John Dodson: Jon Jones Was 'Miley Cyrus,' Not 'Hannah Montana'

Jon Jones used to shine like Leroy Green. The man known as “Bones” was all kinds of magnificent in the cage. We watched him decimate the best fighters in the world in a way few had ever done. He became arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history. 

Outside the cage, we initially saw Jones as a clean-cut individual—or “Hannah Montana,” as Jones’ teammate John Dodson recently pointed out at a UFC 191 media luncheon. There wasn’t any reason not to shine the halo over Jones' head early in his UFC career. The guy was saying all the right things and kissing babies.

He stopped a would-be thief from robbing an elderly couple and went on to defeat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC light heavyweight title in the same night. Let that sink in for a moment. The man stopped crime and won a world title in the same night. That’s some real-life superhero stuff right there. It was only natural that fans would gravitate toward Jones.

But then the cracks began to show.

Weeks after defending his UFC title against Rashad Evans, TMZ reported Jones was arrested for DUI in 2012 after crashing his Bentley into a pole in Binghamton, New York. Then earlier this year we learned he had tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite for cocaine, during a random drug test leading up to his January fight against Daniel Cormier.

These were all signs of spiraling behavior that culminated into a hit-and-run incident in April. Jones was arrested on a felony charge for running a red light and crashing his vehicle into another vehicle occupied by Vanessa Sonnenberg, a 30-year-old pregnant woman.

After the incident, the UFC indefinitely suspended and stripped Jones of the light heavyweight title.

MMAFighting’s Marc Raimondi attended the UFC 191 luncheon, where Dodson claimed Jones wasn’t the “perfect angel that everyone thought he was to be.” When the world assumed he was “Hannah Montana,” Jones came in like a wrecking ball and “Miley Cyrus” came out:

You guys keep on thinking that he's supposed to be like Hannah Montana, but really he was Miley Cyrus. …He had this safe zone and every one of them made sure he was this perfect angel. There's no such thing as a perfect angel. I don't think even think Mother Theresa was a saint her whole entire life. Oscar Wilde said that every sinner has a future and every saint has a past.

Jones is currently working hard to get his life together. He has completely disappeared from social media, and according to Dodson, he is starting to invest time with his team at Jackson’s MMA.

As far as fighting is concerned, Jones’ coach Mike Winkeljohn told Submission Radio the former UFC champion might never compete again. He is still waiting for the legal process regarding the hit-and-run to play out.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

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The 6 Worst Casts in the Ultimate Fighter History

Let's face it, whether you are sick of it or not, The Ultimate Fighter is a big part of UFC history and a way that the company has spread its product to new fans.

That's true even after over 20 seasons on the air.

The show has produced UFC champions, legendary fighters and memorable fights that give it a place dear in all of our hearts. It's had its ups and downs but has nonetheless been beneficial to both the company and fighters.

So, with all the great classes of fighters we have had, which seasons had the worst fighters?

That is what we must examine right now. Excluding international versions such as TUF Brazil, Latin America, China, Smashes and Nations, we need to take a look at the American portions of the show and see which seasons contributed the least amount of talent.

Without further ado, here are the six worst TUF casts in the show's history.

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The Beaten Path: Abubakar Nurmagomedov Follows Brother Khabib into Big-Time MMA

OK, so they're not technically brothers, but who's really counting, right? Plus, "cousins who have lived in the same house since they were young boys" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. 

Label it how you wish, but Abubakar and Khabib Nurmagomedov—who are really cousins—think of themselves as siblings. You can hear it as Khabib helps translate questions for Abubakar during a recent interview, and you can sense it as Khabib talks proudly, if a bit nervously, about Abubakar's American MMA debut, happening this Saturday against Jorge Moreno at World Series of Fighting 22.

"We've lived together all our lives," said Khabib Nurmagomedov in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. "I was seven years old when he came. Now, he's 25, and I'm 26. We do everything together. We push each other, push ourselves. We help each other. He's a very important guy in my life."

They might be similar in many of the same ways, growing up together in the Dagestan republic of Russia's North Caucasus region, the MMA hotbed that has spawned Rustam Khabilov, Ruslan Magomedov, Omari Akhmedov, Mairbek Taisumov and Zubaira Tukhugov, among others, including the brothers Nurmagomedov.

To hear Abubakar tell it, though, there are fundamental differences in their fighting styles. Khabib, who is 22-0 and the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings, uses a dominant grappling game, including some of the best takedowns in the sport, to rake in round after round and fight after fight. If a finish comes, so much the better, but winning the fight with minimal damage is the first priority.

That approach contrasts with that of Abubakar (9-1). Khabib has gone the distance on eight occasions. For Abubakar, the number is zero. Abubakar may also have more knockout power or at least more willingness to throw his fists; despite having 11 fewer pro fights than Khabib, Abubakar's seven knockout wins are only one less than his cousin.

"I'm a little different from Khabib's style," Abubakar said through an interpreter. "He's more of a thinking style. I'm more someone who likes to exchange and do brawling. Khabib takes a position and tries to advance it. I expect to finish. He gets on me sometimes because I'm not using the same safe kind of style as him."

At the same time, each fighter's game is based in wrestling and combat sambo, the blended self-defense technique distinct to that part of the world.

Khabib, under the guidance of his father, was the first to try freestyle wrestling, then sambo; Abubakar followed his lead. Though they will always be linked, Khabib said Abubakar is ready to start this chapter, which will be distinctly his own.

"I think he's experienced enough," Khabib said. "It's hard. He can fight for the title. He is 25 years old, but he has a lot of experience in amateur. I think he's ready for tough opponents."

As for Moreno (4-0), an aggressive opponent in his own right, Abubakar sounds ready.

"I've seen his fights on YouTube. He always jumps, always looks for the finish," Abubakar said. "I'm excited about that. I have a message for him: I'm not going to back down."

As the two Nurmagomedovs hunkered down in Las Vegas, doing interviews together and cutting the final few pounds from Abubakar's frame, they prevent themselves from talking too much about topics outside the business at hand. But it's Abubakar's first time in America. Brothers can dream together, too, can't they?

"I can fight all 15 minutes, but I don't want it to go 15 minutes," Abubakar said. "I want to finish him in the first round, and then I want to go to McDonald's. I've never been before. That's where I want to go."

The Beaten Path is Bleacher Report MMA's series on top fighter prospects. For the previous interview in the series, click here. Scott Harris covers MMA prospects and more for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. All quotes obtained firsthand.

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UFC 190: Latest Rousey vs. Correia Odds, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-In Hype

The dominant Ronda Rousey will put her unbeaten record on the line once again in a women's bantamweight title fight unlike any other, facing fellow unbeaten Bethe Correia in Saturday night's UFC 190 main event from Rio de Janeiro. 

The 28-year-old American has climbed the ranks from her 2008 Olympic judo gold medal into the most daunting fighter in mixed martial arts, male or female, submitting opponents in mere seconds with a fight average of just two minutes and 16 seconds. Rousey has been painted as an untouchable force, and perhaps rightfully so as she embarks on a de facto away game to Correia's homeland Brazil.

Unlike most of her other tests, however, the 32-year-old Correia has convincingly proved herself with an unbeaten record of 9-0, and she's talking big game as she gets ready for her date in the Octagon with one of the world's most recognizable fighters.

Let's look closer into Saturday's main event.

 

UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia

Date: Saturday, August 1

Time (ET): 10 p.m.

Watch: Pay-per-view

Odds (per Odds Shark): Rousey 1-16, Correia 8-1

 

Pre-Fight Hype

The Rousey hype machine has gained considerable steam during moments of the last few years, but it's never been rolling along faster than it is entering Saturday's spectacle.

Fellow bantamweight fighters aren't the only ones conceding their inferiority to the mean brawler with a game face that imposes fear and submission moves that make bones quiver. There's been no shortage of notables weighing in on her presence, including NBA superstar LeBron James saying he felt intimidated to meet her at the ESPYs and that he'd last in the Octagon with her "as long as she wanted."

Even the UFC's most feared men's fighter, Conor McGregor, isn't entertaining the idea of grappling with Rousey, telling SI Now, "I thought if this lady was to get a hold of me, she would throw me on my head in literally one second flat."

However, don't count Correia among those buying into the hype.

Carrying her own unbeaten record into this contest, Correia is 9-0 for her career and has three wins in as many tries since joining the UFC. She's a heavy boxer with enough skill to stuff Rousey's early attempts at submission.

There's been a big war of words between the two fighters, as one would suspect, but it's even been turned up a few notches as Rousey sounds more amped than ever, as Sean Ross Sapp of WrestlingInc.com noted:

That's a big change from Rousey's previous fights, which saw her dispatch her opponent so quickly that a quick bathroom break would have forced one to miss the entire fight. She's been in the Octagon all of 30 seconds in her last two fights combined, and just over two minutes for her last four.

The short fights, Rousey says, are when she "likes" you, but she told TMZ there's no such plans for this one—in fact, the exact opposite:

If I beat you quickly, that's me at my nicest and most merciful. That means you get to go home unscathed with a paycheck. If I make the fight last longer, that means I don't like you and I want you to go home looking different than the way you walked in. And I don't like this chick.

Correia's ultraconfident demeanor and way with piercing words through the public may be central to Rousey's disdain, but it's a lot more personal than just that. Comments made by Correia in the media about suicide to Combate got Rousey even more invested in beating her opponent, she told Fox Sports:

It's very likely to be a different sort of fight than we're used to seeing from Rousey. Never one to have a lack of intensity, she figures to be as energized and ticked off as we've ever seen her in the Octagon.

On top of that, only one of her career fights went longer than one round—the three-round slugfest with Miesha Tate in 2013 that was stopped by Rousey's arm bar. That result, along with many others, just goes to show that more than five minutes in the Octagon with Rousey is simply too much to handle.

She may not be an expert boxer—that's one area where Correia can close the gap—but Rousey is so superior a fighter from top to bottom that her strength will overpower Correia. This is a true mismatch that, in many instances, wouldn't take longer than a minute or two to end.

But with different circumstances and a different mindset from Rousey, she looks intent on getting into the second round for just the second time in her career. That won't change the fact that she'll end the fight on her accord.

Prediction: Rousey wins via Round 2 submission

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UFC 190 Fact or Fiction: Can Rousey vs. Correia Be Worth the Price of Admission?

Nobody thinks Bethe Correia is going to beat Ronda Rousey on Saturday at UFC 190.

That includes oddsmakers, who’ve made her an underdog of historic proportions; the UFC, which has already gone as far as to book Rousey’s next fight; and even Brazilian MMA fans, who are shown here vocally supporting Rousey on Wednesday during open workouts in what ought to be Corriea’s home turf.

In short, nobody is buying this matchup. It’s expected to be a complete wash. A cakewalk. A gimme.

Weirdly, therein lies much of the intrigue for this event. Without much else to write home about on its super-sized main card, the job of convincing UFC fans to part with the $60 pay-per-view cost largely falls to Rousey and Correia.

Luckly, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion has some ideas on how to sway them. Rousey says this won’t be another quick and easy victory for her because she plans to take her time torturing Correia for slighting her during the lead-up to this fight, relayed by the MailOnline.

Should we believe her?

Glad you asked. Here Bleacher Report lead writers Chad Dundas (that’s me) and Jonathan Snowden try to separate the fact from fiction headed into UFC 190.

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Fact or Fiction: Ronda Rousey Is Good to Her Word, Takes Her Time Painfully Dispatching Bethe Corriea.

Chad: Fiction. I’ve gone back and forth on this one. On one hand, Rousey is exactly the kind of human being who would delight in creating some special punishment for an opponent she felt particularly disrespected her. So it’s possible she harbors a grudge with Correia for beating up her pals and making that off-color remark that may or may not have been about Rousey’s dad.

Heck, the women’s bantamweight champion doesn’t usually even need an excuse to do what she does:

On the other hand, Rousey is a smart promoter, and this is all probably a sales pitch. She knows her recent fights were criticized for being too short to be worth the price of pay-per-view admission, so this time she’s promised fans their money’s worth. Those promises ultimately prove empty. Correia is a huge underdog here and Double R treats her as such. This fight ends in under a round.

 

Jonathan: Fiction. This is nothing more than an attempt to sell an athletically bankrupt fight as something worth watching. Correia, after all, engaged in competitive bouts with Rousey's teammates Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke—two women with a combined UFC record of 1-5.

This fight is a farce. Rousey is the better athlete, the better striker, the more imposing physical specimen and the better grappler. The more Rousey can deflect these truths with talk of putting the hurt on her opponent, the better her chance of making beaucoup bucks at the box office.

 

Chad: I'm glad we’re on the same page here, even though it probably bodes poorly for our enjoyment of UFC 190—a PPV scheduled for four hours and seven fights. It’s as if matchmakers knew the entree wasn’t going to be that special, so they loaded up on appetizers.

I don’t know, though. I still can’t shake the feeling Rousey might be just vindictive enough to try to pull this off. Even though I officially dubbed it “fiction,” I also wouldn’t be surprised if she makes this fight really ugly, prolonging Correia’s agony until the referee is forced to make a straight-up mercy stoppage.

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Fact or Fiction: The Nogueira Brothers Find opponents Who Belong in the Cage Even Less Than They Do and Turn Back the Clock with Big Wins.

Jonathan: Fact. Ten years ago, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and his UFC 190 opponent Mauricio "Shogun" Rua put on a dazzling display at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, wowing the fight world and redefining what high-level mixed martial arts looks like.

Thirteen years ago in the Tokyo Dome, Rogerio's brother Rodrigo conquered a giant, grabbing kickboxing champion Semmy Schilt in a triangle choke that forced the big man to quickly tap out.

In the spirit of frank discourse, the Nogueira brothers we'll see at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are not those Nogueira brothers. The 39-year-old Rogerio has fought just three times in the last four years. We only wish that were true of his twin brother, a heavyweight legend who had his arm snapped by Frank Mir, among other indignities, in that time span.

Still, if there were ever a night for a glorious sendoff, this is it. Rua is just as washed up as Rogerio, making that one anyone's fight. Rodrigo's opponent, Stefan Struve, another European giant, is barely a year removed from what might have been a nervous breakdown at UFC 175 and exactly the kind of rising star Big Nog typically sends right back down the ladder—say "hi" to Brendan Schaub and Dave Herman on your way, Stefan.

I don't know, Chad. Call me crazy, but I kind of have a good feeling about this one.

 

Chad: I can tell you’re excited, Jon, and on its face, the thing you’re proposing isn’t insane. Rua is 1-4 since December 2012 and Struve is a complete unknown—we simply have no idea what to expect from him in the wake of the career-threatening heart condition that kept him out through the middle of 2013-14. That's not to mention he’s coming off back-to-back losses.

Odds Shark makes both Nogueiras underdogs on Saturday, but these bouts strike me as toss-ups. It’s possible one Nog stumbles to a win. But both? That’s too fantastical for me.

It kills me to say it, because I want you to be happy, but this is fiction.

 

Jonathan: This is what people might call a "win-win scenario." If both come out of the UFC shark tank bathed in glory, I'll be online celebrating obnoxiously in classic Snowden style. If they lose? Well, then we're one-step closer to these valiant warriors hanging up their gloves and moving on with their lives.

You know what? I can live with either outcome.

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Fact or Fiction: The Neil Magny Victory Tour Runs off the Road and the Bus Catches Fire as Demian Maia Points the Detour Sign Right Back to Fight Pass.

Chad: Factual statement. It feels like forever that we’ve been alternately reminding people to calm down about Neil Magny’s seven-fight win streak and begging matchmakers to find him a Top 10 opponent. As the UFC’s No. 6-ranked welterweight, Demian Maia fits the bill nicely.

He’s a little long in the tooth, sure, but the 37-year-old Brazilian comes in fresh from reminding us that Ryan LaFlare’s 11-0 record may have been mostly smoke and mirrors. And shoot, compared to Magny’s resume, LaFlare’s previous level of competition was pretty stiff.

On this night, we’ll learn Maia is no Hyun Gyu Lim, Kiichi Kunimoto or William Macario—those are the actual people Magny beat in his last three fights. I've got this one penciled in as a good old-fashioned submission victory for the former ADCC world champ.

 

Jonathan: World Book Encyclopedia-level fact. Truthfully, that's the best kind of fact.

Until late last year, I was like everyone else—a dude without any strong Neil Magny opinions. Then a reader sent me a tweet supporting Magny's case for fighter of the year. Unironically.

Chad, I found that so irksome that I cannot cheer for Mr. Magny. He could fight that dentist who shot poor Cecil the Lion and I'd be forced to sit neutrally with my hands in my lap. Neil Magny is, through no fault of his own, the most annoying fighter on the planet.

 

Chad: Whoa, strong take. I hope nobody ever unironically tweets you about my work status. I mean, you yourself note that none of this is Magny’s fault. All he’s done is beat eight of the 10 men UFC matchmakers have put in front of him—including the last seven in a row.

I also can’t get on board with him as a top-level fighter until I see him take on someone I’ve heard of before. But that’s just business, man—it's not personal.

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