from the article.
 
#3 ·
That's exactly what I think as well. How can Sonnen be willing to take a fight on 8 days notice and then refuse a fight on 3 weeks notice? Doesn't make too much sense to me. So I'll agree with your comment :thumb02:
 
#6 ·
Yeah I don't think he got the choice and really shouldn't have. Sonnen was literally the last option for 151. There really was no stone left unturned and they thought "What about the guy everyones talking about?". It was really a fight for the fans. Would we have preferred to see some midcarder step in over the guy who's got legit beef with him? When it got ruled out and 151 was dead and buried, they had some more time and options to work. They managed to get Belfort, a legend of the sport on a decent run who was 100% willing to step up and take the fight. Sonnen was no longer a factor.
 
#7 ·
Does anybody else find it disturbing that title shots are being handed out based on "who wants it the most" as opposed to who deserves it the most? I feel like middleweights shouldnt be "earning" title shots by launching Twitter campaigns and repeatedly calling the Fertittas...
 
#10 ·
The real question is why was the first fight on 7 day notice ONLY offered to Chael in the first place.

Clearly Vitor was eager and in a camp, he probably would've taken the 7 day fight as well. And that's a guy Jones wouldn't have minded nearly as much, his refusal stemmed as much from not wanting to reward Chael for his antics as it did from the strategic things.

Why was the shot only offered to Chael when Vitor and many others could have saved the event?
 
#14 ·
Sonnen is not going to "pound his way to Jones" he probably wont beat any of the top five or six fighters at 205. Running his mouth is the only way he can get the title shot and he knows it.

P.S. hill looks unhealthy.
 
#15 ·
Sonnen is not going to "pound his way to Jones" he probably wont beat any of the top five or six fighters at 205. Running his mouth is the only way he can get the title shot and he knows it.

P.S. hill looks unhealthy.
Some bad-mouthers say that's probably the reason his leg got split in two after getting kicked.
 
#17 ·
This makes no sense.

Dana is saying he wasn't ready to fight at 152, but blaming Jones for not fighting Chael at 151.
Sure, Chael may not have been given the offer for 152. I'm not putting this on him.

But for Dana to pretend Chael was ready for 151 but isn't ready for 152 is just complete bullshit and total hypocrisy. It's why I have no sympathy for him when shit like this happens.

As far as I am concerned the 153 mess is Karma to Dana for blaming 151 on Jones.

To be honest, I am surprised Dana didn't blame the mess of 153 on JBJ as well. All the UFC's problems are JBJ's fault. It has nothing to do with Dana and the way they treat their fighters.
 
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