Rafael's remarks: Jones, 47, of Pensacola, Florida, was once the best fighter on the planet. He was No. 1 pound-for-pound from about 1994 to 2004. Now he is reduced to this sort of sideshow: fighting on an $11.99 internet-only pay-per-view card in front of a live audience of several hundred against a last-minute opponent in a freak show that also included a wrestling match, a grappling match and an MMA match involving other used-up but famous fighters from each sport.
Initially, the idea was that Jones would fight a fan, who would win the right to face Jones by submitting a 90-second video explaining why he should get to fight him and claim $100,000 with a victory. However, the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission stepped in and nixed that awful idea, instead insisting that the opponent at least have some experience in combat sports. Of more than 1,500 entries received, the group was whittled to about 20 applicants and Phillips, 33, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was selected. He came to the ring with a 6-1 amateur boxing record a 5-3 professional MMA record (or 6-3, depending on the source you believe) in the scheduled six-round main event of this embarrassing card.
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In the second round, Jones connected cleanly with a counter right hand to the chin and Phillips went down hard and awkwardly. He managed to beat the count but was in no shape to continue, and referee Wes Melton waved it off with 31 seconds left in the round. There is no truth to the rumor that Jones will next fight a fight a bear, but famed WWE broadcaster Jim Ross, who called the card, led the cheerleading with his other ringside commentators amazingly banging the drums for Jones to continue fighting after this abomination. That is one of the worst ideas in the world, although Jones, during his in-ring interview after the fight, left the door open to continuing to fight.