August 23, 2012, UFC 151 canceled news story for MMA-Insider.com
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Denis Gorman posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 2:50 PM in Interviews
Next Saturday night’s UFC 151 card has been canceled due to what Dana White termed a “selfish, disgusting decision” by UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
White announced in a conference call Tuesday afternoon that the card was “scrapped” after Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen for the Light-Heavyweight Championship after Dan Henderson had to pull out of the scheduled main event with “a partial tear in his MCL.”
“Where we’re at right now, the [card] had to be canceled. We’re scrapped for time,” White said during the 42-minute long call. He noted that tickets will be refunded.
According to White, Sonnen accepted the fight Wednesday night after the determination was made to remove Henderson from the card but Jones turned it down after Greg Jackson said told his protégé it would be the biggest mistake of his career.
“Jon Jones said I’m not fighting Chael Sonnen with eight days’ notice. It’s in Jon Jones’ head he didn’t prepare for this guy,” White said. “We’ve never, ever, had a fighter refuse to fight another guy.”
White added he "can’t make someone fight. Either you’re a fighter or you’re not.”
White, who alternated between bewilderment and anger throughout the call, said he and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta “are disgusted” with Jones. The UFC President added that his relationship with the Light Heavyweight Champion has changed “a lot.”
“I don’t know what to expect from Jon Jones,” White said before pointing out Jones’ lack of popularity with fans and fighters. White went on to say that Jones’ decision affected “16 other [fighters’] lives” and those of their families.
“I don’t think it’s great," said White, who acknowledged the fighters on the undercard needed this payday. "First champion to turn down a match. I don’t know why a guy who’s a World Champion and one of the pound-for-pound best in the world would not take a fight.”
According to White, Jones will fight Lyoto Machida in the main event of the Sept. 22 card in Toronto. It will be a rematch of their UFC 140 title fight in which Jones retained with a guillotine choke in the second round.
“I expect Machida to come out possessed,” White said.
Jones had expressed antipathy towards a rematch with Machida in an ESPN.com story last weekend, stating “no one wants to see me fight Lyoto Machida. No one wants to buy that fight.”
White dismissed those comments.
“I laugh when I hear fighters say ‘I’m a businessman.’ No, you’re not. You’re a fighter,” White said.
White later issued an unequivocal warning when he was asked what his response would be if Jones refused to fight Machida.
“We’ll have another conference call,” White said. “It won’t be good.”
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Image Credit: Graphic courtesy of UFC
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posted by Denis P. Gorman at 4:07 PM
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