View Full Version : UFC signs boxer James Toney
After a long period of off-again, on-again courtship, the UFC has pulled the trigger and signed 41-year-old boxing champion James Toney.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the signing to MMA Fighting after it was first reported by FiveOuncesofPain.com.
Toney had actively campaigned for a contract from the UFC, following White around the country to several events and eventually meeting with him. Toney reportedly turned down at least one contract offer before signing.
Asked when Toney would debut, White said he had "no idea."
With a professional boxing record of 73-6-2 with one no contest, Toney is among the great boxers of his era, winning titles in six different weight classes ranging from middleweight to heavyweight.
In the past, White noted that he'd have some trouble passing Toney off as a legitimate mixed martial artist after criticizing other late career changers like Herschel Walker, but he always voiced an interest in Toney as a "real fighter" capable of making the transition.
"Listen, let me tell you what: I got blasted this week? Let me make this fight (with Toney)," White said after UFC 108. "That will get me f****** blasted. I'm the first guy out there going, 'This is a freak show. Who would put on a fight like this?' I'm the first guy that would say that. I'm always saying it when freak shows happen. I don't know what's going to happen."
Toney has reportedly been training in MMA for some time in hopes of making his octagon debut. Now it appears he'll finally get the chance he's campaigned for, and that he will become the most decorated boxer ever to fight in the UFC.
::handshake::
Dana getting ready to put some his own freak shows on.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 04:58 PM
Props on all these posts Luke. Your posting the shit here before I get a chance to see it.
That being said.
WTF, seriously? Kimbo vs Toney now?
Since Toney was talking so much shit, I really want dana to throw him to the wolves. Let him fight the JDS/Gonzaga winner, or whichever guy (Cain or the Mir/Carwin winner) who doesnt get to fight Lesnar.
MMA_scientist
03-03-2010, 05:07 PM
They need to put him in there with some high level grappler, but no name fighter. I would like to see him fight someone like Eric Schaefer or a wrestler type with no name. Someone that willnot play his game at all and just Royce Gracie him into shame.
Edit, didn't think he was HW. Stephen Neal.
Props on all these posts Luke. Your posting the shit here before I get a chance to see it.
That being said.
WTF, seriously? Kimbo vs Toney now?
Since Toney was talking so much shit, I really want dana to throw him to the wolves. Let him fight the JDS/Gonzaga winner, or whichever guy (Cain or the Mir/Carwin winner) who doesnt get to fight Lesnar.
Thats my guess Toney-Kimbo ::handshake::
Toney started training with Juanito Ibarra (Rampages old trainer)less than a month ago.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 05:48 PM
I know Kimbo is fighting Mitrione, but I could see them changing that.
I know Kimbo is fighting Mitrione, but I could see them changing that.
I think Toney will fight a bum first ,you know Houston Alexander
Just read Dana said Toney is going to fight at 205 not heavyweight .I dont know how thats going to workout since he hasnt been that small since 2003.
It looks like Dana might be eyeing someone like Liddell intead of Kimbo as an opponent
I can see Toney being matched up againt any of the following:
Kimbo
Liddell
Couture
and if he could pass them then a Rampage or Anderson Silva.
All these fighters are stand up fighters and thats the only chance toney would have.
Of course he might fight a no name and get destroyed so these may never happen
LMFAO at this whole thing. ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao::
Just read Dana said Toney is going to fight at 205 not heavyweight .I dont know how thats going to workout since he hasnt been that small since 2003.
It looks like Dana might be eyeing someone like Liddell intead of Kimbo as an opponent
No fucking way Dana wants Chuck to fight Toney. Dana wants to give Chuck fights he can win. (I know Chuck could beat him easily, but he won't because he'll stand with him and get KTFO again)
And why 205? If he's at HW I say give him the Struve/Nelson winner(or loser) to tie him in knots. If LHW, I say let Krystoff kimura his face off on the undercard.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 07:06 PM
Maybe when Tweeto pulls out of the Liddell fight, toney can fight him.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 07:07 PM
I say let Krystoff kimura his face off.
Sos via Kimura on his left titty.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 07:08 PM
I guess Dana was getting jelous of Strikforce getting some positive press the last couple days, he had to do something.
When are we signing Jose Canseco?
Maybe he could debut against Toney? Winner fights Brett Favre.
Mr. IWS
03-03-2010, 07:16 PM
When are we signing Jose Canseco?
Maybe he could debut against Toney? Winner fights Brett Favre.
I know man, this is crazy. (This is sparta?)
If Dana wasnt such a fuckin hippocrite, it wouldnt be so bad.
If Strikeforce did this, he would be having a press conference laughing at them.
LMFAO at this whole thing. ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao::
Just read Dana said Toney is going to fight at 205 not heavyweight .I dont know how thats going to workout since he hasnt been that small since 2003.
It looks like Dana might be eyeing someone like Liddell intead of Kimbo as an opponent
No fucking way Dana wants Chuck to fight Toney. Dana wants to give Chuck fights he can win. (I know Chuck could beat him easily, but he won't because he'll stand with him and get KTFO again)
And why 205? If he's at HW I say give him the Struve/Nelson winner(or loser) to tie him in knots. If LHW, I say let Krystoff kimura his face off on the undercard.
205 would be best for Toney . He's not strong enough or naturally big enough to be a HW. He started boxing at 160 so that would be like BJ Penn fighting HW now. I think Dana wants Toney in shape is why he's making him fight 205. Toney's been as high as 240 for fights but his last one he weighed 219 so if he does try 205 shouldnt be a problem .
I still say stick Toney against Kimbo. I mean how long can Dana drag along the Kimbo bit when everyone knows he's not the future and will never win a title?
[quote="zY|":2qiowp3v]When are we signing Jose Canseco?
Maybe he could debut against Toney? Winner fights Brett Favre.
I know man, this is crazy. (This is sparta?)
If Dana wasnt such a fuckin hippocrite, it wouldnt be so bad.
If Strikeforce did this, he would be having a press conference laughing at them.[/quote:2qiowp3v]
thats why I hate Dana.Strikeforce signs Hershell and Dana is all over them about how they sign bums buts lets look at something
Strikeforce recent signings:
Fedor,andrei arlovski,Aoki,Mousasi ,Walker
UFC's:
Kimbo,Toney ,Baroni,Renzo Gracie
Who's signing more bums/freak shows? Dana is
LMFAO at this whole thing. ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao:: ::lmao::
Just read Dana said Toney is going to fight at 205 not heavyweight .I dont know how thats going to workout since he hasnt been that small since 2003.
It looks like Dana might be eyeing someone like Liddell intead of Kimbo as an opponent
No fucking way Dana wants Chuck to fight Toney. Dana wants to give Chuck fights he can win. (I know Chuck could beat him easily, but he won't because he'll stand with him and get KTFO again)
And why 205? If he's at HW I say give him the Struve/Nelson winner(or loser) to tie him in knots. If LHW, I say let Krystoff kimura his face off on the undercard.
205 would be best for Toney . He's not strong enough or naturally big enough to be a HW. He started boxing at 160 so that would be like BJ Penn fighting HW now. I think Dana wants Toney in shape is why he's making him fight 205. Toney's been as high as 240 for fights but his last one he weighed 219 so if he does try 205 shouldnt be a problem .
I still say stick Toney against Kimbo. I mean how long can Dana drag along the Kimbo bit when everyone knows he's not the future and will never win a title?
Kimbo might beat him too. Throw that guillotine on him like he did to Ray Mercer.
Kimbo might beat him too. Throw that guillotine on him like he did to Ray Mercer
Ray Mercer was about 7 years past bum when he fought Kimbo and 46 years old .Toney is only 3 years off HW title fight draw.
Not saying Toney would beat Kimbo but Toney is 10x the boxer and has 10x more left than Mercer did at the time of the Kimbo fight
Ray Mercer was about 7 years past bum when he fought Kimbo and 46 years old .Toney is only 3 years off HW title fight draw.
Not saying Toney would beat Kimbo but Toney is 10x the boxer and has 10x more left than Mercer did at the time of the Kimbo fight
And yet Mercer still KOd Timmy. . .
Ray Mercer was about 7 years past bum when he fought Kimbo and 46 years old .Toney is only 3 years off HW title fight draw.
Not saying Toney would beat Kimbo but Toney is 10x the boxer and has 10x more left than Mercer did at the time of the Kimbo fight
And yet Mercer still KOd Timmy. . .
Poor Silvia ::lmao::
"7 years past bum"
Awesome.
The headline at yahoo sports:
The UFC gets into the freak show biz: James Toney signs
::lmao:: I love it
Think I'm lying :
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/The-UFC-gets-into-the-freak-show-biz-James-Tone;_ylt=ArsHT6BKrlTmbJJ_UYcB6HQ9Eo14?urn=mma,225 645
^^That's funny considering Iole's column right next to it.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=Ati5hpyBdKgvroKRqV7MnlI9Eo14?slug=ki-toney030310&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
^^That's funny considering Iole's column right next to it.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=Ati5hpyBdKgvroKRqV7MnlI9Eo14?slug=ki-toney030310&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
Silly yahoo writers lol .They might want to look at each others articles before hitting the submit button from now on
Mr. IWS
03-04-2010, 09:39 AM
Didnt Roy Jones say he would fight Anderson in the UFC, and Dana said no?
Mr. IWS
03-04-2010, 11:01 AM
Didnt Roy Jones say he would fight Anderson in the UFC, and Dana said no?
Upon further investigation:
Roy Jones, who enjoyed a long run as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world in the 1990s, has issued a challenge to the best mixed martial artist in the world, Anderson Silva.
The 40-year-old Jones, who is coming off a win against game but faded vet Omar Sheika last month, is willing to battle the 34-year-old Silva in the UFC Octagon, adhering to regular UFC rules.
CBSSports.com spoke to Silva's manager, Ed Soares, who told us that Silva (24-4, 14 KOs) is keen on meeting Jones (53-5, 39 KOs) in the Octagon, or even in a boxing ring. So, will the first mega-crossover boxing/MMA battle take place?
"That's a question you have to ask Dana White," Soares told us. "We'd love to fight Roy Jones. Anderson wants to challenge himself, he wants legendary fights."
So, how about it, Dana? Should fans of both disciplines get geared up for the crossover clash?
"You won't see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me," White said Tuesday. "I don't want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He's not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must've spent all his money."
Silva is still seemingly at his earning peak; he will step up to light heavyweight to beef with fan favorite Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in August, a challenge he is embracing after a run of less than dramatic title defenses against sub-superstar level athletes. Silva has four fights remaining on his UFC deal, White told CBSSports.com which should have him fighting under the UFC banner for another year-and-a-half or so.
The fighter could then decide to jump ship, and do the Jones scrap, or re-sign with White and company, and likely shelve the Jones contest concept once and for all.
Fans of both sports have expressed interest in a crossover match that didn't feature a faded boxer, like former heavyweight titlist Ray Mercer, against a younger mixed martial artist, like Kimbo Slice, looking to add a recognizable name to his resume. Boxers like former welterweight crown holder Kermit Cintron, and Floyd Mayweather have contemplated learning a ground game to go with their standup skills to compete in MMA. But so far, it's been a case of all talk, next to no follow through. Jones, though, is ready to match the walk with the talk -- he is willing to train in MMA for a several months and tangle with Silva in late 2009 or early 2010.
Last year, Silva expressed heavy interest in testing his standup game; the Brazilian technician, nicknamed "The Spider" for his long limbs, which can turn a foe into a pretzel quicker than White can drop an F-bomb, said he'd love to box Jones after he choked out Dan Henderson at UFC 82 in March 2008.
Talks between the Jones and Silva camps lost steam, though, as Silva was booked into three UFC events in 2008. White spoke up and said that he didn't want Silva to box Jones. An impasse loomed.
So Jones' manager, McGee Wright, approached Jones a few weeks ago, and asked him if he'd consider fighting Silva on his turf, in an Octagon.
Jones agreed, McGee told CBSSports.com. So a pumped-up McGee reached out to Silva's manager, Soares, and Soares was excited as well.
"He said Silva would do it, fight Roy in an MMA fight," Wright said.
Soares then contacted White, and from there, Wright says, the plan for a boxing/MMA crossover megafight was derailed. Late last week, Wright says, he and Soares touched base and Soares reported that White wasn't keen on a Silva vs. Jones MMA tussle.
Wright is slightly perplexed. "I would've though Dana would've been happy to do it, after last year he said he wanted Sean Sherk to fight Floyd Mayweather," Wright said. "The pay per view of Jones against Silva would be in line with the results from the [May 2008] De La Hoya/Floyd Mayweather fight," he says of the showdown which broke buys and revenue records.
Jones, a Florida resident, is tentatively slated to take on fellow Floridian Jeff Lacy in July, as he tries to make it two wins in a row after his disappointing loss to Scot Joe Calzaghe in November. Jones scintillated fight fans with his blinding hand speed and footwork when he gobbled up titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight an even at heavyweight, in 2002. His reflexes have diminished some, but his status as a lockdown Hall of Famer would still speak to fight fans. White even concedes that he could make money with the crossover event.
"I could do it, make it huge, make money, but I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money [in the early 2000s]," White said. "The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don't do that because we love the sport. That's a Pride or K-1 matchup. It's not what we do."
That sound you hear? That's cold water, splashing.
For now, those lusting for a boxer/MMAer clash will have to make do with a June 13 faceoff between the 48-year-old Mercer and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. They'll get in on, using the unified rules of boxing, in Alabama.
Didnt Roy Jones say he would fight Anderson in the UFC, and Dana said no?
Who wants to see glass chin get f-up by Silva?
Toney as one of the best chins ever and I like him alot more
Mr. IWS
03-04-2010, 01:54 PM
Im just saying, back then, it was bad for MMA, now its not.
Im just saying, back then, it was bad for MMA, not its not.
Dana wants on ESPN like Strikeforce was .Dana also wants all the media hype SF had.
Hype =more PPV buys
Mr. IWS
03-04-2010, 02:37 PM
Hype =more PPV buys
I agree, but that RJJ/Silva fight would have been just as hyped as anything that Toney is involved in.
Dana said he had a big announcement a few weeks ago and most people thought it was the signing of Fedor since Fedor and SF arent eye to eye at the moment. With the Toney announcement is the Fedor talk dead again?
Mr. IWS
03-04-2010, 03:39 PM
Dana said he had a big announcement a few weeks ago and most people thought it was the signing of Fedor since Fedor and SF arent eye to eye at the moment. With the Toney announcement is the Fedor talk dead again?
Fedor to UFC
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKgPY1adc0A
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