Ways Jon could have ducked Tom more gracefully that didn't damage his legacy?

[Tweak896]

His legacy is secured. The guys he's compared to didn't do the same (GSP, Silva, Fedor) at a 2nd weight class. People are pissed, me included right now, but that will blow over and his record is already cemented.

The only ones who Jones hasn't won over will never be won over. He could finish Tom in 1 round, and they would just find something else.

 

[don't ask]

I hope we see a vintage Dana going off on his wife

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

He should have just said the Stipe fight was his last fight and not even entertained fighting after.

He had it right there. Biggest marquee match of his career, said it was gonna be his last fight, coming in as the champ so he has all the negotiating power in the world to hold out for serious money like he's pretending is the main hangup here, basically all the cards in the world on his side. He had every right in the world with zero sense of public perception of any kind of obligation on his side to get it done as an active fighter, and there was basically no single fight that could bring more value to him after that, except maybe the exception of Ngannou, but that was just purely off the table.

He even could easily have pulled a Nunes at that point and stepped away, and if Ngannou did later become serious about coming back and beat Aspinall or w/e to regain his belt, then Jon would get an easy free pass right back in. Zero knock to his legacy at all.

 

[hbombbisping]

His legacy is secured. The guys he's compared to didn't do the same (GSP, Silva, Fedor) at a 2nd weight class. People are pissed, me included right now, but that will blow over and his record is already cemented.

The only ones who Jones hasn't won over will never be won over. He could finish Tom in 1 round, and they would just find something else.

cheat and now duck status secured