Rappy Veteran Posted October 6, 2011 Veteran Share Posted October 6, 2011 UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will fight in UFC 140's headliner, but it won't be against Rashad Evans (16-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC).Injuries have cost Evans another promised title shot, and ex-champ Lyoto Machida (17-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has taken his spot in the December title fight. UFC president Dana White today announced the news via Twitter. The new newly announced main event comes a day after news of a potential Jones vs. Evans UFC 140 headliner. A source told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and other outlets that the fight was being targeted for the Toronto show. However, White ultimately told MMAjunkie.com that wouldn't be the case. UFC 140 takes place Dec. 10 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view. The slot initially was Evans, but a hand injury suffered in a recent win over Tito Ortiz will keep him sidelined. Evans, who sported a cast earlier this month during UFC 135 media appearances, sat out most of 2010 waiting for a title shot with Rua that ultimately was scratched when Evans suffered his own knee injury. Then a planned Jones booking was scratched earlier this year due to Jones' uncertain timetable for a return from a hand injury. Jones, who recently made his first successful title defense with a fourth-round submission win over Quinton Jackson, now owns five straight victories, which included a title win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua back in March. His only career loss came early in his UFC career to Matt Hamill after Jones' was questionably disqualified due to illegal "12-to-6" elbow strikes. Jones otherwise dominated the December 2009 fight. Machida recently got back in the win column with a vicious April knockout of Randy Couture. Prior to that, he suffered a title loss to Rua and a subsequent close split-decision defeat to Jackson. Prior to that, the Brazilian karate specialist had posted 16 straight victories to open his career. The run included eight straight wins in the UFC. http://mmajunkie.com...oto-machida.mma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Jon Jones is going to pound on Machida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. S. Veteran Posted October 6, 2011 Veteran Share Posted October 6, 2011 WHAT? WHAT?? WHAT??? Evans you IDIOT! You screwed yourself out of another title shot by bashing Tito's skull in. Tito got to keep his job and you, again, lose the chance to fight Jones. Machida? Really? He's 1-2 for his last 3 fights and that 1 is against Randy Couture (who's great but way past his prime).At this point I would even push Dan Henderson under the ruse of "title unification". Gustafsson, Kingsbury and Davis are also on nice streaks in LHW. They don't have the skills to beat Jones but then again, almost no one has at this point. I'm starting to think that the UFC has been orchestrating this all along, building up the momentum for when we finally get to see Bones face the only current LHW fighter who can pose a challenge to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quick Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Sad... no competition for Jones. Machida couldn't beat Rampage, and we all saw what happened to him the other day. Bad matchmaking again IMO. Not surprising though, they want Jones to last... what better way then to feed him all the inferior opponents around till there is none left... to be honest I'm not sure there is even anyone left that is on his level anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippednbutter Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'm one who didn't feel Page 'beat' Machida but thats a whole nutha argument. But stylistically, this is an incredible match up! This will be Jones toughest test, not Evans. Evans would get slaughtered. War Machida! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebiacsi Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 At least Machida get a check for showing up I guess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. S. Veteran Posted October 7, 2011 Veteran Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'm one who didn't feel Page 'beat' Machida but thats a whole nutha argument. But stylistically, this is an incredible match up! This will be Jones toughest test, not Evans. Evans would get slaughtered. War Machida! Machida is a counter-puncher who withers against agressive strikers. That was pretty clear in his fights against Shogun and some exchanges in the Rampage fight. Jones is as agressive and creative as they get, he will be in serious trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippednbutter Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Machida is a counter-puncher who withers against agressive strikers. That was pretty clear in his fights against Shogun and some exchanges in the Rampage fight. Jones is as agressive and creative as they get, he will be in serious trouble. Whithers? An injury free Shogun had his number for sure but Page landed nothing, majority of shots blocked. I'm not saying Machida will win as Jones looked virtually unbeatable right now but his style will make for Jones toughest test. The creativity is kind of catching on at this point, its the reach thats frustrating. The Karateka point fighting style and awesome timing should give us more answers to what type of chin Jones has. To me, if he beats Machida, he beats them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 WHAT? WHAT?? WHAT??? Evans you IDIOT! You screwed yourself out of another title shot by bashing Tito's skull in. Tito got to keep his job and you, again, lose the chance to fight Jones. Machida? Really? He's 1-2 for his last 3 fights and that 1 is against Randy Couture (who's great but way past his prime).At this point I would even push Dan Henderson under the ruse of "title unification". Gustafsson, Kingsbury and Davis are also on nice streaks in LHW. They don't have the skills to beat Jones but then again, almost no one has at this point. I'm starting to think that the UFC has been orchestrating this all along, building up the momentum for when we finally get to see Bones face the only current LHW fighter who can pose a challenge to him. that's not why at all. Dana and the UFC did some really stupid planning. they jammed pack a bunch of solid main events in like a 3 month span (the freebie Fox is getting doesn't help either) and were completely screwed in terms of finding a main event for toronto (evans still needs more time cause of his hand), so they had to come up with something. if anything, evans got screwed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippednbutter Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 that's not why at all. Dana and the UFC did some really stupid planning. they jammed pack a bunch of solid main events in like a 3 month span (the freebie Fox is getting doesn't help either) and were completely screwed in terms of finding a main event for toronto (evans still needs more time cause of his hand), so they had to come up with something. if anything, evans got screwed... Haha, reminds me of this... http://bjpenn.com/news/2011/10/07/jon-jones-rashad-is-ducking-the-fight-5933.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Haha, reminds me of this... http://bjpenn.com/ne...fight-5933.html he's just talking **** (still funny though) rashad had surgery on his hand like a week or two ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippednbutter Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 he's just talking **** (still funny though) rashad had surgery on his hand like a week or two ago... He actually just had the pins removed the other day and supposedly not cleared to start training for another 3 weeks or some sheet like that. It is funny the back and forth though I wonder if the matchup is getting lack luster at this point. Meaning I wonder if they garner enough interest to sell as much tickets as they could have when the feud started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. S. Veteran Posted October 8, 2011 Veteran Share Posted October 8, 2011 Whithers? An injury free Shogun had his number for sure but Page landed nothing, majority of shots blocked. I'm not saying Machida will win as Jones looked virtually unbeatable right now but his style will make for Jones toughest test. The creativity is kind of catching on at this point, its the reach thats frustrating. The Karateka point fighting style and awesome timing should give us more answers to what type of chin Jones has. To me, if he beats Machida, he beats them all. Rampage also landed pretty much zilch against Jones... or Evans and couldn't even put Hammill away. I don't get why people keep doubting his chin. It sounds like the same thing people spout about Cain's chin because he got a bit wobbled by Kongo. Kongo hits like a ton of bricks. That will have it's effects, physics mandates it. Machida isn't a 1-punch KO artist and I doubt Jones would give him a change of even landing a second strike. That if Jones keeps it standing. If Jones takes Machida down (which he can probably do with ease), Machida is getting elbowed to bits and pieces pretty quickly. It will be a competitive fight, barely. I still think Evans is the only guy who can come close to beating Jones. His striking is there, his wrestling as well and he has the physicality to face him (he took Rampage down with ease when they fought). Following him, Phil Davis because he's also a freak physical specimen. that's not why at all. Dana and the UFC did some really stupid planning. they jammed pack a bunch of solid main events in like a 3 month span (the freebie Fox is getting doesn't help either) and were completely screwed in terms of finding a main event for toronto (evans still needs more time cause of his hand), so they had to come up with something. if anything, evans got screwed... I know, I know but I'm still angry. UFC 140 was being built upon a Mir fight and we all know how those PPV fare but still... couldn't they push it until January so that Evans could fight him and fill UFC 140 top billing with Gilbert Melendez? Christ, even buy out Eddie Alvarez and have him face Melendez or something. If Bones doesn't finish injury free in the event, then Rashad may chose to take a fight instead of waiting again and the cycle continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom7000 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 If Jones keeps walking over everyone at LHW. I think we may soon start hearing the inevitable shout outs for Jon Jones vs Anderson Silva, That would be very interesting indeed, but I still really want to see Silva vs GSP before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. S. Veteran Posted October 8, 2011 Veteran Share Posted October 8, 2011 I don't think Anderson would take that fight. He would be at a serious disadvantage seeing how Bones could easily fight at HW. GSP moving up to MW is another story. Also not very likely in the near future and since Silva is almost 40... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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