So let's say Stipe can't make it and Pav steps in

[chimpoehurricane]

So you have to go back 10 years to justify that he's ducking cause you can't come up with a reason in the present? OK bud

Are you slow?

He called out Brock and talked hw during Werdum, Cain, JDS, Brock etc but comes when it's at its weakest today + ducks contenders. Spend the last decade as a HW Fighting mallets and till popped for PEDS. <Lmaoo> He should have been DQd for the Smith knee. He lost to Reyes and Santos but saved by corruption judges.

More entertaining with his antics on tmz.

Jon Jones 'definitely' eyeing late-2013 move to heavyweight By Shaun Al-Shatti@shaunalshatti Oct 30, 2012, 10:43pm EDT

https://www.mmafighting.com/2012/10...finitely-eyeing-late-2013-move-to-heavyweight

<Lmaoo><Lmaoo><Lmaoo><Lmaoo><Lmaoo>

 

[chimpoehurricane]

Pavlovic is the backup for Jones, not Stipe. Jones is not going to fight if Stipe pulls out. Stipe is 100% fighting for money (prob a reason he will get starched). So is Jones but Jones' long term brand is much more valuable than Stipe's.

Exactly. More can crushing or fighting seniors in mma/past prime legends. Curious what new excuse usada will manufacture next.

 

[Nobru]

Who exactly is he ducking? Have you not seen the current top 10 at HW? Jones beats everyone as easy as he did Gane outside of Aspinal, Stipe and Pav. Those are the only match ups with any risk for him.

Jailton most likely takes him down and sub him within 2 rounds

 

[Captain Herb]

Pavlovic is the backup for Jones, not Stipe. Jones is not going to fight if Stipe pulls out. Stipe is 100% fighting for money (prob a reason he will get starched). So is Jones but Jones' long term brand is much more valuable than Stipe's.

How do you know he isn't backing up Stipe too?

 

[Wreckless]

How do you know he isn't backing up Stipe too?

Because Jones calls the shots and there's no way he's taking that fight on short notice.

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

Jon destroys him and it's unanimously confirmed that he wasn't ready and fought John too soon on his career

 

[Sticko]

Because Jones calls the shots and there's no way he's taking that fight on short notice.

But it isn't short notice. He has more than 2 months' notice that Pav is the backup.

There is no chance the UFC is paying Pav to make weight just to back up one fighter and not both. Then if the wrong guy pulls out, they paid Pav to make weight but still don't have a main event? That defeats the purpose of having a backup.

 

[FreedomCricket]

Hopefully JJ doesn't duck Pav if it comes to that.

Maybe that was part of the initial hold up, getting both fighters to agree to fight Pav should either of them pull out? Or maybe just on Jones' side since fighting Pavlovich doesn't do anything for Stipe.

 

[MRT]

if Jones refused Chael on short notice in his prime he sure as shit isn't fighting Pav without a full camp

EDIT: If this scenario does happen and he does refuse the fight, it's very possible Jones will have been responsible for 3 separate PPV events being cancelled or moved

GOAT indeed

As he should refuse, IMHO, and it wouldn't be Jones who is responsible...it would be Stipe. The onus is on the contracted fighters to both make the walk, not on the guy who did not drop out to suddenly agree to a new fight on short notice.

Jones is also the one with far more to lose, while Pav would have everything to gain. IMHO, it is unreasonable to expect that Jones accepts the risks to his champ status, earning potential, and legacy without the desired time to prepare.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

As he should refuse, IMHO, and it wouldn't be Jones who is responsible...it would be Stipe. The onus is on the contracted fighters to both make the walk, not on the guy who did not drop out to suddenly agree to a new fight on short notice.

Jones is also the one with far more to lose, while Pav would have everything to gain. IMHO, it is unreasonable to expect that Jones accepts the risks to his champ status, earning potential, and legacy without the desired time to prepare.

I would have agreed with everything you said here 5 or 10 years ago, regardless of any mocking I may have done to Jones for blatantly ducking declining to fight Chael Sonnen (of all people) on short notice.

I have a long history of supporting fighters decisions on things like this. Shit, I felt like I was the only fan on sherdog who thought Zabit shouldn't feel obligated to change a 3 rounder to a 5 rounder at the last minute, just because the prior main event got canceled.

But the conversation has changed. Dana now pays backup fighters months in advance. Every party understands this. Jones understands this. Fans know this. There is no last minute surprise anymore. And Dana did all this to avoid exactly this scenario.

I said earlier - and I stand by it - that Jones probably could decline Pav on short notice and probably still get more fights later. He just simply has that much negotiation power, that much juice.

But regardless of all your justification above, most fans wouldn't be able to justify it. It would be that bad a look. So bad a look that even Jon Jones wouldn't do it, IMO. Then again, he's surprised us before lol

EDIT: but, hopefully this is all useless conjecture. Cheers.

 

[DougieJones]

As he should refuse, IMHO, and it wouldn't be Jones who is responsible...it would be Stipe. The onus is on the contracted fighters to both make the walk, not on the guy who did not drop out to suddenly agree to a new fight on short notice.

Jones is also the one with far more to lose, while Pav would have everything to gain. IMHO, it is unreasonable to expect that Jones accepts the risks to his champ status, earning potential, and legacy without the desired time to prepare.

Hey man I'm just pointing out his historical refusal to take any short-notice fights, not saying he's right or wrong for it career-wise

I'm sure all the fans that bought tickets and hotels rooms and traveled to those events only to have them cancelled understood his reasoning though

 

[wisdom blows]

Would be a massive stain on his legacy

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Would be a massive stain on his legacy

I wonder how many newer fans even know about the UFC 151 debacle.

 

[Sticko]

As he should refuse, IMHO, and it wouldn't be Jones who is responsible...it would be Stipe. The onus is on the contracted fighters to both make the walk, not on the guy who did not drop out to suddenly agree to a new fight on short notice.

Jones is also the one with far more to lose, while Pav would have everything to gain. IMHO, it is unreasonable to expect that Jones accepts the risks to his champ status, earning potential, and legacy without the desired time to prepare.

It is not short notice though. He has two months.

Jones has said he likes to obsessively prepare for an opponent. I assure you he has time to watch and rewatch all of Pav's fights many times over to come up with a game plan, while still training for Stipe. Most of Pav's opponents didn't make it out of the first round so there's not that much tape.


Considering Pav has a crazy long reach and hits like a truck, and his only UFC loss was when he got KO'd by Alistair Overeem's ground and pound, I can tell you already the gameplan should be to get the fight to the ground.

 

[MRT]

I would have agreed with you 5 or 10 years ago, regardless of any mocking I may have done to Jones for blatantly ducking declining to fight Chael Sonnen (of all people) on short notice.

But the conversation has changed. Dana now pays backup fighters months in advance. Every party understands this. Jones understands this. There is no last minute surprise anymore.

I said earlier - and I stand by it - that Jones could decline Pav on short notice and probably still get more fights later. He just simply has that much negotiation power, that much juice.

But regardless of all your justification above, most fans wouldn't be able to justify it. It would be that bad a look. So bad a look that even Jon Jones wouldn't do it, IMO.

The idea of scheduled replacement fighters makes *much* more sense than the old system and is more fair, I will certainly grant that...but it is also largely a self-serving exercise for the UFC when we are talking about high-stakes fights for top fighters.

Even though Cannonier is the backup...is that an appealing opponent for Izzy, who just beat him last year? Would he have been 'next' if Strickland wasn't given a shot?
Would Jones have agreed to fight Pav, beyond him just being a very unlikely opponent if Stipe pulls out?

We can even look at it from the challengers' perspectives. Who thinks Stipe comes back after 2.5 years to fight Pav...or does he simply agree to this scenario as a means to get his shot at Jones? Does Kamaru otherwise agree to fight Colby for a third time, if not for the rematch opportunity against Leon?

"A bad look" is just not that relevant to most of these types of fighters' decisions, IMHO. Fan optics don't protect Jones' health, status, bank account, or legacy. He gives zero fucks about what fans would or wouldn't justify. Besides, if we're being transparent here, how much of this is really about potentially saving the card, Jones' stepping up to prove his GOAT status, blah blah blah, by accepting Pav if Stipe drops out...and how much is about fans being desperate to see Jon Jones lose? If Jones can be even a little bit less prepared when facing someone like Pav, all the better...right?

 

[MRT]

It is not short notice though. He has two months.

Jones has said he likes to obsessively prepare for an opponent. I assure you he has time to watch and rewatch all of Pav's fights many times over to come up with a game plan, while still training for Stipe. Most of Pav's opponents didn't make it out of the first round so there's not that much tape.


Considering Pav has a crazy long reach and hits like a truck, and his only UFC loss was when he got KO'd by Alistair Overeem's ground and pound, I can tell you already the gameplan should be to get the fight to the ground.

Every moment spent preparing and thinking about a backup fighter is a moment not spent on preparing for the fight that is 99% likely going to happen.

I completely agree that it is not the same as before, when fighters were actually only getting a week's notice (or less) to accept a backup. Identifying backups in advance is unquestionably an improvement on the situation. I still don't think that makes it a 'good' situation though...and less so for the guy who has far more to lose with a loss.

I don't think there is an ideal solution. It sucks when fights get cancelled, and it's really bad for business when a headliner title fight is the casualty...I just think it is unfortunate that the onus falls to the fighter to 'save the day' for the UFC and fans by fighting less prepared.

 

[jeff7b9]

Jon Jones ain't takin no short notice fight for his send off or for any reason other than a bag of money that the UFC would never actually pay him
( $15m show + points & bonuses)

 

[SeattleFightFan]

The idea of scheduled replacement fighters makes *much* more sense than the old system and is more fair, I will certainly grant that...but it is also largely a self-serving exercise for the UFC when we are talking about high-stakes fights for top fighters.

"A bad look" is just not that relevant to most of these types of fighters' decisions, IMHO. Fan optics don't protect Jones' health, status, bank account, or legacy. He gives zero fucks about what fans would or wouldn't justify.

I think Jones is a bit more politically savvy than you give him credit for. Ya he didn't give any fucks about UFC 151, but he paid a heavy price in the court of public opinion, and he does seem to track that.

But my main point was what you discussed in that first paragraph. A scheduled backup changes the entire context of the conversation. Frankly, comparing it to UFC 151 is apples and oranges (even though I kept doing it, heh) because the entire context of the conversation has changed so much.

So back to the question. With this massive process change (having paid backups instead of scrambling at the last second), would he still have the balls to cancel? You think he may and would support him if he did. I think he wouldn't, and wouldn't. Hopefully we never find out who's right cheers.

 

[JKS]

Jon will take the fight with Pavlovich I think. It's a huge event at MSG and the UFC and Jones wont wanna let that go.

And for those bringing up the Chael scenario. You guys have to look back at Jones's title defenses and see how many times he took on different opponents after the original opponent pulled out. In his first few years as champion it happened like 4-5 times and he took on a different fighter. The Chael decision was made by Greg Jackson with 3 days left and they got big time S##t for that. I don't see it happening again.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Lol ..

White Gane already getting the sher haters excited lol ..

You'd think you'd guys learn yet...

JONES WILL NEVER FIGHT HW.(did and won)

JONES WILL NEVER FIGHT FRANCIS ( Jones signed the fight, Francis went and signed to PFL)

JONES WILL NOT BEAT GANE HE IS THE FUTURE (Beat him in less then a minute)


And now today
JONES WILL NEVER FIGHT PAV....





Mmmyappp ...

Im not even a Jones fan but its just funny as fuck that people question him as a fighter...

As a person its easy to judge and hate on him and i agree there...

But as a fighter dude is as solid as they come....