(It’s completely involuntary at this point — even when somebody tries to pat Anderson on the back, he slips it.)

Anderson Silva has beaten up enough middleweights, right? We can all agree on that? Now that he’s finished his toughest rival for the second time, the UFC legend is looking ahead to a pack of potential challengers — including Michael Bisping*, Hector Lombard**, and Mark Munoz*** — who, frankly, wouldn’t pose many challenges that Silva hasn’t already met and overcome. And with his competitive days running out, don’t we want to see Anderson in a super-fight against somebody who might actually give him a run for his money?

Well, Jon Jones doesn’t want to be that guy, so stop asking. During an appearance on ESPN’s Max & Marcellus show yesterday (via BleacherReport), the UFC’s light-heavyweight champ laid out exactly why he’s not interested in a date with the Spider. And while you might not appreciate the explanation, you have to respect his honesty. Maybe. Here’s what he said:

“It’s not that he won’t fight me or I won’t fight him. To be dead honest, it’s that we both have a lot to lose and we both respect each other a lot and we both are striving for personal greatness. I don’t want to crack on his greatness and I don’t want him cracking on my greatness. We’re in completely different weight classes. We both have sponsor deals and things that are really important to us and a big part of that sponsorship package is being a winning…being a champion. Having us fight each other means one of our championships goes away. I respect Anderson Silva so much that I don’t want to be the guy to beat him. I don’t want to lose to him either. It’s a lose-lose situation for me.”

In other words, losing is bad for business. Also, some crap about “respect,” but I think we get the point. For the record, Anderson Silva also has no interest in a fight with Jones — but UFC president Dana White hasn’t given up hope yet. “[Silva] said he wouldn’t fight Chael again, either,” White told USA Today. ”The two times he went to 205, it wasn’t because he wanted to, it was because I asked him to…Let’s see what happens.”

Anybody think Dana can strong-arm two of his champions into giving the fans a super-fight for the ages? Or has Jones convinced you that this fight would do more harm than good?

* The British Rich Franklin, basically.

** The Cuban Vitor Belfort, basically.

*** The Filipino-American Chael Sonnen, basically.

Tags: Anderson Silva,Dana White,Jon Jones,money,superfights

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eapanaguiton- July 14, 2012 at 12:03 pm

are they forgetting that they have endorsements because of the fans? they will not be where they are if not for the fans that support them. so if the fans want the superfight bad enough, they should have the superfight

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Crow42- July 12, 2012 at 12:46 pm

Hey xeno was talking about MMA not boxing , and by the wAy u respond. I'm thinking u are C.P unOffical online mascot. I hope u getting paid for this SMH

Mr_Misanthropy- July 11, 2012 at 10:07 pm

You still need to learn how to drive, fool.

intercept440- July 11, 2012 at 8:37 pm

fuck these cunts ..i should be running the ufc.. ill msake the fights the fighters fight them....if they refuse there fired.. fuck you and your respect or ohhh.. we are team mates i could never fight a team mate....FUCK YOU...(shameless wrastling refrence here...be warned) TO BE THE MAN>>>>YOU GOT TO BEAT THE MAN!!.......fuck you jones and fuck you to silva you lanky fuck...fight who your told to fight and STFU

shatterproof- July 11, 2012 at 6:22 pm

"I don’t want him cracking on my greatness." I don't understand why everyone doesn't just love the shit out of Jones -- that statement oozes likeability.

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XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 6:03 pm

CMAN - Same day Tournament was/is tougher than a single match. Severn (Greco Roman) had a resume with technique, as did Shamrock (Shoot fighting), Deluca (Kung-Fu, Aikido, and Pancrase - Gracie Jui Jitsu), Patrick Smith (kick boxing and martial arts, Kimo (Kick boxing, Taekwondo, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Hackney (Kempo and Taekwondo). Hell even Jimerson was the best one armed boxer GRIN. Point is they all had real training, and it was them that get credit for morphing into the MMA we see still changing today - as the idea was to identify the most potent elements from all martial arts.

Sure there was Rorion Gracie as a partial cofounder - yet hit was not his father, he was just one of 28 investors, and that didn't help him in the ring during multiple fights. True grit and better technique pulled him through.

Jones lost much respect today from me with that pansy ass comment. You call him a Labron, but until he wants to fight all the players on the court, his just a kid with only 4 title defenses. Compared to GSP, or Silva he's still DUI wet and reckless behind the ears.

Labron plays with all players on the court, Jones refuses. What message does that really convey? To many it's that he is not as great as you might want to believe.

cman- July 11, 2012 at 4:56 pm

Xeno, a. Gracie was never more than tournament champion
B. those were displays of fighters with fictional resumes fighting the only guy with real training
C. His family owned the promotion. And you say Zuffa is crooked?
Otherwise, jones is the first generation mma fighter whose gone the MBA, nfl, MLB, sell out. He's labron, stack the deck so I can claim greatness.

XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 4:39 pm

Crow42 - you chose the term illegal, others may have said not yet licensed - much like in New York up until recently.

Prehistoric being UFC 1, was in November 1993, I think boxing has had a history dating much longer than 19 years filled unlimited rounds, and bare knuckle competitions.

My point with Gracie was meant to be more subtle, simply he never dodged a obvious fight when he was champion.

MelonHead- July 11, 2012 at 3:31 pm

I bet Chael Sonnen would have a few things about this. Maybe he could work out a rubber match of his own with Jones.

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Crow42- July 11, 2012 at 2:55 pm

Yeah xeno Gracie did fight all comers ,but that's when the UFC was Illegal in most states , today is very different then the prehistoric times u are referring to.

XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 2:34 pm

@El Guapo - Jones excuse stated publically is lamer than even the "...I refuse to fight my teammate..." argument. No matter if you're talking GSP, Silva, or Jones, they are each from other countries. All this telegraphs is that we have a American champion who is afraid of international competition. What advice do you think the past boxing greats would give scaredy-bones Jones?

El Guapo- July 11, 2012 at 2:28 pm

Xeno... How the hell are you, you crazy fuck? I saw you posting a few weeks back but the lighter tone and(dare I say it)rational thoughts made me think it was an imposter. But when I saw you tell Drano you were gonna gnaw his face off and burn his corpse and then piss on said corpse and sprinkle his ashes in your PB & Crack sammich I KNEW it was you!

El Guapo- July 11, 2012 at 2:22 pm

The Spider's already fought at 205 a couple of times, tho, so the weight class argument is kinda moot.
Basically, they can still pull in the dough without fighting eachother AKA busting a Mayweather(ducking fights, not beating up females). I get it. Classic case of "don't hate the player, hate the game". My issue is with them giving these bullshit reasons why. Respect? Riiiight. Bones claims they're striving for personal greatness while saying they don't want to crack eachother's greatness. Huh?
Just keep it real, playas.

XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Crow42 - Isn't fighting MMA about dominance? I think you missed something. Royce Gracie fought all comers, at all weights, many times in the same night. The way I see it, the winner loses nothing. It's that the UFC that would lose, they would have one more of many "once defeated champion."

PHISTAKUPHS- July 11, 2012 at 1:59 pm

I don't blame either guy. There are reasons for weight classes and reasons certain fighters prefer certain classes. I will be patient and see what munoz and lombard do in the next couple of months. If neither one appears to be performing well, then try to get him to change classes or make someone else come down.

XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 1:58 pm

El Guapo - I was hoping someone had a good memory, and mentioned the GSP fight. The UFC is joke, and so are their "loyal" fighters. Seems to me that the dividing line between these guys fighting in the UFC promotion - revolves around which one is offered a cut from the PPV skim.

Crow42- July 11, 2012 at 1:48 pm

Come on guys y'all can't all be that dumb ?
Don't think silva or jones are scared of each other , they just realize that they are both in a position . In which a super fight Lke that would not benefit either. Which is true cause it's not about belts , it's about dominance

El Guapo- July 11, 2012 at 1:18 pm

Silva won't move up to fight Bones but he was willing to fight GSP? Uh huh, I see.
Speaking of hypocrites, when Jones says "to be completely honest"... Yeah. That.

Omelette Platter- July 11, 2012 at 12:58 pm

catch-weight fight ftw! no belts on the line, just a great match-up of two of the best pound-for-pounders in the world. if jon jones was really so concerned about his sponsors' opinion on things then he probably shouldn't have wrapped his quarter-million-dollar luxury sedan around a utility pole while drunk-driving home from the strip club with a pair of broads who weren't his fiancee. unless of course he's sponsored by coke dealers, because everything in that last sentence could make them seem slightly more legit by association.

XENOPHON- July 11, 2012 at 12:30 pm

I don't get it.

Do the fighters dictate who they fight, or does the UFC decides who fights, someone must be in charge?

Listening to Jones, sounds as if he is speaking for Dana White and the UFC interests first.

Let's not forget that all those sponsors Jones is so afraid of losing, first have to pay the UFC direct before they can become even remotely affiliated with each fighter.

It is just like coming out and saying one palm must be greased, before greasing the fighter, or was that UFC 148?

And why can't they have a catch weight non-title fight? If that is too threatening, head gear is available.

Shadow3217- July 11, 2012 at 10:50 am

There are people saying jones is scared so if thats the case Anderson is as well he has stated that he doesn't want to fight jones either

ArmFarmer- July 11, 2012 at 10:23 am

I think there is a significant difference between munoz and sonnen. Munoz brings power in his ground and pound that sonnen does not.

paperplane- July 11, 2012 at 9:39 am

You'll never have greatness if you don't beat the greatest.

RearNakedSpoon- July 11, 2012 at 9:26 am

Yea a catchweight of 206+ which they both still need to cut weight for. If this is the future of MMA to have the lankiest bastards who can use their freakish reach advantage to lock out the title, then there is no future.

Shifty-Eyed Dog- July 11, 2012 at 9:24 am

So his reason is "I dont want to fight him because he might actually beat me"?

Well Jones has made it clear he'd like to only fight cans from here on. Challenge be damned, he just wants wins on his record.