Susan wrote:cowboyronnie wrote:Cejudo is that tough to deal with? I was not originally into the GOAT talk but he's clearly one of the greatest ever, and had an unmatched growth in the few years he had. Like, no one progressed as quickly or more. It was insane how good and intelligent a striker he became. Add the wrestling, mentality, and toughness? He has *an* all-time great, and the UFC just refused to pony up any amount of money. It's nuts.
He's back in the USADA pool.
At that uber elite level, it makes sense to step away like he did. Come back when something intrigues you, make a ton of cash and dip if there's nothing interesting on the horizon. Jones' motivation levels clearly waned against lesser comp and he nearly paid for it a few times. Picking your spots both competitively and fiscally seems to be a smart way to maximize your time.
They'll run you through the ringer if you let them.
I understand your argument but the problem with stepping away is that he lost all his leverage. Back when he had two titles, they couldn't just straight up ignore him. Now he has no titles and has been gone for a few years, they literally don't even seem to acknowledge his existence. We will see how it all ends up playing out.