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Sports Illustrated

Justin Barrasso

Jeremy Piven Raves About What Makes Jon Jones So Tough to Beat

Jeremy Piven Jon Jones Max Holloway Arnold Allen Khamzat Chimaev Ari Gold Calvin Kattar ESPN Alexander Volkanovski Kamaru Usman

Hollywood’s Jeremy Piven is ready to show the world a different side of his acting range. Taking on a more serious, quieter role, he found an unlikely source of inspiration.

“It’s hard not to be impressed with Jon Jones,” says Piven, who is a devoted fan of MMA. “Look at all the areas he’s mastered. He’s doing kickboxing, judo, jiujitsu or Muay Thai, at any moment, in a cage. That has to be hell. I have so much respect for him.”

From safe confines outside the cage, Piven watched Jones claim the vacant heavyweight title this past March in a dominating performance against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Jones had not competed in more than three years, yet quickly reminded the fight world why he has no equal.

“Our culture has become obsessed with the GOAT,” says Piven. “Jon Jones is certainly hungry for that spot. I remember speaking to people in his camp, and they were very honest. They explained that Jon is not the most naturally gifted athlete, but he is willing to outwork everyone. He won’t allow himself to be outworked. Ever.”

Piven has taken a similar approach in his career. Best known for his fast-talking, expletive-ridden monologues in Entourage, he is an actor committed to his wide-ranging craft. That will be on display in Sweetwater, an uplifting new film about NBA pioneer Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton.

“I remember reading the script thinking I didn’t know who the Jackie Robinson of basketball was, and I was asking myself, why don’t we know that?” says Piven, who plays the role of New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick. “His story needs to be told. My character saw that Sweetwater had this incredible level of play and that he deserved to be in the NBA, and that the NBA needed to evolve.

“It was my complete honor to play coach Joe Lapchick and tell the story of Sweetwater. It made me think back to when I started—my father was my acting coach, and he would say to me, ‘Make choices that will make you run to the set every day.’ That’s what this was.”

Piven didn’t miss any of the big fights while filming. He was particularly enthused by the showing last month from Leon Edwards, who emphatically put an end to an eight-year competition with Kamaru Usman by defeating him in their trilogy bout.

“It’s been really fun to watch the rise of Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards,” says Piven. “It sounded like an excuse when he said the altitude was a variable after the fight against Kamaru Usman last summer in Salt Lake City [at UFC 278], and that’s why he didn’t do well—and it was easy to question that. But then we saw the fight in the U.K., and he looked so good and so confident. I’m really proud of his rise. He is incredible.”

No different from a fighter seeking to make a lasting impact in the cage, Piven relishes the opportunity to have the same effect in his roles on-screen. He is well remembered as Ari Gold in Entourage, though, surprisingly, far less attention is paid to his work—and the brilliant ensemble filling up the screen around him—in cult classic Old School.

“I just try to work as hard as I can in any role I have,” says Piven. “Ironically, I’ve been told I play well without the ball here in Sweetwater. I was known for playing Ari Gold with these four-page monologues and rants, but the reality is there are so many other things one can do as an actor. To play someone who wanted to change the game, I felt like it was miraculous.

“With Old School, I was the antagonist. Todd Phillips wrote and directed it, and I remember reading the script thinking it was incredible. It was funny and one for the ages. So I asked, ‘What about this role?’ And Vince [Vaughn] was playing that. ‘Or what about that role?’ And the only thing left was the dean. I was told the role wasn’t for me, but it was such a special script that I needed to be part of it. I found some old glasses—they’re like the ones I have to wear now—and a sweater vest, did a combover, then went and auditioned.

“Todd’s a flat-out genius. He’s navigated every tone you possibly can; he’s a genius. And that cast was incredible. I would love to see an Old School sequel. Could it survive in this climate? Some say no, but I’d love to see it.”

While Sweetwater does not feature any MMA, it does possess a robust fighting spirit. Piven is grateful to play a role, and he hopes to capture the deep significance behind the real-life story.

“When is the last time we had a great sports movie to go to?” says Piven. “It’s been a minute. This is worthy of people’s time. Not only is it a true story, but it’s emotional. It’s a beautiful film, and we learn about the history of the game.”

Arnold Allen wants a shot at the title, but standing in his way is Max Holloway

Arnold Allen is one fight away from a featherweight title bout.

Yet standing in his way is Max Holloway.

Holloway has proved, repeatedly, to be a more elite fighter than everyone in the division, albeit with one glaring exception: Alexander Volkanovski. If Allen is able to extend his 12-win streak tomorrow against Holloway, he will change the landscape of the top of the featherweight division.

“I’m chasing greatness,” says Allen (19–1). “I’ve worked very hard to get here. This is my chance to prove why I’m the best.”

Allen’s last fight took place in October, when he defeated Calvin Kattar. Holloway manhandled Kattar in January 2021, but it is hard to compare performances because Allen won the bout after Kattar tore his ACL.

“I was in that flow state and I felt like I was going to have a top performance, so it was frustrating to have the fight end that way,” says Allen. “But I got this opportunity, which is huge. A win over Max cements me in the division.”

Holloway (23–7) is only a slight favorite entering the fight, primarily because of the way he was dismantled by Volkanovski in their fight last summer. Whether Holloway, who is only 31, remains elite is a question that will be answered inside the Octagon on Saturday night.

“Look at Max’s body of work,” says Allen. “You have to respect the guy. He always brings it. He’s a good bloke and a very good fighter, and he’s done so many things I want to do.

“A win here means everything. It means I’ll get a title shot.”

Gilbert Burns on Khamzat Chimaev: “He wasn’t going to break me”

Gilbert Burns defeated Jorge Masvidal last weekend at UFC 287, a victory that helps propel him even higher among the contenders for Leon Edwards’s welterweight title.

Burns (22–5) has won three of his last four, with the lone defeat suffered against Khamzat Chimaev. That bout took place a year ago at UFC 273, and it was an extremely close finish with Burns constantly bringing the fight to Chimaev.

“I knew it was going to be a war,” says Burns. “He’s super tough, but he was underestimating me—and I was ready for him. He wasn’t just going to run through me. I’ve put in too much work to be overlooked like that. So I went in looking for a finish.”

It is likely that Chimaev (12–0) moves to middleweight, where he would make an ideal contender for Israel Adesanya. But if he does not change weight classes, Burns would relish another bout against Chimaev.

“I wanted to see Chimaev respond when I kept pushing forward,” says Burns. “He wasn’t going to break me. And I’d love to run that back.”