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[roaddawg]

YouTube - Dana White and James Toney

by John Morgan on Jan 03, 2010 at 11:00 am ET
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."

Something tells me we may be seeing James Toney in the UFC. If I was Dana his 1st fight would be against Kimbo Slice. Thats a match made in heaven!

Make it happen DW!!!

rd

[The8thPlague]

That [expletive] is [expletive].

hahaha.

[WileyThaOne]

Originally Posted by roaddawg

Something tells me we may be seeing James Toney in the UFC. If I was Dana his 1st fight would be against Kimbo Slice. Thats a match made in heaven!

Make it happen DW!!!

rd

when i watched the vid on mmavideolinks with toney interuppting dana i thought the same thing him vs. kimbo that would be awesome

[roaddawg]

You got two guys that are very good at putting asses in seats. Surely Dana has to see the $.
Also its not like James Toney is a side show freak. Hes a proven champion but I do have to question his MMA knowledge.

LOL he actually said noone is gonna take him down. Thats a bold ass statement lol.

rd

[sikk]

That video was pretty funny I'll admit. 42 years old though? It's one thing to be a wrestler all your life and then train MMA Couture style. But a boxer, boxing for a long time as hw then trying a stunt like this.....Can't help but think of Butter Bean trying MMA and becoming a real life humpty dumpty. Toney falls and never gets up if a MMA fighter with any grappling gets ahold of him. TBH I don't want to see this anymore than watching Hershal Walker do MMA.

[Lok Bresnar]

The money is spread out at the top? LOL! Most fighters can barely pay their trainers and training camps. How spread out is the payscale for UFC 108? Please Dana!
As for the boxing stance in MMA, it moreso comes down to having a proper knowledge of the fundamentals of boxing in order to be a good striker. There's nothing involving boxing stance when 2 guys are closing their eyes and wailing at eachother, hoping to land first. That's not smart in any environment.

[Lok Bresnar]

So Dana is indeed a hypocrite afterall? LOL! Sign James Toney and the UFC becomes exactly what it tried not to be all these years. A freakshow! Nothing different from pro wrestling. Nothing different from the Herschel Walker crap.

[MetallicKnight3X]

too old.. might as well bring Herschel Walker in.. Couture is the only captain america like i said before. Dana would be making a very bad move.

[Y2JUBAE]

He would definitely be the biggest boxing name in mma thus far.

Crazy considering that I just read a post about the last ppv payout and it didn't even break a million.

[roaddawg]

Originally Posted by Lok Bresnar

So Dana is indeed a hypocrite afterall? LOL! Sign James Toney and the UFC becomes exactly what it tried not to be all these years. A freakshow! Nothing different from pro wrestling. Nothing different from the Herschel Walker crap.

James Toney may be a lot of things but a freak show he isnt. If Dana had signed Shaq you would have a point. Not being a MMA fighter doesnt make you a freak show and the age argument is weak at this point considering Randy is main eventing a fight against Mark Coleman.

Hes a fighter so let that mf fight I say.

James Toney Wiki: James Toney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Toney Highlights: YouTube - James Toney Tribute


rd