The UFC may claim it is in the best stages of global growth in history and while that may be true it does not mean it isn’t falling short
in some areas. Jon Jones one of its marquee champions just got arrested, stripped of his title, and suspended indefinitely. READ THE ARTICLE HERE
Some people say he deserved to get the book thrown at him and he did. Others think he should have accepted his legal outcome from the courts and serve that out with no recourse from the UFC. What happened was that the UFC hammered him by removing the light heavyweight championship from his waist and suspending him. The after effects of that will be felt for a long time.
The first thing it does is remove some credibility from whoever wins the title next. Anthony Johnson, a legit contender, will now face Daniel Cormier for the vacant title at UFC 187. Cormier lost a competitive fight with Jones by decision when they clashed and Johnson has been beast mode since he returned to the UFC. Alexander Gustafsson AKA UFC’s viking version of Pewdie Pie got crushed by Johnson and a return fight with him is not an exciting proposition right now so Cormier made the most sense. It doesn’t matter who it was going to be because with the title vacated it feels the same as when Lawler and Hendricks fought over GSP’s vacant title. Just like GSP, Jon Jones will always be the ghost in the room for the light heavyweight division. The champion at the time will only be the champion because Jon isn’t there.
Another title fight scrapped and another main event out the window. With injuries ruining fans chances to see dream fights at every turn Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson is just another notch on the proverbial belt of UFC’s PPV bad luck. I have friends who will not buy tickets to the UFC until the day of the event because of how many fights have been scrapped last year and so far this year. If Chris Weidman gets injured yet again it will be the culmination of a string of bad luck for Dana White and disgruntled fans.
Dana is in a bad position now. He loves him some Jon Jones. Now he had to discipline one of his most popular fighters and in a harsh way to prove he is not showing any favoritism. Jones’s positive cocaine test a while back that ended with the epic overnight rehab prompting him to proclaim he was cured was hilarious. Now after the hit and run, alleged removal of drugs from his car before the cops get there (according to the internet) cast a shadow on an org in the midst of a global growth phase. Was it fair? Who cares because it was necessary. It still is a black mark on the UFC’s image and one White would like to pass over quickly.