Two Sides to the Story - Las Vegas MMA

By Glen Tonnesen

This is off the topic of real estate, but the same principle holds true. There are usually always two sides to every story.

You know how you read an article in the newspaper and make up your mind right away based on the writer's perceptions?  I have read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, so I should remember the perspective of viewing both sides of the story.

 

I ran into this scenario when I read Adam Hill's article in the Las Vegas Review Journal on Friday morning.  His story told more of Dana White's side rather than Greg Jackson's side.  For those of you who do not know either of these gentlemen, Dana White is the President of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and Greg Jackson is the trainer of Jon Jones ,the light heavyweight champion.

 

Jon Jones was supposed to fight past champion Dan Henderson in what could have been the fight of the year, but Mr. Henderson suffered a knee injury and had to pull out.  No one wanted to fight Jones except for Chael Sonnen, a trash talking, tough and very dangerous foe.  Greg Jackson strongly advised Jones to pass on fighting Sonnen at this particular time, which he did.  It resulted in the first ever cancellation of an upcoming major card.  Dana White became incensed, and felt that the champion should rise to the occassion and fight whoever he puts in front of him. 

After reading that first article, I agreed with Dana White, Jones was letting everyone down.  It is a blow to our economy here in Vegas when something of this magnitude is shelved. All the other fighters on the card along with their camps and the tens of thousands of workers who would cater the event are out of luck. It brings alot of money to our great city, provides employment and (dear to my heart) allows locals to purchase homes in Las Vegas. 

 

But then I read Ed Graney's commentary in which he gives Jackson's side.  If you haven't seen an MMA fight, you are missing the best sports action today.  MMA brings us back to the Romans / Lions battles, except that no one dies, and the respect the fighters have for each other is evident at the end of the war.

But you have to be tough, fast, strong, smart and PREPARED to win in this game with so much at stake.  A bad loss can literally end a career both as an athlete and a contender who is offered the big fights.  Greg Jackson prepares his fighters for the opponents they will be facing next, and it takes a whole camp to do it, not just a couple of weeks.  They did not prepare for Sonnen, they prepared for Henderson.  Football coaches prepare  for the next team they will play and plan accordingly. Jackson did NOT want his fighter hurt because he was not properly prepared.

I along with Mr. Henderson am VERY disappointed that this card did not happen.  I love LasVegas and want to see it thrive, but sometimes s--t happens.  Just remember to look and listen at both sides before making up your mind, and please come and vist Las Vegas for all it has to offer.