Chael Sonnen wants answers, and this time, he’s not targeting a fighter. Instead, ‘The American Gangster’ is speaking out against the UFC’s very own ranking system. If Jon Jones is removed after retirement, why is Amanda Nunes still listed? More importantly, what does this tell us about who is truly gone and who may still return to the biggest MMA promotion in the world?
On his YouTube channel, Sonnen detailed how the rankings are created. Every Tuesday morning, a group of media members provides their lists of top candidates, excluding the champion, who is listed in a separate “Champion” category. It’s a neat setup, but it doesn’t always reflect what’s going on behind the scenes.
That contrast became evident when ‘The American Gangster’ found out that Amanda Nunes was still featured despite her retirement last year. Meanwhile, Jon Jones, who had recently announced his retirement, was instantly removed. “They pulled Jon Jones. They did not mention Amanda,” Sonnen said, before posing the key question: “Is she in the testing pool?”
The UFC legend said that a fighter can only compete and be rated if they are in the anti-doping testing pool. If they leave, they are no longer under contract with the UFC. If they’re in, that tells a different story. “If you are in fact retired — if they have taken your belt, but you are in fact retired — you would then need, by definition, to be removed from the testing pool.”
Chael Sonnen confessed he hadn’t checked to see if Nunes had re-entered the pool, but if Nunes is still listed, she is definitely making a return. Her name still being in the rankings may not be an oversight but rather a confirmation. For ‘Bones,’ it brings up the opposite scenario. He’s out of the ranks and maybe the testing pool, but is he actually gone? Or is he simply taking a break till the proper fight or payout calls him back?
MMA: UFC 309 – Jones vs Miocoic Nov 16, 2024 New York, NY, USA Jon Jones red gloves enters prior to fighting Stipe Miocoic blue gloves in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. New York Madison Square Garden NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20241117_tcs_ae5_239
‘The American Gangster’ is not convinced either way. In a sport where “retirement” may mean anything, he’s learned to focus on the drug tests rather than the headlines. And it is worth noting that he isn’t the only one questioning Jon Jones’ retirement, as Israel Adesanya has shared a theory behind the decision that may actually lead to a super-fight.
Israel Adesanya believes Jon Jones is rage-baiting
As revealed on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen may be watching the testing pool, but Israel Adesanya is focused on something else: Jon Jones’ playbook. And to the former middleweight champion, this sudden retirement smells more like a temper tantrum than a permanent exit from the Dana White-led promotion. The timing, theatrics, and narrative? They all seem too familiar to ‘The Last Stylebender.’
On The Ariel Helwani Show, Adesanya voiced his thoughts, calling Jones’ retirement a type of “rage-baiting” designed to elicit a reaction and build expectation. “I think he’ll go through this and then come back,” Adesanya stated. “It’s just the drama of it… I think he’ll fight Tom [Aspinall].”
For Adesanya, the timing of his retirement, which coincides with a suspected hit-and-run event in February, is no coincidence. He feels the legal cloud hanging over Jones prompted the retirement, rather than some heroic bowing out at the top. Then there’s the money. Rumors of a $20 to $30 million payoff for a prospective bout against Tom Aspinall add fuel to Adesanya’s argument.
He believes the longer ‘Bones’ waits, the higher the stakes will become. “It’ll even be bigger by the time he comes back because Tom would have had, like, two fights or three fights and built up his own legacy,” Adesanya said. And just like that, the stage for a superfight may be set—with Jon Jones at the helm, whether he’s in the rankings or not.
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