Opinion: The Best and Worst of Surprising Jones-Cormier 2 Backlash

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media. With his psuedo-retirement and ensuing power play against Zuffa, Conor McGregor not only dealt a blow — a conscientious, righteous blow — to the UFC 200 line-up, but he shifted the entire MMA discussion away from actual prizefights and almost entirely to politics. It washed over most conversations about last week’s UFC 197 and when, following the event, the idea emerged that Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier could be reappropriated as the July 9 headliner, it seemed like a perfect fit given where UFC was at with McGregor. On Wednesday, the UFC announced Jones-Cormier 2’s rescheduling for UFC 200 in the main event slot, and Dana White insisted that the company isn’t done adding to the already muscular July 9 bill. I assumed that while many folks would still have lingering resentment toward the UFC over the nature of the McGregor ordeal, this would be almost universally positively received. Given the artificially monumental status that Zuffa has embedded into UFC 200, and the void left by McGregor and the soon-to-be-vacationing Nate Diaz, I assumed getting the most prestigious rematch in MMA history would be seen in large part as a savior to the card. I was wrong. I’m loathe to simply say, “Oh, MMA fans, always complaining, can’t please ‘em,” because I don’t really think that is true. Also, I never want to mistake a small contingent of engaged hardcores active on social media as being representative of the entire potential fan or consumer base, because it is not. At the same time, I’m not talking egg avatar trolls on Twitter. Between radio listeners and emailers, I was surprised by the amount of rational, thoughtful people who were simply lukewarm on Jones-Cormier 2. Given how Jones fell short of lofty expectations and succumbed in some measure to ring rust against Ovince St. Preux in UFC 197’s replacement main event, my assumption was that this was the point where Jones-Cormier 2 would be seen as the most potentially competitive. Again, I was wrong. My eyebrows were raised by the amount of people who simply said they thought Jones would handily take another four rounds at least from Cormier. Most of them voiced a desire to see Jones instead move to heavyweight. This is the brand of dissent I can listen to and appreciate. I do think Jones will take another four rounds or so, but frankly, I enjoyed the dynamic and entertainment of their first bout, and the two have developed the best personal rivalry in MMA history, so I want to see them run it back. Furthermore, in a time where fighters like Frankie Edgar have their big-fight dreams marginalized time and time again, to deny Cormier the chance to rematch Jones while he purports to hold the UFC light heavyweight title would be a misstep, just as it would be to deny Jones the chance to prove he was and is the only true light heavyweight champion. Like any fight lover, I thirst to see “Bones” attempt to dominate the heavyweight division as he has 205 pounds. But even if you are dissatisfied with waiting for that to come about and think he’ll breeze through Cormier, their rematch is still scheduled for July 9. I’ve heard a minority call out for Jones to face Anthony Johnson before exiting light heavyweight, under the notion that knocking off …

continue reading in source www.sherdog.com