If there are still UFC fans who hold some lingering scorn for Jon (Bones) Jones for his decision last month to turn down a short-notice fight against Chael Sonnen — which was followed by the outright cancellation of UFC 151 — those fans didn’t show up at Wednesday’s fighter workouts in Toronto.
Or at the very least, they weren’t courageous enough to boo the 6-foot-4 light-heavyweight as he was working out in such proximity to them on the mats at the Xtreme Couture gym.
Probably a good thing, considering the beard Jones was sporting made him look more like the courtyard brawler Kimbo Slice than the eloquent and calculated UFC light-heavyweight champion. Actually one fan did called him out for sporting the Kimbo look, but it was one of many moments of light-hearted chirping in which Jones happily engaged.
It was that kind of afternoon for the traditional pre-fight week workouts for Saturday’s UFC 152 in Toronto, these ones open to the general public. Fans were playful with the six fighters who were on hand — which also included main event challenger Vitor Belfort, co-main event competitors Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, and Michael Bisping and Brian Stann — and many of them returned the favour.
At one point during Jones’ workout a contingent of Brazilian fans began chanting “Vitor! Vitor!” to which Jones began to pump his fist in unison. He then walked over to shake one of the fans’ hands, but when the fan extended his arm, Jones did the old pullaway to his head. Ouch. A diss from the disdained, but the crowd loved it.
Earlier, the fans bantered joyfully with another notorious “villain” — British fighter Michael (The Count) Bisping. Again, there was a level of comfort only seen in such an intimate and open setting.
Someone yelled out to him asking if he was looking to win a UFC fight bonus. “Fight of the Night? Knockout of the Night?” Bisping’s response: “Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night… Submission of the Night… Illegal Knee of the Night.” Nothing like taking a shot at oneself — Bisping stirred up controversy after earning a TKO win last year over Jorge Rivera thanks to an illegal knee that was missed by the referee — to warm up a hostile crowd.
But there was little hostility on this day. As begrudged as Jones and Bisping can be at times, there is no doubting that they are two of the top talents in the UFC, and fans can only be happy to see them on a card in their town. Certainly Toronto fans can’t bemoan the fact that thanks to the cancellation of UFC 151, Jones is now headlining their local card. And most of those who showed up Wednesday are local (though not all, as the aforementioned Brazilian contingent certainly like to travel.)
Expect the boos for Jones to come out later in the week, however, as more ticket-holders from abroad make the trek to T.O. for the press conference, weigh-ins and fight night. I would especially expect Jones to hear the noise on Friday at Maple Leaf Gardens and Saturday at the Air Canada Centre, when fans are safely in their seats and free to anonymously express their discontent with the champion.
But none of this bothers Jones, who carried a smile throughout the day and is content with the decision he made to pass on Sonnen. After all, he pointed out Wednesday, it’s not like he’s avoiding putting his belt on the line; he’ll be doing Saturday against a former champion and legend.
He also said that many fans have softened from their initial feelings a few weeks ago when the news first broke that he was turning down the replacement for an injured Dan Henderson and even told him after they had a chance to hear his reasons, they are okay with his decision. He expects those who still disagree with him to eventually come around.
Before leaving the gym, he spent a fair amount of time signing autographs, and he even gave away the shirt on his back, literally, when a fan asked for it.
The UFC’s new phenom still has a ways to go to match the popularity of the original “Phenom,” Belfort, who got plenty of love from the fans — and not just his countrymen. He has done so much for the sport of MMA and said Wednesday how much he owes the fans, because it’s them who have made the sport popular.
The 35-year-old Belfort was fighting back in the day when nobody was buying tickets or ordering pay-per-views. But now he’s a star, and a well-paid one, thanks to them. He hasn’t forgotten that.
Neither has Jones, even if he made a decision that was ultimately in his best interest and not the fans’.