James Toney Says He’s Getting Ready To Defend His IBA Heavyweight Title In January, Also Says His MMA Days Are Not Over!

By James Slater – James “Lights Out” Toney has not been seen near a ring since his humbling August debut defeat in MMA. Stopped in the 1st-round by Randy Couture, Toney has given the odd interview since, but he has not kept what you could call a high profile. However, in a recent interview with The MMA Hour, the 42-year-old proved he has lost none of his bluster and ability to talk the talk.

Toney insisted the loss to “The Natural” was “a fluke,” and that “it will never happen again..”

Toney insists distractions he was bothered with when members of the IRS approached him shortly before the Couture fight played a big part in his loss. Toney, who told the MMA radio show that he “never received a penny” for the Couture fight because of the IRS’ actions, says he is now training for a Jan 27th defence of his IBA heavyweight title, but that after that he is “available” for an MMA fight with Quentin “Rampage” Jackson.

Jackson, the fighter-turned actor, has apparently said he will fight Toney in a boxing style, and that he will not look to score the quick takedown Couture did. Upon hearing this, the always quick-tongued Toney said Jackson “ wants to commit suicide.”

So, it seems, if a suitable MMA promoter can be found – one who is willing to risk putting on a mismatch the likes of which we saw in August in Boston – we will see Toney Vs. Jackson some time in 2011.

Toney’s boxing career appears pretty much close to finished, despite his claims that after his January fight (against an opponent he could not name on the radio show, due, he said, to all the pullouts guys who said they’d fight him have made) he will “look to unify the heavyweight titles.” And after he’s done with the Jan. 27th fight (no venue known at this stage either), Toney may look to prove a point in MMA.

“Lights Out” told the call-in show that he wants to make amends for what happened on August 28th, and that a fight with “Rampage” will do it. Toney also launched a tirade against WBA heavyweight champ David Haye (“David Gaye” as Toney refers to the Londoner), saying the Brit will lose as soon as he comes to the U.S and faces “a real fighter like myself.”

“I’ll try and unify the heavyweight title and then get back in the cage,” Toney said. “My goal is to become the greatest full-contact athlete ever. Period!”

It seems we have by no means seen the last of the former middleweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight champion – in either the ring or in the cage. Whether or not this is good news is up to you!