Lights Out for the UFC: James Toney Signs the Deal and Ventures into Mixed Martial Arts
By SJ Jarapa
It’s official.
Former multiple weight class boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney will be fighting in the UFC.
Oh my God!
I don’t mean to insult James Toney but as soon as I got the message, I fired at a multitude of cell phones with the news and “Oh my God” was the most compelling answer I got in response.
It sure sums up the entirety of what many people feel about this.
James Toney leaving boxing and going into the Ultimate Fighting Championship?
Dana White and Company would obviously disagree if it be said this is a circus alright.
What else do they have in mind with Toney other than to utilize his name as a means to net in a pot-load of cash?
Being one of the Top 5 Best Heavyweight Boxers in the past, James Toney is a curiosity in MMA and a beckoning commodity. It’s not hard to figure that every James Toney fight from here will be on Pay-Per-View.
The UFC wants him to shell the excess fat and be a light heavyweight. But Toney insists he is a heavyweight and should be fighting as a heavyweight.
I can almost smell the conspiracy here – the UFC reeks of it. I see an angle where the UFC will try to lead on – somewhere down the road, if not later then sooner, James Toney will be made to lock fists with the street fighter and fan favorite Kimbo Slice.
Who else would they make him fight that has Slice’s enormous appeal that he can win against?
It’s a good storyline capable of reaping huge profits before and after. It’s 50-50 for both guys. Either man will benefit from it, especially the victor. The UFC can’t lose. There’s a popular question floating around right now that asks:
“What if James Toney does slay a good MMA fighter at this point in his career or at this point in time in MMA?”
Word is, it will seriously impugn the caliber and quality of every MMA athlete out there not just in the UFC but in every corner of the world that touts MMA.
This is laughable.
The only plausible outcome I could see arising from a James Toney win is the win actually inspiring Evander Holyfield to finally hang his boxing shorts and don a speedo to pursue his life’s dream of becoming the oldest heavyweight champion – not in boxing but in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
If Toney wins, it should be clear to Holyfield that Mixed Martial Arts is so far easier than boxing. Of course if he still would harbor doubt after the Toney win, all the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion needs to do is examine former WBO Heavyweight Boxing Champion Ray Mercer’s one-punch 9-second KO win over a UFC former champion.
But enough about Holyfield – boy… does he get old quick.
What are James Toney’s chances in the UFC?
Let’s face it, Toney was never known for his punching power but MMA’s thinner fighting gloves might make a difference. It did with Ray Mercer. No one should be counting James Toney out, though. He is a true warrior.
James Toney is an agile player.
He can move with a very dynamic offensive and defensive prowess. He is infinitely skilled in the boxing department compared to all the MMA Strikers. But his old school boxing is vulnerable to a very good kicker.
Every kick in the leg would disrupt his pace and frustrate his mindset. When that happens what will he do?
What happens when he is taken to the ground by the likes of Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar or Cheick Kongo – or even Quinton Jackson and Randy Couture in the light heavyweight division?
The only way James Toney can excel here and win is in training. Obviously, he will have to learn quick and come in to fight with an apt strategy. He must acclimate to the many facets of the game in a very short time.
It’s a long shot but I think he can pull it off.
You know…is it just me or is the UFC quickly becoming a retirement shelter?