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UFC's Dana White Interested In James Toney Fight
By David A. Avila
Sitting face to face multi-boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney asked Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White point-blank about fighting one of the organization’s heavyweight fighters in a mixed martial art contest.
“Yes, I’m interested,” said White.
In a closed door meeting between White and Toney with only four other people including myself and videographer Don Avila present on Saturday night, the two representatives of the largest fight worlds hashed out early details to see if a fight between a noted pro boxer and MMA fighter is sensible.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it made sense,” said White. “There are a lot of guys out there from boxing that call me but it never made sense. You’re a guy I respect.”
Toney, a former middleweight, super middleweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, has spent the last 10 years chasing the Klitschko brothers to no avail.
“It’s all you reporter’s fault,” said Toney. “You keep saying how great these guys are and how bad they are. They’ve been avoiding me for years. They’re scared.”
It’s Toney’s willingness to fight anybody at any time that intrigues White, who has always abhorred most of professional boxing’s penchant for not making matches that make sense.
“You’re a mean, nasty, f-----g dude. I’ve been a James Toney fan for a long time. No BS,” said White who cleared out his personnel from UFC’s make-shift office below the MGM Garden Arena to have the impromptu meeting late Saturday night. “Yes I’m interested. I’m interested in doing this and I’ve been talking to my partner Lorenzo (Fertitta) about it and we’re both interested in it. The hard part is I’m the one always talking shit about people who put together a freak show.”
What UFC’s mastermind means is that fights with boxers versus MMA fighters have been put on in the past. In those fights the stark differences in fighting rules and styles always made for mismatches. Plus, those boxers were not the quality of a James Toney.
White said that he’s been asked by many professional boxers to fight in UFC, including Evander Holyfield.
“Dude, when I was growing up, that dude’s (Holyfield) poster was on my wall,” White told Toney.
Several key points were asked by White including whether Toney has take down defense, has ever been kicked or knows how to check a kick, and if he has ever wrestled?
“Trust me. I would never do something that would make me look bad. That’s rule number one,” said Toney to White. “They call me the Dark Emperor because I rule everything that I do.”
White said he does not want a mismatch and seeks to find out more about Toney’s MMA abilities. But based on what the boxing champion said, it looks like a fight will proceed pitting the sure Hall of Fame boxer against one of the UFC heavyweights.
“I just want to make sure you have the skills. But I’m not so blinded by MMA. I know you can walk in there with one single punch and this fight will be over,” said White. “But I got to know that you have the basic skills.”
Toney promises to surprise White and MMA fans with his other fighting abilities.
“I want to fight your best boy. You ain’t scared now? If you’re scared we’ll walk up out of here and still be friends,” joked Toney.
White said he will begin gearing up the UFC machine including preparations for countdown shows and a further look at Toney’s fighting prowess inside the Octagon.
“I respect James Toney and I don’t know anybody that doesn’t know what a bad MF James Toney is,” said White. “He’s always had the mystique about him. He’ll fight anyone at any time. He’s a bad MF.”
The two massive fight worlds will probably collide in late spring.
“Let’s see how we can make this thing happen,” said White.
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in touch:
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While Toney is a skilled boxer he has shown very little respect for himself and the sport of boxing of late by showing up disgustingly fat... and lost fights as a result. don't expect much from Toney if he ends up fighting a quality UFC fighter. Toney just doesn't have the discipline to represent boxers vs UFC fighters. It has to be a boxer who has skills and discipline that can properly rep boxers in the octagon.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 01:51:17 AM
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ultimoshogun:
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Nothing against MMA, but I think this is Dana White's attempt at making MMA look like the premiere sport by putting a boxer with a recognized name in the octagon who he knows will get pummeled under MMA rules. Dana has said in another interview that other boxers who have tried out MMA were either shot or too old....as if Toney doesn't fall under that category. If they go through with this expect Dana to hype up Toney as if he's still one of the best boxers today but he's not fooling anyone...not even the MMA fans. I give Toney zero chance at beating an MMA guy unless they are stupid enough to stand and trade punches with him.....I think even a street fighter like Kimbo Slice knows better than that though. I know Ray Mercer KO'd former UFC champion Tim Sylvia last year but Toney doesn't have one punch KO power like Mercer does.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 04:43:20 AM
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Chuck Norris:
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It's about time for me to deliver a roundhouse kick back into the MMA "OLD SCHOOL" style instead of them bringing in an "OLD FOOL". I bring the roundhouse kick of devestation. Welcome to the house of pain. Only one occupant, the one and only Chuck Norris. I can swim on land, grind coffe beans with my teeth, boil the water with my rage and knockout all the UFC fighters and sleep with all their girlfriends at the same time. The bottom lair of Hell, the 7th circle, is just a never ending sparring match with me, or as I like to call it, my other vacation home besides the one on the sun. Dana White pays me a large sum of gold bars every month to beg me not to rejoin the MMA world. I comply because it's just so funny to see him beg.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 05:12:49 AM
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Bruce Lee:
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Chuck shut up and go away before I come back to life and kick you a$$ again.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 05:22:50 AM
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Vincent Ogawa:
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Tony may not have one punch knockout power in 10 oz gloves but give him 4 oz gloves against any heavyweight in the UFC and he will look like Gerald McClellan or Julian Jackson. As far as what Ray Mercer did to Sylvia that K.O. was crucial he was knockedout before he even touched the canvas. However I expect Toney to be submitted just like Kimbo Slice did to Ray Mercer in there exhibition bout. Any heavyweight would be a fool to trade with Toney not only because of his punching but because he doesn't take a lot of big shots. The MMA world is buzzing that White would put him in the ring with CroCop. It will be interesting to see if he can take a kick to the head. I know Ray Mercer took a clean headshot by Bonjasky who is arguably a better striker than CroCop and walked back to his corner and shook his head and basically quoted Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon and said, "I'm to old for this ish" and quit.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 07:46:38 AM
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Frank Z:
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Dana White and Jake Roosen both annoy the hell out of me with this boxing vs. mma garbage. Two boxers talked bad about mma, so what? they were brash about it but what they said isn't all that false. MMA in the US is for people who could not have made a living doing another form of combat. overseas you have people jumping between k-1 and MMA, and jujitsu and MMA all the time but most american MMAists come from wrestling background, they definitely woldn't have made it in pro boxing or kickboxing. there's also a lot of former football players who either were hurt or couldn't cut it in the nfl. mma is extremely watered down save for some of the elite fighters. a guy throws a clean 1-2 and all of a sudden is a skilled technical striker. they list "heavy handed" under a fighter's profile as if being heavy handed is a skill. mma in the united states is still in its infancy, i wish PRIDE was still around.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 08:44:56 AM
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The Saint:
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This isn't anything new. Toney isn't the first washed up boxer who tried MMA, and sadly won't be the last. I don't think Toney has the physical tools to compete in MMA, he's too flat footed and won't be able to sprawl quickly enough. Certain boxers are more cut out for MMA like a prime Roy Jones and Evander Holyfield. Also, I'm 100% certain that both Klitschko brothers have the tools to dominate the UFC, Brock Lesnar included. But cream of the crop boxers belong in the boxing ring, not in a cage. Has beens see an opportunity in MMA because they can make up for their dulled reflexes through excessive clinching, and losing in an MMA match 90% of the time has dramatically less severe physical consequences than a boxing match. Most fighters who get knocked out didn't have to endure a sustained beating to the head over the course of several rounds. With 4-oz gloves and kicks to the head, it doesn't take an accumulation of punches to knock anyone out. One decent hit is usually all it takes. The thing with MMA is, although punches using 4-oz gloves and kicks to the head really are more lethal than boxing gloves, it leaves a lot less room for drama and gives fighters little to no opportunity to WILL themselves through adversity. One mistake is so costly and what would generally be considered a lucky punch in boxing is the norm in MMA, which is why most top fighters in MMA have multiple losses, some coming against overmatched opponents. There's only a handful of standouts (actually only a couple) who have shown consistency, like Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva, and everybody else is more or less equal, not because they are lacking in talent, but the rules and nature of MMA equalizes the playing field in a way that negates specific traits that would've made a pro boxer unique. For example, George Foreman has freakish punching power. In MMA, it hardly matters because the 4-oz gloves makes KO artists out of everyone. Floyd Mayweather has great defense using subtle movements with his shoulders, and Joe Frazier's bobbing and weaving makes him a difficult target. In MMA, it wouldn't matter because kicks to the legs and knees to the head will nullify those traits. The funny thing about MMA, is that most matches end up looking identical, in spite of the diversity in styles that are represented in the sport.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 10:09:28 AM
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pete steward:
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James Toney is going to CRUSH alot of bones
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 11:15:29 AM
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Robert Curtis:
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Toney's weight will make for a crappy ground game. It will be hard for him to get back to his feet once taken down. However, Toney is a timeless sort of warrior, proud and tough, supremely skilled and not afraid of anything. As old and gray as he is, I would not be surprised if Toney handed a top MMA guy his ass. The good thing for Toney is that the MMA refs stop fights fast. Toney's chin is too strong for his own good. The way he talks now, you can tell he's taken a few too many headshots.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 12:38:40 PM
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boxer:
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Toeny isnt some washed up boxer. thats why those two brothers klits have never fought him if u know anything then u wud know the Klits wud fight toney f they beleived they cud beat him. they have doubts so they dont fight him. and hte guy who said toney keeps losing. WTF. he's never been kncoked out. it dpeends on who he fights. a wrestler type will give him trouble. a puncher type will get kncoked out.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 12:57:47 PM
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Robert Curtis:
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As Toney says himself, "Nobody knocks James Toney out!" He'd make the Klits look bad, no doubt, but would he win? He'd sure try. But if he couldn't knock out Pork Pie Peter, how's he going to deck the big Doctor? As for Toney's MMA chances, wrestling takes a whole different kind of strength entirely. In boxing, you knock the mountain off its base. In wrestling, you've got to lift the mountain off the ground, throw it down, and then squeeze it hard until it breaks or submits.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 03:54:24 PM
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Jason:
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Here we go again. Add James Toney to the list of Jeremy Williams, Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, Tommy Morrison, Francois Botha, and many other spent boxers that look to the MMA world for their 2nd act. Toney would be crushed by these man-mountains like Lesnar, simply because he can't punch, even with 4 ounce gloves (or whatever they use). Mercer may be 50, but he still has power, which makes him somewhat dangerous. Toney has absolutely nothing in his fists, and therefore he'd be destroyed inside a minute. As for the Klitschko brothers, maybe 4 or 5 years ago he could have given them trouble and lost a lopsided decision, but I think today they'd stop him. Toney hasn't looked good in years and 3 years ago this month, he was soundly beaten by Sam Peter in their rematch (and Peter is a crude, raw, forgettable heavyweight). I think either Klitschko v. Toney would resemble Wladimir-Byrd 2, a mid-round stoppage. Even Wladimir's brittle chin could withstand Toney's shots with impunity, and I think Kevin Johnson hits harder than Toney and is younger and sharper, and thus Vitali would stop him. But all that said, it's no great endorsement of the Klitschkos (although I respect them more than most), rather a reflection of how Toney has grown old. He's also slurring badly, very badly. He doesn't enunciate a word and he's borderline incoherent.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 04:40:17 PM
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The Saint:
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I have to give Dana White credit for being more level headed than most boxing pundits. He hasn't said anything unreasonable about Toney to hype him up. I think deep down, all boxing fans are curious to see not just James Toney, but every single top pro boxer try his luck in the octagon and I think Dana White is, too. MMA is a different game but a pro boxer is a different breed in terms of courage, ferocity and willingness to fight through punishment, which is why it is so intriguing to see even a veteran boxer past his prime try MMA. However, I've yet to see a top MMA fighter try his luck against a top pro boxer under pro boxing rules.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 05:17:32 PM
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Doubtful:
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Based on comments Dana White later told ESPN Radio, I don't think he's seriously considering ever letting Toney fight in the UFC. He was just trying to pacify Toney and get rid of him.
youtube --dot-- com --forward slash-- watch?v=lhhxK5guJok
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 07:38:04 PM
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Vincent Ogawa:
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When is Mayorga gonna make his MMA debut? I'm interested on how the wild man will do in the ring and if he will smoke between each round or after the fight. With all this hype about MMA and boxing. Dana White shut it down when Cintron took him up on his challenge to fight Sean Sherk. With Cintron's wrestling background and some PROPER training I think he would be a worthy challenge to BJ Penn and I could only imagine him in 4 oz gloves. Also for the record White will never let a talented boxer train for MMA and then come in the ring and fight an MMA fighter because it is a loose loose situation. Especially an athletic boxer with good footwork. It will discredit everything he worked hard for. Oh and I wouldn't Ray Mercer vs Melvin Manhoef in a K-1 bout. It would be action packed and the referee wouldn't have to count to 10 to declare the winner.
Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 10:01:39 PM
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Paul:
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Fight anyone, James Toney wouldn't fight David Tua, he's full of it. I love boxing, but I hope one of the MMA/UFC heavyweights beats the hell of this tool. He claims to be an old school type pug, but he's a steroid using cheat. Old school fighters didn't load up on roids and then call their opponents bitch and lose every round in the process. I don't know a lot about MMA, but I know this fat mouth will get his bum handed to him. I won't pay to watch it (reward him), but I'll laugh when I read about it.
Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 05:15:38 AM
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o pleaseeeeeeee:
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what a friggin joke another over the hill boxer who is more or less blacklisted from pro boxing wanting to fight in mma, whats toney 42? mercer was what 47???? i hear about that has been neva that good ricardo mayorga talking the same thing, funny how none of the top boxers would entertain this nonsence makinh 1/3rd the money they make boxing, its only after the well runs dry in boxing that these guys try mma and notice its always the loud mouth talkers who have taken to many shots???? dana white looking for another angle to cash in, i live and breath boxing but hope toney gets his dam head knocked off and choked out for dis honoring the sport that brought him tons of fame and un told dollars
Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 07:12:49 AM
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Avila:
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an exclusive video on UFC's Dana White and James Toney meeting behind closed doors will be coming up on this site shortly. Take a look for yourself everybody. No other reporters were allowed in this meeting. Not even UFC's staff.
Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 03:08:16 PM
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Scot:
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Most MMA fights have digressed into bad boxing matches of late. This has all happened before, in ancient Greece 2000 years ago. Boxing is the western martial art (with Greco Roman Wrestling being the ground game) and at some point in Greece, where they did both separately as sports and together too (pacreation is a combination of boxing and wrestling) they realized that boxing was the better form of self defence. Once a boxer learned to prevent the "shoot" by sprawling out, the fight remained standing and the good boxer always won. That is why MMA has become mostly a stand up affair as most fighters have learned this trick and the sport will, at some point, fade out or become boxing a type of boxing or kick boxing,
So a really elite boxer like Mayweather or Pac or a Wladamir who learns how to stay on his feet (doesn't take long) would destroy any MMA man of the same weight class in a shockingly short time as long as they practiced preventing the shoot.
I would love to see it but the UFC simply can't match the paydays that elite boxers get so who would risk anything for say a million when a Mayweather Pacman fight would generate 100 milion,
Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 11:35:06 PM
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Robert Curtis:
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@ Scot. Good post. Thanks.
Thursday Jan 7, 2010 11:23:31 PM
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IVOR BIGGIN:
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This is nonsense. If some people think MMA is going away, you live on another planet. Both can co-exist happily but ridiculous matches like these do nothing for boxing .
Boxing needs to get its house in order, in many areas of the sport, or MMA will overtake it.
Friday Jan 8, 2010 02:47:35 PM
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Donn Irving:
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James will just fine and is capable of making a few more shekels for his bank account.
Tuesday Jan 12, 2010 07:57:24 PM
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You Have To Take The Test To Be Called The Best
"People can say whatever they like about Floyd Mayweather Jr....and they will....but they can never say the man challenges himself to be the best." ---TSS All-Star reader El Feroz weighs in on who he thinks is at blame for the Manny-Money negotiation flameout
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