UFC UFC champ Jones: I would have to be one of the biggest draws right now By Steven Marrocco April 4, 2014 1:00 pm ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – With four of nine UFC champs injured and established pay-per-view draws such as Georges St-Pierre well in the rearview mirror, many MMA observers believe light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey are, by default, the promotion’s top draws. Jones, though, is hesitant to declare himself the guy when it comes to who fans shell out upwards of $50 to watch inside the octagon. “I would imagine that I would have to be one of the biggest draws right now in the sport, especially with Anderson (Silva) and Georges not being around,” Jones told MMAjunkie. “But I don’t think about that too much. My biggest thing is winning fights. Winning fights and growing more comfortable in my own skin each year. I’m really happy where I’m at right now.” Jones, who this month headlines UFC 172 opposite Glover Teixiera, reportedly wasn’t happy at all when a lucrative superfight with Silva was scratched by his loss to Chris Weidman. But the sentiment is par for the course these days for the 26-year-old fighter, who effortlessly deflected his detractors over a long group interview with reporters at a media day. Although he’s never been a hothead, he appears even less bent out of shape dealing with controversy than earlier in his career, when his reputation as a polarizing figure was being cemented among fans. Jones sidestepped chances to swipe at John Hackleman, Phil Davis, Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson. He even apologized to Rousey for a previous interview in which he said the UFC is favoring the women’s champ, which put her on the defensive. “I want to go on record by saying I hope I didn’t offend Ronda at all with saying that the UFC may be pushing her more than they push me,” he said. “I was just stating the way that I felt and using her as an example. But I’m a huge fan of her, and I think I make it pretty clear what I think of her. I think she’s an amazing inspiration and an athlete, and she’s awesome in every way. Ronda, you’re my girl. I hope she hears that.” How and where Jones and Rousey fit into the pecking order is, of course, unclear. The UFC is a private company and doesn’t disclose its pay-per-view numbers. The promotion previously has named its top five attractions for pay-per-view events, which still drive its economic motor. As of late, the most definitive statement on the matter was part of the pre-fight hype for Rousey’s recent title defense at UFC 170. UFC President Dana White called her the biggest star the UFC has ever produced. That’s lofty praise, but as far as who brings in the most cash, it remains a guessing game. To date, the biggest reported figure for a Jones-headlined pay-per-view was 700,000 for UFC 145, in which he was paired opposite his training partner-turned-rival, Rashad Evans. No such heat exists for Jones vs. Teixeira, so UFC 172 looks unlikely to set a new watermark for the champ.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 09:06:01 +0000
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