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NEW YORK – As we have said many times before, Jon Jones is back.
Friday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the former UFC lightweight champion came back on the scene at a press conference to promote his fight against Alexander Gustafsson at the UFC 232 on December 29th.
Fighting fans have not had a chance to see Jones for a long time, although this is certainly not the first time the biggest consensual fighter in MMA history has returned from a prolonged absence.
Jones recently completed a 15-month suspension for a positive result on a banned substance. It was his second suspension for a similar incident, and he was also forced to move away from the cage due to a late-night car accident a few years ago.
This time he did not even try to sell a buyout story.
"No, I do not want to clarify anything," said Jones. "I felt like I said what I had to say about the situation."
At this point, why would he dwell on the problems that have affected the last half-decade of his career? Fans want to see him fight, and the UFC is not going to cut it.
His fight with Gustafsson will likely be one of the UFC's biggest sellers in 2018, and Jones' mere presence will spark interest in any clash with future opponents.
After months of speculation, however, Jones has routinely dismissed a third fight with current lightweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
"There is no reason to give him a fight," Jones said. "He was knocked out the last time we fought."
This is technically true, even though the result of Jones' victory over TKO against Cormier last summer was reversed when banned substances were found in his system.
In the absence of Jones, Cormier has risen to the top of the MMA book by pound.
While Jones beat Cormier twice, a last fight between the two players has been obsessed with suspensions throughout his suspension, especially since Cormier climbed into a weight class to win the Canadian Heavyweight Championship. UFC.
Fans may want to know what would happen if Cormier and Jones compete in Cormier's natural weight class, but Jones just does not want to beat his rival one last time.
"I would fight DC in the heavyweights, but I feel like I have nothing to prove, I beat him twice," said Jones. "I have the impression that fighting heavyweights puts all the cards in his favor.
"I've done enough to this guy. I will let him breathe and enjoy some of these things. "
For now, Jones is at the center of Gustafsson's concerns, pushing him harder than any opponent in his first Toronto showdown in 2013.
There is also a rivalry, although it is more professional than personal.
UFC President, Dana White, in the center, divides Jon Jones, left, and Alexander Gustafsson at a press conference to talk about their mixed martial arts fight for light heavyweights , Friday, November 2, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jones and Gustafsson have to fight for UFC 232, scheduled on December 29, 2018 in Las Vegas.
Julio Cortez /
AP
Jones eventually repelled Gustafsson in a very bizarre confrontation after Friday's press conference, although this is far from the hysteria that followed Conor McGregor's defeat last month against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In the end, Jones did what he had to do on Friday, namely to remind people that he was back.
Hope this time there is a moment.
WEIGHT MISSED
For the second time in less than a year, the Siubar Eubank have lost weight.
Eubanks was originally set to face Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC Women's Flyweight title on the UFC 230 card, but was booked to face Roxanne Modafferi.
Because it was an untitled fight, Eubanks was allowed to weigh 126 pounds, but still missed half a pound weight and will be docked at 20% of his purse.
This is not a great look for a fighter who could win a title by winning a victory over Modafferi, although losing weight did not stop other fighters from competing for a belt on their next trip to octagon in the recent past.
Darren Till and Yoel Romero both lost weight in the fights earlier this year and were again awarded the title, which may not be the end of the line for Eubanks at the moment.
Brian Kelleher also missed the 136 pound weight limit. and will be moored at 20% of his purse for his fight with Montel Jackson.
NOTES
It's hard not to look at the UFC 230 card and think about what it could have been. Only a few weeks ago, Luke Rockhold had to face Chris Weidman, while the main event was to feature Nate Diaz fighting against Dustin Poirier. Of these four fighters, only Weidman remains on the map – he will fight Ronaldo's "Jacare". Souza – and it's a lot of star power for an event to lose … A Bodycam video from the UFC Hall of Fame, Stephan Bonner, arrested for driving under The Influence was put online Friday morning and makes the watch difficult … Lando Vannata has never fired a boring fight, but a Saturday defeat is probably enough to see him get the pink slip. It would be a shame.
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