5 days ago
MMA world buzzes as Jon Jones legacy debate intensifies, while RIZIN announces major tournament brackets
MMA world buzzes as Jon Jones legacy debate intensifies, while RIZIN announces major tournament brackets (Image Source: Getty Images)
This week has seen some serious changes in the mixed martial arts scene that saw legends creating controversy, sparking off discussions about legacy and champions announced in casts of tournaments in major promotions.
Jon Jones ended up being the center of controversy once again. RIZIN Fighting Federation announced their much-anticipated grand prix matches, and up-and-coming stars proved their worth with great results in numerous organisations.
Matt Brown dismisses Jon Jones's controversy impact on fighting legacy
UFC stalwart Matt Brown garnered headlines of his own when he staunchly supported Jon Jones as the greatest mixed martial arts practitioner of all time, even though Jones has had several stains on his record before the law.
On The Fighter vs., he said: In the Writer podcast, Brown persuaded that despite the many arrests and controversies outside the octagon, Jones was doing so much in the octagon that it ought to overshadow all these misdeeds that took place outside the arena.
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The veteran fighter acknowledged the documented troubles of Jones, such as DWI charges, hit-and-run of a pregnant woman and domestic violence accusations, but demanded that these incidents should not be interlinked to his success in fighting.
Brown especially focused on how Jones could compete at a high level despite his issues due to his clear win over Daniel Cormier in 2015, even though he had tested positive for cocaine a few weeks before the showdown.
The remarks of Brown coincide with the news that Jones has recently joined the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, which may presuppose his performance in the event in the White House, promoted by President Donald Trump in 2026.
His record as the 14-time consecutive champion defender and the undefeated fighter is a moment that raised many arguments about his standing in the history of mixed martial arts.
RIZIN unveils star-studded tournament brackets featuring international talent
RIZIN Fighting Federation revealed their official flyweight grand prix bracket. Super RIZIN 4 will on July 27th at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The first induction of the tournament is when the former UFC star Jose Torres battled Hiromasa Ougikubo who is a Japanese veteran, in a fight that was observed to be a highlight to the promotion of international competition.
Some of the anticipated bouts in the flyweight bracket are those in which undefeated prospect Alibek Gadzhammatov will go up against Takaki Soya, and former title challenger Nkazimulo Zulu against Yuki Ito. The event is an indication of how RIZIN is capable of bringing in the best international fighters to partner with their own Japanese ones, as Ougikubo seeks to make it back-to-back bantamweight grand prix titles in 2021.
Moreover, RIZIN disclosed their second round of heavyweight grand prix: former Bellator competitor Jose Augusto against Marek Samociuk, and Mikio Ueda fighting with Dana White Contender Series participant Alexander Soldatkin. Former champion Kleber Koike will rematch Mikuru Asakara as the main event, and the card is stacked with several title fights.
In the meantime, elsewhere, there was some spectacular action too as Islam Youssef scored a spectacular knockout with a flying kick at PFL MENA, to secure the bantamweight semi-final, even though he weighed in overweight.
UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison also headlines by talking of her championship win and the upcoming negotiations of the super fight with Amanda Nunes.
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These developments underscore mixed martial arts' continued global expansion, with established legends defending their legacies while emerging stars create new storylines across multiple premier organizations worldwide.
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