• UFC 118

White and Haye label James Toney 'delusional'

David Haye admits he cannot land a punch on MMA fighters © Getty Images

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UFC president Dana White has agreed with David Haye's claims that James Toney is in for the beating of his life when he steps inside the same Octagon as Randy Couture.

Haye, the current WBA world heavyweight champion, has plenty of experience of MMA, having trained with Britain's Michael Bisping on more than one occasion. Unlike many boxers, he is more than prepared to acknowledge that it takes years of training to understand the ground game required to compete in the UFC, something he is convinced 41-year-old former boxing champion Toney fails to appreciate.

"Six months of training isn't going to be enough," Haye told Bloody Elbow. "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.

"I know from training in MMA myself that the wrestling aspect ruins your punching power. After a minute of grappling, your arms, back and shoulders fill with blood and even if you then find space to throw punches, your power is suddenly crap.

"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."

White, who is the man responsible for scheduling Toney to fight Greco-Roman veteran and UFC legend Couture at UFC 118, 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."

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