UFC president Dana White has never been a particularly big fan of trainer extraordinaire Greg Jackson.
After advice from Jackson to Jon Jones led the UFC to cancel next weekend's UFC 151 fight card in Las Vegas, it's fair to say that White has never hated the Albuquerque-based guru more.
"This guy is a 'f***ing sport-killer," White said on Thursday's media conference call. "This guy's from another planet, I've never seen anything like it in my life."
Jackson has been a controversial figure in MMA circles for some time. Given the number of champions who have been associated with Jackson and fellow trainer Mike Winklejohn - including Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Carlos Condit and Brian Stann - it's hard to argue with his results. However, given Jackson's penchant for conservative game-planning that can lead to less-than-thrilling fights, his coaching style is a valid target for criticism. Jackson's advice to Jones, however, brought things to another level.
Former No. 1 middleweight contender Chael Sonnen - who is scheduled to make his light heavyweight debut against Forrest Griffin at UFC 155 and has called out Jones in the last week - was set to step in for his Team Quest compatriot Dan Henderson after "Hendo" was forced to withdraw with a torn medial collateral ligament. However, according to White, Jackson told Jones that taking the fight with Sonnen on eight days' notice would be the biggest mistake of his career. White, to put it mildly, didn't think much of that advice.
"How much faith do you have in your champion and your guy?" White asked incredulously.
Later in the call, White was informed that Jackson had professed himself "confused" by White's comments when interviewed on an internet radio show, and White kept going.
"I don't give a s*** what Greg Jackson thinks," White said. "Guy's a f***ing weirdo. Greg Jackson should never be interviewed by anyone ever again except for a psychiatrist."
Jackson has more pressing matters on his hands now, including preparing Jones for a fight with Lyoto Machida in Toronto in September, but it will be interesting to see how the situation between White, Jackson, Jones and the UFC develops in the coming weeks.
