Last night UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones made history in defeating Lyoto Machida, joining the ranks of Rampage Jackson and Shogun Rua as one of the few Dragon Slayers.With the way “The Dragon” controlled the fight in the first round, Machida…
Last night UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones made history in defeating Lyoto Machida, joining the ranks of Rampage Jackson and Shogun Rua as one of the few Dragon Slayers.
With the way “The Dragon” controlled the fight in the first round, Machida showed that he does have what it takes to dethrone the champ. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep it up and, for the first time in his career, lost via submission.
At 33 years old, Machida’s career is far from over as he still has enough time and steam to make another run at the title. The road back to redemption will be long and difficult, but everyone loves a comeback.
So, here are the top five fights Machida can take, and if he wins enough of them to earn another title shot we may stop calling him “The Karate Kid” and instead refer to him as “The Comeback Kid”.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones successfully defend his title for the second time on Saturday, and the victory came over a former champion in Lyoto Machida, who many considered his toughest and trickiest test to date.After a rocky first round …
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones successfully defend his title for the second time on Saturday, and the victory came over a former champion in Lyoto Machida, who many considered his toughest and trickiest test to date.
After a rocky first round for Jones, many thought Machida would be on his way to figuring out the unsolved puzzle. That was until “The Dragon” was cut open and put to sleep with a standing guillotine in the second round. Jones casually walked away, leaving an unconscious opponent fall to the canvas.
Despite being almost perfect in his MMA career, Jones hasn’t been accepted by the majority of the fans.
It seems as if he is unsure of what fans expect from him, and that maybe he is trying to act like someone that he thinks they want him to be instead of being himself. It’s all part of constructing an image that most fans can accept, and it’s going to be hard to do considering the dominance and ease at which he is walking through fan-favorite fighters.
In this video, Jones’ trainer, Greg Jackson, is heard telling Jones to go check on his opponent and to “get some fans.” It might not be well-received, but it shows at how the people involved with Jones are trying to help build his image.
Both Jones and Jackson have been together for most of the 24-year-old’s career and through his biggest fights, including those with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton Jackson and Ryan Bader.
The champ takes plenty of heat for the way he carries himself. Whether you think he’s overly cocky or rightfully confident, you may not have appreciated the way that he dropped Machida to the ground like a sack of rocks. “Bones” has yet to taste defeat in mixed martial arts, which may be why he doesn’t seem to empathize with his fallen foes very well.
While the PPV microphones were cued in to Goldy and Rogan, the online stream gave access to a number of audio and video feeds. As it turns out, in addition to coaching Jones on takedowns and chokes, Greg Jackson is there to remind Jones on proper in-cage etiquette.
Does it make him any less of an incredible fighter? No. Does it make you dislike him a little more? Probably.
The champ takes plenty of heat for the way he carries himself. Whether you think he’s overly cocky or rightfully confident, you may not have appreciated the way that he dropped Machida to the ground like a sack of rocks. “Bones” has yet to taste defeat in mixed martial arts, which may be why he doesn’t seem to empathize with his fallen foes very well.
While the PPV microphones were cued in to Goldy and Rogan, the online stream gave access to a number of audio and video feeds. As it turns out, in addition to coaching Jones on takedowns and chokes, Greg Jackson is there to remind Jones on proper in-cage etiquette.
Does it make him any less of an incredible fighter? No. Does it make you dislike him a little more? Probably.
Do you now believe?Between the massive tweets and eccentric fans who tuned into UFC 140, the MMA community witnessed Jon Jones’ deciding victory over the aggressive Lyoto Machida Saturday night.Whether it was the nasty gash on Machida’s forehead, compl…
Do you now believe?
Between the massive tweets and eccentric fans who tuned into UFC 140, the MMA community witnessed Jon Jones’ deciding victory over the aggressive Lyoto Machida Saturday night.
Whether it was the nasty gash on Machida’s forehead, compliments of a Jones elbow, or the out-of-this-world standing guillotine that ended the fight in the second round, Jones’ decisive win over a top contender was everything justifiable.
Heading into UFC 140, many people, whether they wanted to or not, disregarded Jones as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, considering he had only defended his UFC light heavyweight championship once.
But following this victory, one that came after a first-round barrage of Machida strikes, what’s left to say about Jones?
Honestly, not much. I mean, what can you say?
He is, right now, the best fighter in the world. Whether you disagree in respect for middleweight champion Anderson Silva, or if you just don’t want to crown a 24-year-old the “great one,” Jones’ dominance reigns true in any fashion.
The guy has only been training MMA for four years, and he has already captured glory at the grandest scale. To think that his victory over Machida Saturday night wasn’t part of some glorious UFC destination seems unrewarding and unfair to a guy who has done everything—in and out of the Octagon—to perfection.
At this point in his career, with his striking ability, quick reactions to limit damage and his unorthodox submissions, Jones has simply transformed into a younger Silva.
Not only because he resembles Silva through length, speed and demeanor, but because his attitude and success in the cage proves too valuable to pass up.
Think about it this way. Can you imagine what the UFC would witness is Silva was currently 24 years old?
It’d be madness.
One fighter who has the power to take over the sport. One athlete who can transcend his predecessors at every level. One man who can shift the sport into mainstream America and rule mixed martial arts for the next decade.
Well, look no further. Imagination or not, Jon Jones is currently that guy.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions toin-fight coverage, resultsand post-fight analysis.
As Jon Jones released an unconscious Lyoto Machida from a guillotine choke and walked away at UFC 140, it was clear that fans had just witnessed one of the most dominant years in the history of the sport. In 2011, Jon “Bones” Jones went from highly tou…
As Jon Jones released an unconscious Lyoto Machida from a guillotine choke and walked away at UFC 140, it was clear that fans had just witnessed one of the most dominant years in the history of the sport. In 2011, Jon “Bones” Jones went from highly touted prospect to champion, defeating Ryan Bader, “Shogun” Rua, “Rampage” Jackson, and Lyoto Machida.
We are pretty clearly in the Jon Jones era right now and the scariest part is that he is just 24 years old. No man, not even Anderson Silva, has ever accomplished so much in such a short period of time. Jones had his first professional fight on April 12, 2008 and less than three years later, held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Jones is already being talked about along the lines of being an Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre, and with good reason—it’s difficult to imagine him losing at this point. It’s unfortunate that Jones has the one disqualification loss on his record, making him 15-1 when it’s obvious that no fighter has ever come close to defeating him.
Lyoto Machida did his part last night, coming in with a good game plan that allowed him to win the first round. He was elusive and quick, moving in and out and landing several good shots. It gave Jones the opportunity to answer the last question many of his critics had—can he take a punch?
Jones weathered a somewhat shaky first round and a half before landing a huge takedown that was the turning point of the fight. The champion opened up a cut on the forehead of Machida and after getting back to the feet, dropped him with a left hand. As Machida attempted to get back up, Jones sunk in the choke, pinned him up against the cage, and put him to sleep.
While there are still some interesting title challengers for Jones such as Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans, none are as well-rounded as the champion. Evans, for example, has never attempted a submission in the UFC. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone to see Jones retain his title for years to come.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.
There’s nothing new in Jon Jones facing his ‘toughest test to date’; his recent fights have put him through a gauntlet of UFC champions. Searching for a style that stifles him is old hat as well; in his very short career he’s faced top level wrestlers, strikers, and even a one-of-a-kind karate specialist. And doubting the light-heavyweight champ? That officially became passé last night too.
While all of the smart money was being plunked down on Jon Jones, most acknowledged that Machida’s unique style would pose an interesting challenge to the young champion. Finding Machida with the end of your fist is a tough enough chore when you’re not spinning and twisting through the air, and Jones found that out in the first round. His flashy kicks and punches came close to finishing the Dragon’s shadow, but the intended target was long out of range by the time the twirling had ended. A pair of solid body kicks and a few stalking combinations gave Lyoto the round and momentum headed into the second frame against a suddenly more-human Jones.
“Bones” found himself on the losing end of the exchanges early in round two as well. Machida, who has made a career of the unorthodox, seemed able to predict what Jones would throw before he’d even thought of it. And that’s when it finally happened: Jones got hit. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping widow-maker, mind you, but finally we had contact, significant contact. Though Jones staggered backward at bit, he quickly regained his composure and did what champions do—he took over. A takedown followed by a brutal elbow to the forehead drew blood. Lots of it. Momentum had shifted, and Jones was certain the fight was his.
There’s nothing new in Jon Jones facing his ‘toughest test to date’; his recent fights have put him through a gauntlet of UFC champions. Searching for a style that stifles him is old hat as well; in his very short career he’s faced top level wrestlers, strikers, and even a one-of-a-kind karate specialist. And doubting the light-heavyweight champ? That officially became passé last night too.
While all of the smart money was being plunked down on Jon Jones, most acknowledged that Machida’s unique style would pose an interesting challenge to the young champion. Finding Machida with the end of your fist is a tough enough chore when you’re not spinning and twisting through the air, and Jones found that out in the first round. His flashy kicks and punches came close to finishing the Dragon’s shadow, but the intended target was long out of range by the time the twirling had ended. A pair of solid body kicks and a few stalking combinations gave Lyoto the round and momentum headed into the second frame against a suddenly more-human Jones.
“Bones” found himself on the losing end of the exchanges early in round two as well. Machida, who has made a career of the unorthodox, seemed able to predict what Jones would throw before he’d even thought of it. And that’s when it finally happened: Jones got hit. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping widow-maker, mind you, but finally we had contact, significant contact. Though Jones staggered backward at bit, he quickly regained his composure and did what champions do—he took over. A takedown followed by a brutal elbow to the forehead drew blood. Lots of it. Momentum had shifted, and Jones was certain the fight was his.
“When I opened him up with the cut, my confidence level went to a whole other level,” Jones told Ariel Helwani post-fight. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re bleeding! And now let’s play this game.”
Back on their feet after the cut was cleared by ringside physicians, Jones pressed Machida to the cage and sunk in a standing guillotine. As he repositioned his grip to maximize the torque on his go-go-gadget arms, the lights began to fade for ‘The Dragon’ and his body went limp. Referee “Big John” McCarthy stepped in and Jones released his hold, the only thing propping Machida up on his feet. As Lyoto and his bid for a second UFC title came crashing to the canvas, Jones coolly walked away with yet another incredible stoppage victory. Machida was game and his performance helped the pair secure the $75K Fight of the Night bonus, but the end leaves no doubt that Jones is simply on another level.
In any other circumstance, Jones’s 2011 run would be considered career defining. But how could it not be for a twenty-four year old with only three year’s experience under his shiny, gold belt? Jones didn’t just defeat Bader, Shogun, Rampage, and Machida; he stopped them, painfully, without getting hurt. Anything can happen in MMA where the tides turn quickly—the “Machida Era” was better timed with a stopwatch than a calendar–but everything I’ve seen indicates that Jones’s reign over the light-heavyweight division has only begun. There will always be a new challenger posing a new challenge, but they’ll be facing a new, more evolved champion each time he steps foot in the cage.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones successfully defend his title for the second time on Saturday, and the victory came over a former champion in 
