UFC 187 was supposed to be the biggest pay-per-view of 2015 for the UFC. IT had two star-studded main events; the first was a middleweight title fight pitting undefeated Chris Weidman against longtime veteran Vitor Belfort. Then the pound-for-pound king, Jon "Bones" Jones, was supposed to defend his light heavyweight crown vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
Jones derailed that train with a hit-and-run arrest that comes just a few months after a positive cocaine test ahead of his January fight vs. Daniel Cormier. Cormier has slotted in to replace him, and UFC 187 is still the UFC's biggest card of the year, but Jones' presence would have taken it up a notch.
Cormier, who lost to Jones in January, said as much.
"We need Jon in this sport because he has - he had - the ability to cross boundaries and not just stay in mixed martial arts," Cormier said. "We need him in the company because he can sell pay-per-views. The sport needs him because he's a dominant champion. People love dynasties. That's why the Patriots are so popular; the Yankees. People love winners."
"Now, do we need him as the person he's been? No. We need him as a better person. We need him as a role model, as a person who fixes and fights his demons."
Former middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva, arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, advised Jones to overhaul his life completely and take a long sabbatical from the octagon.
"Jones is a good man," Silva said. "He needs to keep straight his focus. I love Jones, he needs to change everything in his life. It's very important."
[Yahoo]
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
