The UFC plans to have light heavyweight champion Jon Jones fight Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 177 on August 30, 2014 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gustafsson has signed a bout agreement with the company.
Jon Jones hasn’t.
On Thursday Gustafsson goaded Jones, via Facebook.
“Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, 4 days have past and still no signature from you on that piece of paper from the UFC,” wrote Gustafsson. “As a Champ, accept my challenge. You have something that belongs to me and I want it. The fans are waiting, so come on now, stop delaying.”
It has 35,000 Likes so far.
At a media scrum after the UFN 41 weigh ins in Berlin on Friday, UFC president Dana White was asked what the hold up was.
“You gotta ask Jon Jones that,” said White. “I don’t know. I don’t like it, I don’t like it at all.”
Jones appeared to respond, via Twitter.
Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
Let’s make the distinction between bad business and bad press
art @fluorescentinca
@JonnyBones You HAVE to sign Aug 30 bout agreement. UFC has no respect for you. They already announced the fight!
Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
@fluorescentincaYou get it.
@TheLareBear
@JonnyBones hey bones, you sign that contract yet?
Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
What contract?
@neoweo
@JonnyBones you going to bellator?
Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
Is that the latest rumor?
As has become commonplace, Jones later deleted the first tweet. Many have faulted Jones for deleting tweets, which is in any case a practical impossibility when you have close to a million followers. However, this sport is as real as it gets. Rather than maintain a bland, soulless public face that he hides behind, Jones can be angry, mocking, and rash on Twitter, much like, say, a human being. And then he can think the better of it, much like a human being.
So when it comes to Twitter, Jon Jones should do what he wants to and delete what he wants to, and fans should be glad that in our sport, being normal is still normal.
