Haye and White: Toney in Delusional Mode
James Toney is in for the beating of his life when he steps inside the same Octagon as Randy Couture, claims David Haye. UFC president Dana White has agreed to Haye’s comments.
To acknowledge that it takes years of training to understand the ground game required to compete in the UFC, the current WBA world heavyweight champion, Haye is more than prepared and he is unlike many boxers. He has plenty of experience of MMA and this is something he is convinced 41-year-old former boxing champion Toney fails to appreciate.
Haye told, “Six months of training isn’t going to be enough. As a UFC fan, I know two or three years wouldn’t be enough. How many times has Toney sprawled in his life? 500? How many leg kicks has he taken in his life? 300? How many kimura attempts has he defended? 140? Even if he’s done double that amount, he wouldn’t have nearly the experience needed to win a UFC fight”.
He also said that from his training in MMA, he has learnt from his experience that the aspect of wrestling ruins punching power. As per him, even if you then find space to throw punches, your power is suddenly crap, after a minute of grappling, your arms, back and shoulders fill with blood.
He added, “I hit a lot harder and I’m so much faster than James, and I couldn’t land a punch on fighters when all they wanted to do was take me down to the ground. James is a much more static fighter than I am, and is going to get thrown on his back immediately by Randy. I admire Toney’s spirit and boxing skills. But he’s delusional here.”
For scheduling Toney to fight Greco-Roman veteran and UFC legend Couture at UFC 118, White is the man responsible and he agrees with Haye’s assessment.
“He is very right. It’s a freak show. I said I’d never put on a freak show fight and I’m doing it,” White admitted. “Listen, this guy [Toney] chased me around the country saying bad things about the sport. If he wants to get his ass whooped, I’m gonna let him. Here’s what I expect; the bell rings, they come to the centre of the Octagon, circle each other for a little bit, Randy double legs him, puts him against the fence, squashes his head and the fight is over,” said Dana White, UFC president.