Jones wants to send Sonnen 'into irrelevance'

• Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen will face each other after Jones turned down a UFC 151 tilt
• Jones and Sonnen both will be coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 17"
• UFC President Dana White said the fight could take place in April in New Jersey

UFC President Dana White said critics of the promotion's decision to cast light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen on reality TV prior to a title fight don't have all the facts.

White said that given an injury to Jones that benched him until April, and Sonnen's vocal callouts of the champ, it "made sense" to put them together.

And while Jones admitted the move devalued his belt "in some ways," he said his primary goal is to silence critics of his decision to turn down a short-notice fight with Sonnen at the ill-fated UFC 151.

"I think I'm over the fact of whether he deserves it or not, and I'm getting more realistic with the fact that the fans really want it," said Jones, echoing a tweet he wrote this past week that tipped fans off to a possible fight.

Jones and Sonnen are set to begin filming "The Ultimate Fighter 17" on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas. White said a traditional fight between coaches could take place in April in New Jersey, though he said an exact venue isn't set.

After meeting in Los Angeles with doctors, who told him he had a strained ligament in his left elbow, Jones said he planned to be in Las Vegas to see physical therapists recommended by the UFC, and the timing was right to coach "TUF" and end his rivalry with Sonnen.

"Does it de-legitimize the belt? I'm going to have to say (it does) in some ways," said Jones, who said a meeting with Dan Henderson was next on his list after Sonnen. "But in some ways it doesn't because this has nothing to do with the belt for me. This is more about putting him into irrelevance."

Sonnen, who hasn't fought in the UFC as a light heavyweight since UFC 55, said the only thing irrelevant about his opportunity was the very question of whether he deserved it.

"Welcome to life," he said. "We don't deserve things. You get what you get. And let's understand, not one of those fighters said, 'Hey Dana, I'll fight Chael. Let me prove that I'm the No. 1 contender.' Not one of them."

Of those who say his persona is the chief reason he is now facing Jones, Sonnen retorted, "so what I talk my way into it. I wanted it and I got it. I talked a cat out of a tree earlier today."

"I've got plenty of jobs that I wasn't qualified for and I got promoted anyway. At the end of it all, good for me and chalk one more up for the bad guy."

Among those questioning Sonnen's deservingness of a the title was none other than his ex-teammate Henderson, who asked whether he should stop training and instead learn to talk better trash so he might get the opportunity. Lyoto Machida, who turned down a fight with Jones at UFC 152 citing a lack of preparation time, also said the onetime middleweight contender wasn't worthy.

White, though, countered that Henderson and others lost the title opportunity when a knee injury forced him to withdraw from UFC 151. Given the ex-champ's injury woes, the thought of putting the him in the reality show didn't occur to the UFC president, who said a previously reported fight between Henderson and Machida will still take place.

The executive dismissed the idea that the promotion was setting a precedent of entertainment over sport and said a rightful contender would meet the winner of Jones vs. Silva.

"Every one of these guys that are bitching about the title shot right now were offered the fight and turned it down," White said. "They refused to fight Jon Jones. Now, they're bummed out because Chael stepped up on eight days' notice and he's going to coach 'The Ultimate Fighter' and going to fight him. It's pretty simple."

Marrocco writes for MMAjunkie.com, an affiliate of USA TODAY Sports Media Group.