James Toney reacts to lack of support for MMA fight
Ever the astute public personality, heavyweight boxer James Toney is busy these days preparing for his mixed martial arts debut at UFC 118 this month. There he’ll face formidable veteran Randy Couture in a competition promoting the collision of boxing and MMA.
Thursday at the official prefight teleconference, Toney seemed calm and cool until Nick Solomon from popular UFC blog Jabs and Grabs brought up comments made by fellow boxers Bernard Hopkins and David Haye. The comments were decidedly not in support of Toney’s MMA campaign.
In response Toney fumed: "Bernard can go somewhere to get his d**n teeth fixed and David Haye's g*y. I don't care about none of that. They just (inaudible) miserable with that [expletive]."
On a satellite radio show Bernard Hopkins said that Toney was “going to get his a*s kicked.” Haye had mentioned in passing that boxers have no business being involved in an MMA fight.
Toney was visibly upset that athletes in his sport don’t seem to be supporting his decisions. He also stunned by saying that he would rather fight for a UFC title than one of the more noted boxing belts at this point. Toney is the current IBA boxing champion.
"Brock Lesnar says let's do it, let's do it December or January," Toney said. "The 'Bitchko's [Klitschko brothers]' ain't fightin' me, so I'm going to fight Lesnar. Why not? I'm going to knock him out too."
Wladimir Klitschko is slated to take on Samuel Peter in a September title fight, who defeated Toney twice. Many believe the first match should have gone to Toney.
Toney is known for his theatrics and tenacity to insult opponents before fights. However, he is also a supremely popular fighter who routinely brings in large crowds, and is creating a buzz around his foray into mixed martial arts.
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