Source: MMA Mania
Dana White revealed that they are working with Jose Aldo to fill the void left by the Silva Sonnen rematch being moved to UFC 148. With Aldo out of UFC 149, Calgary needs a big fight to headline the card. It doesn’t getting any bigger than Jon Jones vs Dan Henderson at UFC 149. White confirmed that Jones complained of hand soreness after the fight so he could take a few weeks off to see how he feels. Knowing the kind of guy Jones is, he will probably be off for a week before he wants to get back in the octagon already. Look at how long it took for him to accept the Evans fight after beating Machida. Love him or hate him, the guy fights a lot which is what we love to see. Jones has already gone on the record as saying he knows he will be the bad guy once again when he fights Henderson. Although Henderson has won titles in Pride and Strikeforce, the UFC belt is what he is after most and this is most likely his last chance to get it. Henderson won’t mind playing the underdog and the good guy in this fight since he needs all the help he can get.
According to Henderson though, its not that Jones is a bad guy, its just that he seems disingenuous. Henderson believes Jones has not been completely genuine with his personality on and off camera which seems to rub off on the fans. I don’t know that for sure because from what I have seen of him, he seems to be a really nice guy. He even ran after and caught a purse snatcher in New Jersey the morning of his fight with Shogun Rua so I know Jones is a good guy. The thing I don’t like most about Jones is that he has won too quickly and too easily. Yeah I’m pretty much hating on Jones. But its not just that I am hating on his quick success, its also that he has destroyed some of my favorite fighters. I’m not going to make any excuses for them, its just that simple. I would liken it to how Kobe came on the scene and took the title of “next Jordan” away from Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, etc. so quickly. And at least Kobe lost a couple of years before he won three consecutive titles with Shaq. Jones just came on the scene and walked through everyone. As long as there are Kobe haters, there will be Bones haters. I’m sure I’ll learn to like Jones some day, but it will probably be after he fights Dan Henderson.
Update 4/27/2012: The fight date has not even been announced yet but Jon Jones has already been placed as the huge favorite over Dan Henderson. At Betonfighting.com, Jones has been listed as a -565 favorite and Dan Henderson listed at +385. If you are a betting person, those are pretty good odds to make some money if you think Henderson can pull off the upset.
Update 4/28/2012: It looks like Jose Aldo will not be ready in time for UFC 147 in Brazil. Aldo has been confirmed for UFC 149 in Calgary, Canada. An opponent has still not been named although it is believed to be Eric Koch. Calgary might be getting two title fights if Jon Jones and Dan Henderson can agree to a fight for the summer.
Update 4/30/2012: Jon Jones’ manager Malki Kawa has ruled him out for UFC 149 in Calgary saying Jones will not be ready in time. Jones is looking to return in either August or September. With UFC 150 already having a headliner in Henderson vs Edgar II, Kawa believes Jones could headline the Toronto card on September 22.
Update 5/9/2012: Dana White has confirmed that Jon Jones will defend his title against Dan Henderson September 1 at UFC 151 in Las Vegas. No other fights have been confirmed for the fight but expect Jones to continue his tear through the light heavyweight division when he faces Henderson.
Update 7/18/2012: UFC 151 has landed a showdown between former welterweight contenders Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger. Both fighters are coming off losses to Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann respectively. The fight is a welcome addition to a card that only currently has Jon Jones and Dan Henderson.
Update 8/8/2012: Josh Koscheck had to pull out of his fight with Martin Kampmann due to a bulging disc in his back. Jay Hieron has stepped in to replace Koscheck. Hieron returns to the octagon after having fought in Bellator and Legacy Fighting.
