James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter [update: White's offer rejected by Toney]

speeds · Jan 3, 2010

http://mmajunkie.com/news/17410/dan...ith-james-toney-is-boxing-champ-ufc-bound.mma

LAS VEGAS – What kind of fight promotion would allow an aging, 41-year-old boxing champion to make his professional mixed martial arts debut on a national (if not worldwide) stage?

Would you believe the UFC?

Well, if current IBO and NABO heavyweight boxing champion James Toney (72-6 Boxing, 0-0 MMA) has his way, "Lights Out" may soon be looking to compete in the octagon. And despite his seemingly long odds for success, Toney may have a sympathetic contact in the organization: UFC president Dana White.

Following December's UFC 107 event in Memphis, Tenn., in which Toney tracked down White to discuss a potential fight in the UFC, the pro boxer showed up again at Saturday night's UFC 108 event in Las Vegas. Toney jokingly said the next spot at which he would appear would be White's private residence unless the fiery exec gave the boxer a chance to compete in the octagon.

White said Toney had earned at least an appointment to talk.

"I'm going to go sit right down with [Toney] before he goes to my [expletive] house," White joked.

Toney's potential involvement in MMA really has more questions than answers. First, Toney has been accustomed to making much larger paydays in his boxing exploits than he would earn in the UFC. But White said the dwindling paydays in boxing are precisely why Toney is interested in crossing over.

"There's no money out there (in boxing)," White said. "There's money for very few guys, and there's thousands of guys that are making no money. ... The way that we built [the UFC] was you've got guys that make millions of dollars, guys that make hundreds of thousands of dollars, guys that make 60-to-80 thousand dollars three times a year, and guys that make 60-or-70 thousand dollars a year. The money is spread out between all the fighters, not just a handful of guys at the top.

"How much is [Toney] making right now? He's chasing me around for a reason. He's not chasing me around because he's making money. You know what I mean?"

Of course, even if the money could be worked out, the UFC has yet to see a high-level boxer gain success in the cage. While Toney, undoubtedly past his prime, was once among the most-feared boxers in the sport, mixed martial arts takes more than a pair of accurate hands.

White said Toney insists he offers the complete package.

"When [Toney] first started following me in Memphis, I said, 'Do you know how to wrestle?'" White said. "'I know how to do all that [expletive],' he says. 'Yeah, yeah. I know how to do all that [expletive].'

"I said, 'OK.'"

While Toney insists he's ready for the world of mixed martial arts, White said some boxers have much to learn when it comes to the intricacies of an entirely different sport. In fact, White said he and former multiple-time world boxing champion Zab Judah (38-6 Boxing) had a conversation on Saturday night about how even the striking aspect of MMA can vary greatly from boxing.

"Zab Judah was here tonight, too, and I'm friends with Zab," White said. "Zab's like, 'Man, you need to teach these guys how to box. You need to do this and that.' But these guys don't understand – I learned – you don't balance your weight the same way you balance your weight in boxing. You'll get that front leg kicked off into the eighth row somewhere if you distribute your weight like they do in boxing. It's just totally different, and there's an education process there for these guys that I [expletive] learned the hard way.

"I got choked out, kicked in the leg, and all this stuff that happens. When I started, believe me, I was that guy. I was Zab Judah. I was like, 'That [expletive] is [expletive]. You know what a boxer would do to that guy?' Until I went in and started doing it. I was like, 'Holy [expletive]. This is crazy.' You just have to see the light. You have to get into it and see."

Toney turned pro in 1988, and he was a two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year during his career. But Toney is currently just 3-2-1 in his past six official boxing bouts. Add in two suspensions for the use of illegal substances since 2005, and Toney would seem to be of little value to the world's biggest MMA organization.

Nevertheless, White seems strangely intrigued.

"[Toney] is actually a guy whom I respect," White said. "This guy is tough as nails. He's mean. He's nasty.

"He better get in shape if he wants to come and do this stuff."

But after publicly blasting rival promotion Strikeforce for signing 47-year-old former NFL great Herschel Walker for his professional MMA debut later this month, could White really justify the signing of Toney?

"Listen, let me tell you what: I got blasted this week? Let me make this fight (with Toney)," White said. "That will get me [expletive] blasted. I'm the first guy out there going, 'This is a [expletive] 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."
Click to expand...

speeds · Jan 3, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCXkC1L_Yyk

Mamba · Jan 3, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Please, God...no.

oldmangrouch · Jan 3, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Toney vs Kimbo! Make it so Dana!

Mamba · Jan 3, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

You trying to get Kimbo murdered?

speeds · Jan 3, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Its pretty insulting that these old boxing guys (Rahman, Toney, Mayorga, etc.) think that MMA is something they can just jump into this late in their careers.

At least Toney is an active fighter.

speeds · Jan 4, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

"I want Brock Lesnar and I know, unfortunately, he’s injured right now and had surgery, but I want him, Kimbo, Kendra, whatever his name is, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell or whoever. [Fans] think I will get my ass whooped. They will all be disappointed. You know I got a very big mouth and it can’t be shut. I have never been stopped in damn near 90 professional boxing fights and never will be. I still do my thing. They let a street fighter in the UFC; I know they can let a future Hall of Fame boxer with real fighting skills and credentials in there, but they scared."

"They talking about ground game? That don’t mean nothing to me dog. Number one, I ain’t going to allow none of them boys to lay on top of me like a lil’ ***, you know what I’m saying? I ain’t going to the ground; that ain’t happening."

"I got one of the best mixed martial arts trainers in the world, which is my daddy. You know what I’m saying? He is one of the original death fighters. They fought to the death, like in them movies, but it’s a matter of time. I will be ready to go."
Click to expand...

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content6619.html

Mamba · Jan 4, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Yeah, give him Chuck, please.

Or give him Big Nog. I'd like to see Big Nog snap his fucking arm in two seconds.

Chocolove · Jan 4, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

please, please, please....put him in against Mir or Brock. Mir will take one of Toney's arms back home with him. Brock, well Brock would probably get on top of him like he gets on top of his wife.

speeds · Jan 4, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

I get the sense that Dana's just humouring him...

speeds · Jan 6, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0I86M_3MZg

speeds · Jan 6, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

"Can you wrestle?"
"Don't worry about that!"
"Um..."

"Have you ever been kicked in the leg? Can you check a kick?"
"Yeah, front kick, back kick (?), side check kick (?), all that..."
"Um..."

Please Dana, stop being fan and realize this guy is just desperate... unless you're planning Toney vs. Kimbo, leave it be... the guy has no clue.

Chocolove · Jan 6, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Part of me thinks Dana wants to bring this guy in just so an MMA guy can tool a boxer.

speeds · Jan 7, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

Something I missed from the FightHype interview...

Toney: "You know what the UFC really stands for, don't you?" "Ultimate Fucking Chumps or Ultimate Fighting Cocksuckers, whatever you want to call it. It is what it is and now I've put the ball in Dana's court and if he doesn't do it, everybody will know he's scared."
Click to expand...

Ok, Dana, cut the ties with this asshole already. He's desperate.

Either that or introduce him to Pat Barry. Chop chop!

speeds · Jan 18, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter

"Dana White's first offer was a joke and that let's me know he really don't want to do this."

"I know that [purses in MMA aren't as big as in boxing], but this offer was laughable. That's the reason I wanted the camera guy in the room with us when I sat down with Dana, so the fans would know that I was serious and if it didn't happen, it wasn't because of me."
Click to expand...

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/1/18/1256531/quote-of-the-day-dana-white-made-a

Thank goodness...

speeds · Jan 27, 2010

Re: James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter [update: White's offer rejected by Tone

[video=youtube;7OASHqyT2Gw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OASHqyT2Gw&feature=player_embedded[/video]

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James Toney is trying to be a UFC fighter [update: White's offer rejected by Toney]

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