Demetrious Johnson | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort Aftermath

(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski | US Press Wire)

Only time will tell if Jon Jones was correct in saying that if he put in a great performance at UFC 152, fans would forgive him for turning down Chael Sonnen as a last-minute replacement to the never-was UFC 151. He certainly did put in a great performance in defending his UFC light heavyweight championship Saturday night against Vitor Belfort.

Other than a tight arm bar attempt that Belfort snapped on from his guard early in the first round that looked to very nearly win the fight for the 10-1 underdog, Jones dominated the fight up through a fourth round Americana submission that earned him the win. Jones didn’t spend much time messing around on the feet before going for and scoring a take down in the first round.

After he withstood his arm being hyper extended and freed himself from Belfort’s hold, Jones went about methodically tagging the Brazilian with short elbows from inside his full guard, opening up a cut over The Phenom‘s right eye that bled for the rest of the fight.

When they were on their feet, Jones kept his distance, landing with front leg side kicks to Belfort. Vitor’s best chance at winning this fight always seemed to be if he could manage to unload his fast hands in the type of flurry that smoked Wanderlei Silva over a decade ago, or knocked out Rich Franklin and Yoshihiro Akiyama more recently.

Belfort landed some good single shots, including a couple head kicks, but he was never able to pull the trigger on combinations that could have possibly backed Jones up or hurt him. Belfort mostly let Jones walk him backwards before getting taken down, as he did years ago in his second fight against Randy Couture, without making the champion pay for trying to get inside.

A beautiful front leg side kick to the ribs from Jones in the third pretty much put the nail in the fight’s coffin for Belfort.

(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski | US Press Wire)

By Elias Cepeda

A beautiful front leg side kick to the ribs from Jones in the third pretty much put the nail in the fight’s coffin for Belfort. The kick dropped the former champ and from there on out, he went to his comfort zone of the guard in order to try and catch breathers, even though strategically, it seemed suspect.

One can’t really blame Belfort for making the poor choice of pulling guard after he got hurt from the body kick. We don’t know exactly how injured he got from it, and people do strange things when they’re hurt. He took a beating from his guard after that but he hung tough until Jones passed and locked on the shoulder lock from the cross-side position.

However, it was a bit disappointing to see him not try to employ the best strategy off of his back before the body shot. Sure, Belfort went for and nearly got an arm bar off the bat. After getting taken down early in the fight, it might have made sense for the Jiu Jitsu black belt to shoot up an arm bar on Jones. They were still relatively dry since it was early in the fight, and why not give Jones his first real submission test of his career?

But after that failed, Belfort would have been best served trying with all his might to get up to his feet every time he was put on his back. Instead, he played an old school Brazilian Jiu Jitsu closed guard game, for the most part.

Belfort didn’t try to scramble back to his feet against his larger wrestler of an opponent, choosing to look for submissions from his guard. In that guard, Belfort didn’t try to control Jones’ posture much, either. He instead played a double wrist control game that just got him elbowed over and again for his trouble.

Before guys like Chuck Liddell paved the way with cage walking, having being on your back against the cage while fighting a wrestler was a death sentence. These days, however, many downed fighters search out the cage so that they can get, first, to their elbows, then to their hands, squat up, stagger their stance to defend another take down, and then circle away from their cage once on their feet.

There’s no guarantee that Belfort would have been able to successfully get back to his feet if he tried against Jones, but he sure needed to try to have a chance to win the fight. Belfort has never used the best game plans throughout his still-storied career, but Jones is nothing if not cerebral and calculating as a fighter.

You can look at his tactic of trying to take away Belfort’s best chance of winning – his hands – by using his reach until he quickly went for take downs as micro evidence. You can also look at his decision to not fight Sonnen when Henderson pulled out of UFC 151, and instead wait four weeks to fight Belfort, as an example of Jones’ intelligence.

Hate him if you still want for not taking a new opponent on what was essentially three days’ notice, or for supposedly taking money out of the pockets of other fighters. Hell, maybe his recent apparent conversion to the Amish faith has you a bit perplexed.

But what you have to admit is that Jones has always done exactly what he’s supposed to as a fighter – win and win convincingly, and after the dust has settled, he’s still the light heavyweight champion, richer for securing a win bonus and submission of the night award, and for not having spoiled his new Nike contract with a loss out of the gates.

Jones may not be the most self aware kid, yet, and he can sound sanctimonious. But he told us straight out that he was making the decision he thought best for his career, to allow him to continue to provide for his family, when he turned down Sonnen for UFC 151, and there’s no way now to say that he didn’t make the right move.

Take away the fact that it isn’t smart for any world-class fighter to switch opponents on just days’ notice, and we still have the fact that Sonnen was a much more dangerous fighter for Jones to face, with not half the credibility of Belfort.

Sonnen is bigger than Belfort and actually had the wrestling to put Jones on his back and test him there, where he never really has been before. Sonnen is also coming off of a loss and has never been a champion. Belfort was a former two-time champion and future hall of famer that was riding a win streak and is also known for an exciting style.

Other than the arm bar in the first, Jones was able to beat Belfort on cruise control, something that would have been a lot less likely against Sonnen, who has shown he is willing to forge ahead into danger just to give his superb wrestling a chance to win him fights. Love Jones or hate him, but he’s the champion for good reason.

Deal with it.

Mini Mighty Men

Demetrious Johnson gets better with each fight. It wasn’t too long ago that he was awarded a gift decision against Miguel Torres before getting dominated by Dominick Cruz in their 135 pound title fight, or that long ago since he drew with Ian McCall in a fight faded in at the end.

But now Johnson is the first ever UFC Flyweight champion and it is because he is undoubtedly the best in the world at 125 pounds. He earned a split decision win over Joseph Benavidez Saturday night that was competitive but not as close as the judges saw it.

Joe B was the favorite coming into the fight, in some ways for good reason, but Johnson showed up at his best, was slicker on the feet, had better wrestling time and got stronger as the fight wore on, dominating the fifth round before being awarded the championship belt. Johnson cut angles on his feet masterfully, often getting out of the way of Benavidez’ wild but powerful striking and leaving him punching air.

While Benavidez mostly shot for take downs from far away without setting them up very well with strikes, Johnson timed his shots for when Joe was swinging for the fences. Once that happened, Mighty Mouse would change levels, get his hips in deep on Benavidez, catching him off guard, and dumping him to the ground.

I think the official take down tally was Johnson, 5, Benavidez, 0. Even without his sharper striking and dominant positions earned, that would have gone a long way in the judges eyes for Johnson. Benavidez shouldn’t fall that fall down in the rankings with his effort.

He himself landed some good shots on the feet and secured dominant positions at times on the ground, notably a guillotine choke attempt from the mount early in the fight. Perhaps he and McCall can each get tune-up fights before fighting one another for another shot at Johnson.

Whoever you scored the Flyweight title fight for, you’d have to be an idiot to not appreciate the technique, speed, perpetual motion and willingness to mix it up that both fighters showed. Evidently, Toronto MMA fans in attendance at UFC 152 are idiot.

The crowd inexplicably booed at multiple points during the fight between Johnson and Benavidez. We don’t get it.

Maybe it was their small size. If so, here’s some truth for those fans and any other flyweight haters that may be reading now – If you don’t enjoy watching the lighter weight classes in fighting it isn’t because they’re not exciting, its because you don’t like that those tiny guys could kick your ass.

But hey, to each their own. For those that don’t like watching elite MMA we know of a certain just-announced boxing extravaganza happening later this year that might be more your speed.

Benavidez vs Johnson Results: Breaking Down the FightMetric Numbers

Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez engaged in an entertaining battle to crown the UFC Flyweight championship. In the end, it was Johnson who emerged victorious, but it came with a bit of skepticism as he won via split decision. Was the fight reall…

Was the fight really close enough for a split decision, or should it have been Johnson across the board on the judge’s scorecards? As with all close fights, it depends on what and how you score different items in a fight. For example, do you credit Johnson with successfully evading the majority of Benavidez‘s strikes or award points for Benavidez being the aggressor?

Judging fights is always a debatable topic, but one that isn’t in the stat numbers involved with fights. A look deeper into the FightMetric numbers of the flyweight clash reveals the title contest wasn’t as close as you’d think.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 152: 5 Possibilities for Demetrious Johnson’s First Title Defense

At UFC 152 in Toronto, Demetrious Johnson defeated Joseph Benavidez by split decision to become the UFC’s first flyweight champion.It was a hard-fought contest, and both men fought well. But in the end, Johnson was simply the better fighter in skill se…

At UFC 152 in Toronto, Demetrious Johnson defeated Joseph Benavidez by split decision to become the UFC’s first flyweight champion.

It was a hard-fought contest, and both men fought well. But in the end, Johnson was simply the better fighter in skill set and game plan as well as pure athletic talent.

Here are five UFC 125-pounders who would make good challengers to the UFC’s newest champ.

Begin Slideshow

Benavidez vs. Johnson: What’s Next for Demetrious Johnson?

Demetrious Johnson defeated Joseph Benavidez via split decision at UFC 152 in order to become the UFC’s first ever flyweight champion.It was an exciting back-and-forth bout that saw Benavidez come the closest to finishing the fight, but Johnson was the…

Demetrious Johnson defeated Joseph Benavidez via split decision at UFC 152 in order to become the UFC’s first ever flyweight champion.

It was an exciting back-and-forth bout that saw Benavidez come the closest to finishing the fight, but Johnson was the more consistent fighter. He landed more shots with higher accuracy and dominated the wrestling game late in the match.

It was a tough loss for Benavidez, who is now 0-3 in major title fights, and a satisfying victory for Johnson, who was unsuccessful in his first UFC title fight at 135 pounds versus Dominick Cruz.

Acclaimed MMA trainer Matt Hume once told Demetrious Johnson to quit his job and train MMA full time because he could be a world champion—at UFC 152 that prophecy came true.

So, fresh off his championship victory, what’s next for Johnson?

That is difficult to say because flyweight is the UFC’s newest division and still lacking in viable contenders. Ian McCall is the only fighter other than Johnson and Benavidez who has any name value, and he lost to Johnson too recently to receive a shot.

What likely makes the most sense is for Johnson to face the winner of the bout between John Dodson and Jussier Formiga.

Dodson is the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 14 and is 2-0 in the UFC. Formiga has no UFC fights, but has a 14-1 MMA record with his sole loss coming from Ian McCall.

Facing the winner of Dodson vs. Formiga doesn’t exactly spell a high-profile title fight for Johnson, but until his division fills out, it seems like his best option.

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 152 Results: Demetrious Johnson Defeats Joseph Benavidez

Demetrious Johnson has defeated Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 to become the first flyweight champion in promotion history. Johnson had previously defeated Ian McCall in the semifinal to earn a chance at the belt. It’s the first UFC loss for Benavidez. He…

It’s the first UFC loss for Benavidez. He had won all three of his fights since moving to the company. That included his impressive flyweight tournament victory over Yasuhiro Urushitani to reach the final. He wasn’t able to capitalize on the unique opportunity, however.

The two fighters have been on similar paths, both suffering their last loss to Dominick Cruz before getting an opportunity to challenge in the newest division. So, it’s no surprise they ended up fighting each other to become the inaugural champ.

It was Johnson who rose to the occasion. There was a lot of pressure on both fighters. Not only was the bout to become champion, but it came on one of the most anticipated cards of the year due to the presence of megastar Jon Jones.

Johnson actually needed two chances at McCall to advance from the semifinal. They fought to a draw in the first matchup, and the 26-year-old American won the second meeting by unanimous decision. Those battles prepared him for UFC 152.

Now comes the tough part. He transitions from the hunter to the hunted. As the champion, everybody in the newly formed division will be trying to take him down, and he must be prepared to get every opponent’s best shot.

Some fighters handle it better than others. Johnson has shown a lot of confidence, which bodes well for his chances of remaining at the top for awhile.

Even though Benavidez lost, he still has a bright future. He should be a constant presence in the flyweight title picture and is definitely a fighter worth watching.

But for now, Johnson earned his chance to be champion.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort — Live Results & Commentary

(“And *that’s* what I think of your wife’s titties. Yeah! Boo me, bitches! BOO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!” / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)

In the breakneck world of the UFC, a six-week hiatus between events feels like an eternity. But absence makes the heart grow fond, and if you’re anything like us, you’re super freakin’ pumped to watch some fights tonight. It doesn’t matter that the UFC light-heavyweight champion is defending his belt against a middleweight in a PRIDE New Year’s Eve-caliber squash match, or that the flyweight championship co-main event will very likely go to decision, or that Michael Bisping is the biggest asshole east of the Atlantic. Because when you add those guys up — and toss in Brian Stann, featherweight fight-finisher Charles Oliveira, and the return of Matt Hamill — you’ve got one of the most talent-rich UFC main cards of the year. Thanks, Jon.

Handling our liveblog for the UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort pay-per-view broadcast is beloved CagePotato feature writer Jim Genia, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and tell us what you’re drinking in the comments section.

(“And *that’s* what I think of your wife’s titties. Yeah! Boo me, bitches! BOO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!” / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)

UFC 152 preliminary card quick results:
– Vinny Magalhães def. Igor Pokrajac via submission (armbar), 1:14 of round 2
– TJ Grant def. Evan Dunham via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Sean Pierson def. Lance Benoist via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Marcus Brimage def. Jimy Hettes via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Seth Baczynski def. Simeon Thoresen via KO, 4:10 of round 1
– Mitch Gagnon def. Walel Watson via submission (rear-naked choke), 1:09 of round 1
– Kyle Noke def. Charlie Brenneman via TKO, 0:45 of round 1

Greetings, Potato dudes. It is I, Jim Genia, about to render you some UFC 151 livebloggery. You ready for some MMA jibber-jabba?

First up: Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

Swanson was more or less a ham-and-egger during his tenure in the WEC, but he’s been looking good in the Octagon of late. Oliveira, meanwhile, failed to make the featherweight cutoff by 0.2 pounds, so it’s okay to call him “Fatty” for this bout.

Round 1: Both men start off be feeling each other out with various kicks and punches, with Oliveira’s reach advantage apparent from the outset. The Brazilian gets a takedown before a minute passes, but Swanson’s guard is solid and in no time the WEC vet is back on his feet. If that brief turnabout instills Swanson with any confidence of his chances on the ground, his power on the feet makes it all irrelevant. The American blasts Oliveira with a left hook body blow, and a few second later he wings an overhand right to the eye socket that drops the Brazilian like a sack of potatoes (tenuous pun intended). That’s all she wrote.

Cub Swanson def. Charles Oliveira via KO (Punch) at 2:40, Round 1.

Next: Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett

TUF veteran Hamill – the toughest deaf dude around – returns from retirment to take on the Canadian Hollett, whose claim to fame is almost getting ganked by Bellator’s rigorous fighter contracts. Question: how does Hamill choose his walkout music? Okay, I’m going to hell.

Round 1: Hamill comes out aggressive, chasing his foe down with jabs and low-kicks. It takes nearly a minute for Hollett to lose the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look and fire back with a right hand of his own, but someone stepped into this cage with a boatload of confidence, and it ain’t the Canadian. The chase continues, with Hamill landing about six strikes for every one of Hollett’s. The TUFer gets the takedown with a minute and a half left in the round, and after dumping Hollett onto the canvas, he wrestler-rides him and peppers the turtled fighter nonstop with a barrage of short punches. Hollett makes it back to his feet with ten seconds left and nails the American in the gut with a punch, and then the bell rings.

Round 2: Hollett comes out pretty stiff, but Hamill just stands there, so the UFC rookie throws a few single punches and a spinning back-kick. A minute and a half in, Hamill rushes forward and easily gets the takedown, but nothing really happens while he’s in Hollett’s guard, and the Canadian kicks him away and stands. Hamill looks winded – did his barrage in the first round tire him out? Hollett gains in confidence, and when it becomes apparent that Hamill is less-than-dangerous, Hollett opens up a little more with his punches (and he even throws another spinning back-kick). The pace slows even more, with Hamill looking like he didn’t know this bout was slated for three rounds so he trained only for one. He does get another takedown in the waning seconds of the round, but, blah. The bell rings.

Round 3: Hamill comes out moving forward a little more, and after a minute passes, he shoots for a double-leg and succeeds in getting his foe down near the cage. Hollett rolls to his knees and turtles again, so again the American rides him and feeds him some love-taps. With a little over two minutes left Hollett gets back to his feet, but Hamill shoots for another takedown and we’re left wondering if the Canadian spent too much time training spinning kicks and not enough time wrestling. Not much output by Hamill in terms of ground and pound from top position, but when referee Dan Miragliotta stands them, Hamill effortless gets Hollett down. Time runs out with Hamill huffing and puffing while delivering the kind of punches from above that would instill fear in no man. Regardless, it’s pretty obvious who deserves the decision.

Matt Hamill def. Roger Hollett via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Next: Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann

Bisping, a TUF 3 winner and the UFC’s resident mouthy Brit, is about to do the man-dance with Stann, who’s a strong puncher, a former WEC champ, and is most famous for being a member of the G.I. Joe team.

Round 1: As soon as Bruce Buffer announces that this bout is sponsored by Corn Nuts (“Corn to the core!”), expectations for fireworks are suddenly high. The bout begins with Stann coming forward, Bisping circling out to his opponent’s weak side, and then some huggery against the cage. They seperate about a minute and fifteen seconds in, and for about a minute they stand in front of each other and display some sweet boxing punches and footwork. The Brit tries to mix things up with a takedown attempt – which Stann expertly stuffs – and then to two ding each other with kicks tot he man-berries. After a brief pause they resume the bangfest, and after Bisping fails another takedown attempt, he eats a knuckle sandwich that wobbles him. He survives to the bell.

Round 2: Bisping is clearly the better boxer technically, but Stann’s got the edge in power, so after about thirty seconds have passed in the second he goes for – and succeeds in getting – a takedown. He lands in side-control, yet the dominant position yields no fruit and Stann reverses him. The two scramble and wind up on their knees, and the Brit briefly gains the upper-hand with front head-control before they return to their feet. With thirty seconds left Bisping nails another takedown, dumping the American onto his back, and the round ends with Bisping trying to land some big leather from above.

Round 3: Forty seconds into the third round sees Bisping getting another takedown, but Stann pops back up and feeds the Brit a right hand. The TUF winner can clearly win on points if he can maintain the pressure with his takedowns and his jab, but Stann’s got the power to turn his thick Cockney accent into something Professor Higgins would be proud of, so anything can still happen. Does the American manage to find the KO? No. Thanks to a three more takedown attempts, two of which are successful, Bisping is able to avoid slumber, and when time runs out it’s no stretch to imagine the Brit did enough to take it.

Michael Bisping def. Brian Stann via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Postfight, Bisping gives props to his opponent, stating that Stann is a “tough son of gun”. Joe Rogan strokes him re: his cardio, and Bisping says that he’s hungry. “This is mah time.” Then he asks Rogan if he “laks dags”, and tries to sell him a Perriwinkle blue trailer. Or something.

Next: Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson

It’s time for the first-ever UFC flyweight championship bout, with Benavidez and Johnson vying for a belt that probably weighs more than they do. Seriously, Frank Mir has eaten more than their combined poundage in one sitting, so ascribe value to this fight accordingly.

Round 1: Benavidez takes the center of the Octagon and Johnson flits about like a yellowjacket, wary of the Team Alpha Male reps power while he tries to give him his sting. Johnson succeeds in tagging him with a left, and after some brief (but furious) wrestling clinchwork, they continue to zoom about. After Johnson hits him a right hand, Benavidez turns up the heat with his wrestling – clearly trying to slow his foe down. With about three seconds left in the round, Benavidez rolls for an ill-advised kneebar, and Johnson pegs him with one hammerfist before the bell rings.

Round 2: Johnson continues to be an elusive ball of movement, and when Benavidez manages to tie him up in the opening seconds of the second round, Johnson is able to stifle every attack. When they reset, Benavidez does score here and there with the occasional kick and punch, divining where his opponent will be with probably skill mixed with magic. At the three-and-a-half minute mark Benavidez flubs a takedown, Johnson shucks him off and gets behind him briefly, and Benavidez manages to score in the final seconds.

Round 3: Benavidez keeps up the pressure and tries to land something heavy, and “Mighty Mouse” doesn’t let up in zooming in and out. A right hand by Johnson manages to open a small cut near Benavidez’s eye, and at the three-minute mark Benavidez gets Johnson down for all of .4 seconds before they’re back on the feet. Johnson nails him with another solid punch before the round ends – which probably earns him the round.

Round 4: Benavidez blasts Johnson with a right hand 45 seconds into the fourth, and he pounces on the fallen fighter and sinks a tight guillotine from mount. Johnson survives, though, and swivels into a heelhook attempt. Benavidez defends and gets back on top, but Johnson escapes back to his feet and winds up on top briefly when Benavidez whiffs a throw. A seconds later they’re back on their feet, and Johnson flips the script and gets a takedown of his own, then another. The round ends with Johnson in side-control.

Round 5: The final round, and I’d say it’s nigh-impossible to know for sure who’s ahead on points. Forty seconds in and Johnson gets a double-leg takedown, and when Benavidez gets back up to his feet, Johnson dumps him down again. But again they stand, and we’re back to the lightning-like delivery of strikes. Johnson gets another takedown about a minute later – his ability to change levels making all the difference in the world. Benavidez keeps looking for that stunning punch or kick, and he even goes for a fruitless takedown attempt of his own, and the clock runs down to zero with the crowd booing and Benavidez unable to hit Johnson with anything with meaning. So who is the UFC’s inaugural 125-pound king?

Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

Postfight, and Rogan asks him if winning is everything he expected. Johnson says Benavidez is a great opponent, that “it means the world”, and that he did his job.

Next, the main event: Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort

UFC light-heavyweight demigod Jones earned his belt by destroying the best in the division. Belfort earned this shot at the belt because Dan Henderson is old and damn his old knee and UFC 151 being cancelled. Boo!

Round 1: Jones comes out in his usual crouch and Belfort responds by trying to kick him in the head (!). The champ stands, plants a side-kick on Belfort’s knee, and almost effortlessly takes the Brazilian down. However, before Jones can mount any offense, Belfort swings into an armbar from the guard, and sweet Jesus does he almost get it. “Bones” defends, and after some work, manages to slip out of it. From within Belfort’s guard, Jones delivers punishment, rendering him bloody while fending off two more armbar attempts. The round clearly goes to Jones, but damn was that initial armbar close.

Round 2: Belfort starts off the second round winging a high-kick, while Jones seems to find joy by keeping the Brazilian on the end of his low side-kick. The length of the champ’s limbs are most certainly presenting the challenger with a riddle, and though Belfort is able to fire off a couple more high-kicks and throw some punches to the body, the riddle remains unsolved. With about a minute and a half left in the frame, Belfort pulls guard, but aside from a triangle choke attempt with only a few scant seconds left on the clock, neither man really hurts the other.

Round 3: Jones keeps up the long-distance onslaught with his kicks, and a minute into the round he lands one to the body that crumples the Brazilian. Jones delivers an axe-kick to the body, but again, from within Belfort’s guard, he does nothing and they end up back on their feet. With two minutes left, Belfort pulls guard, yet all Jones can seem to do is pass to half-guard and grind him half-heartedly.

Round 4: Belfort has about five seconds of pep in him, and he uses it to throw a high-kick and a few flashes of leather. But he pulls guard and Jones doesn’t hesitate to slide into side-control, where he deftly applies the keylock that earns him the tap out. Jones defends his belt.

Jon Jones def. Vitor Belfort via Submission (Keylock) at :54, Round 4

Postfight, and Jones says “he got that armbar in every way, shape and form… But I worked too hard to give up.” He goes on to say he was going to let it break. “It was numb.” How does the win feel with all the adversity? “It feels great… I really feel like a stronger young man talking to you today.”

Rogan gives kudos to Belfort, too. Says Belfort, the arm “was cracking and popping.” The Brazilian alludes to a training injury that factored in to him dropping from that kick to the body. Then Jones and Belfort join in and praise God together, and toss Watchtowers into the audience.

That’s it for me, amigos. Adios, and don’t forget to tip your waiter.