UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) defends his newly won title for the first time later tonight when he takes on former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC).Jones became the youngest champion to win a…
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) defends his newly won title for the first time later tonight when he takes on former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC).
Jones became the youngest champion to win a title in the UFC when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. He was 23.
Jackson brings a veteran record with four victories in his last five bouts, including wins over Matt Hamill, Lyoto Machida, Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva. He has one knockout in his last six bouts but plans on regaining the status of a one-punch knockout artist in his fight with Jones.
Round 4
Round 4- Jackson gets hit with a lead left hook to open the round. He backs to cage, but Rampage gets off and swings wild. Jones gets Rampage down and knees him to the body. Jones gets the back and sinks in the rear-naked choke. Jackson taps.
Result: Jon Jones defeats Quinton Jackson by submission (rear-naked choke)
DENVER — MMA Fighting caught up with Steven Seagal following Saturday night’s UFC 135 main event to discuss Jon Jones‘ win over Quinton Jackson. Seagal talked about being more impressed with Jackson than Jones, his words of advice for Jones, why he believes Jones wasn’t himself tonight and whether he wants to see Jones fight Anderson Silva.
DENVER — MMA Fighting caught up with Steven Seagal following Saturday night’s UFC 135 main event to discuss Jon Jones‘ win over Quinton Jackson. Seagal talked about being more impressed with Jackson than Jones, his words of advice for Jones, why he believes Jones wasn’t himself tonight and whether he wants to see Jones fight Anderson Silva.
DENVER — Following Saturday night’s UFC 135 event at the Pepsi Center all the big winners, including the reigning and defending light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, attended the post-fight press conference to talk about the evening. UFC president Dana White also weighed in. Check out a highlight package of the press conference below.
DENVER — Following Saturday night’s UFC 135 event at the Pepsi Center all the big winners, including the reigning and defending light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, attended the post-fight press conference to talk about the evening. UFC president Dana White also weighed in. Check out a highlight package of the press conference below.
Matt Hughes started his final UFC bout on a positive note. He landed some early shots on Josh Koscheck and was in control of the fight for a short period. However, Koscheck took control and knocked out the veteran with one second left in the first roun…
Matt Hughes started his final UFC bout on a positive note. He landed some early shots on Josh Koscheck and was in control of the fight for a short period. However, Koscheck took control and knocked out the veteran with one second left in the first round, sending Hughes into retirement on a sour note.
It was Hughes’ second consecutive loss after losing to B.J. Penn last November. Losses to Koscheck and Penn are nothing to worry about, they are good losses, but nobody can outlast Father Time and he has finally caught up with Hughes.
The 37-year-old American said after the fight that he’s doesn’t want to look at it like a retirement, but instead like UFC is putting him on a shelf. If his career is officially over, he’ll finish with a fantastic 45-9 record.
He won the UFC Welterweight Championship twice and is already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. He defending the Welterweight Championship a record seven times and was named the 2006 NHB Fighter of the Year.
Also on his résumé is a successful amateur wrestling career. It’s just been an incredible run for the man from Illinois.
Hughes had a lot of natural talent, which is something you need to make it to the heights he did, but he was also a tireless worker. That combination of talent and work ethic is rare and when one man possess it, that’s a special athlete.
While Hughes’ career could very well be over, he won’t soon be forgotten. He was only of the most important fighters in helping UFC gain momentum and now he’ll pass the torch to a younger group of fighters, to hopefully keep that momentum going.
Matt Hughes was one of a kind and that’s why he was so successful.
Make sure to check into Bleacher Report for all things UFC 135. B/R is your home for MMA, from pre-fight predictions, round-by-round recaps and post-fight analysis which you can check out at our event hub.
DENVER — Jon Jones decimated his toughest opponent to date and successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title for the first time on Saturday night. So why didn’t he seem all that happy about it?
That was just one of many questions for the brilliant young fighter who is proving to be as much of an enigma to those trying to understand him out of the cage as he is to the baffled opponents who face him inside of it. Throughout the UFC 135 post-fight press conference the 24-year-old champion maintained a low-key, almost downtrodden demeanor, despite the fact that he was only minutes removed from the biggest win of his career.
“Me and ‘Rampage’ [Jackson] did a lot of talking and I’m just glad it’s over,” said Jones, his voice flat and low. “I’m just doing my job right now.”
Maybe what got him down was the foot injury he sustained while kicking Jackson’s shins. He had to be helped into his seat at the start of the post-fight presser and helped out of the room once it was over, though he insisted it was nothing serious.
Or maybe it was the fact that the UFC once again cut his post-fight celebration short by immediately shifting the focus in the cage from Jones’ fourth-round submission win over Jackson to his planned next bout against former teammate Rashad Evans — a shift that Jones said “ruined my special night” for the second time in as many title fights.
When asked about that comment, a stone-faced Jones shook his head and said only, “I don’t want to talk about Rashad today.”
Though later he did talk about him, but only after Jackson alluded to Evans possibly having Jones’ number after their training room sessions at Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque, N.M.
After Jackson said that Evans was “basically the only person who has a chance at beating him because Rashad trained with him before and Rashad knows,” Jones deigned to speak of his former training partner.
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“I will say this about Rashad,” Jones said. “He does not have my number. He’s not even close to having my number. Me and Rashad, we sparred a few times, and every time we sparred I know what could have happened. He talks about one day at practice where he held me down and he lives that day in his head every day.”
Even Jackson had questions for Jones once they were both sitting at the same table. Like, for instance, why did he start the fight by crawling out to the center of the cage on all fours?
According to Jones it was because he knew Jackson’s punching power would be greatest early in the fight and “I knew he wouldn’t be able to generate too much power at such a low target.”
And his decision to dump Jackson over his back before calmly strolling off to his corner following the horn to end round three? At the time, it seemed like just one more way to remind Jackson of his superiority. Not quite toying with him, but certainly sending a message.
Not so, according to Jones.
“I was just trying to finish the round strong, show that I had a lot of energy left,” he explained.
Jackson, who has losses to both Jones and Evans, said he respected the champion more than his old rival Evans, if only because Jones looked to do more than simply out-wrestle him.
“When it comes to fighting, even though Jon ran like a little girl every now and then, I still have more respect for him as a fighter, because Jon did come to bring it. …He rocked me once and he’s a true fighter. Rashad…I was really rusty and he probably would have knocked me out that time had he fought me.”
As for Jones, he insisted that he was “definitely happy” about the win over Jackson, even if he didn’t seem like it. Rather than thinking (or talking) about where and when his long-awaited fight with Evans might be, the champion had other ideas.
“I just can’t wait to get home to my family, take a nice bath, and be done for a while.”
DENVER — Jon Jones decimated his toughest opponent to date and successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title for the first time on Saturday night. So why didn’t he seem all that happy about it?
That was just one of many questions for the brilliant young fighter who is proving to be as much of an enigma to those trying to understand him out of the cage as he is to the baffled opponents who face him inside of it. Throughout the UFC 135 post-fight press conference the 24-year-old champion maintained a low-key, almost downtrodden demeanor, despite the fact that he was only minutes removed from the biggest win of his career.
“Me and ‘Rampage’ [Jackson] did a lot of talking and I’m just glad it’s over,” said Jones, his voice flat and low. “I’m just doing my job right now.”
Maybe what got him down was the foot injury he sustained while kicking Jackson’s shins. He had to be helped into his seat at the start of the post-fight presser and helped out of the room once it was over, though he insisted it was nothing serious.
Or maybe it was the fact that the UFC once again cut his post-fight celebration short by immediately shifting the focus in the cage from Jones’ fourth-round submission win over Jackson to his planned next bout against former teammate Rashad Evans — a shift that Jones said “ruined my special night” for the second time in as many title fights.
When asked about that comment, a stone-faced Jones shook his head and said only, “I don’t want to talk about Rashad today.”
Though later he did talk about him, but only after Jackson alluded to Evans possibly having Jones’ number after their training room sessions at Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque, N.M.
After Jackson said that Evans was “basically the only person who has a chance at beating him because Rashad trained with him before and Rashad knows,” Jones deigned to speak of his former training partner.
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“I will say this about Rashad,” Jones said. “He does not have my number. He’s not even close to having my number. Me and Rashad, we sparred a few times, and every time we sparred I know what could have happened. He talks about one day at practice where he held me down and he lives that day in his head every day.”
Even Jackson had questions for Jones once they were both sitting at the same table. Like, for instance, why did he start the fight by crawling out to the center of the cage on all fours?
According to Jones it was because he knew Jackson’s punching power would be greatest early in the fight and “I knew he wouldn’t be able to generate too much power at such a low target.”
And his decision to dump Jackson over his back before calmly strolling off to his corner following the horn to end round three? At the time, it seemed like just one more way to remind Jackson of his superiority. Not quite toying with him, but certainly sending a message.
Not so, according to Jones.
“I was just trying to finish the round strong, show that I had a lot of energy left,” he explained.
Jackson, who has losses to both Jones and Evans, said he respected the champion more than his old rival Evans, if only because Jones looked to do more than simply out-wrestle him.
“When it comes to fighting, even though Jon ran like a little girl every now and then, I still have more respect for him as a fighter, because Jon did come to bring it. …He rocked me once and he’s a true fighter. Rashad…I was really rusty and he probably would have knocked me out that time had he fought me.”
As for Jones, he insisted that he was “definitely happy” about the win over Jackson, even if he didn’t seem like it. Rather than thinking (or talking) about where and when his long-awaited fight with Evans might be, the champion had other ideas.
“I just can’t wait to get home to my family, take a nice bath, and be done for a while.”
Despite Takanori Gomi’s propensity to disappoint against top UFC fighters, there was still a strong sentiment leading up to his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 135 on Saturday that he could pull off an upset based on his powerful striking ability.Diaz had …
Despite Takanori Gomi’s propensity to disappoint against top UFC fighters, there was still a strong sentiment leading up to his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 135 on Saturday that he could pull off an upset based on his powerful striking ability.
Diaz had been known to leave himself open for quick punches inside and Gomi has built his reputation on his power. But none of that showed on Saturday.
Diaz came out with what was probably the best fight of his life, peppering Gomi with quick strikes before submitting him in the first round with a beautifully-executed armbar.
Gomi started the fight as he always has, swinging loopy, powerful punches at his opponent. But they weren’t well-placed this time around, with Diaz reportedly outstriking him 44 to 8.
Gomi was knocked down twice in the short fight, and even when he scored a takedown it proved to be his undoing. After his takedown, Diaz merely executed an armbar and Gomi was done for.
This must seem like some cruel joke to Gomi. He lost to Nate’s brother, Nick, four-and-a-half years ago in a solid back-and-forth duel. He wasn’t so lucky this time around and probably wouldn’t mind if he never fought a Diaz again.
Diaz proved himself as an up-and-comer on Saturday, using a blinding array of strikes and quick wrestling moves to completely bombard Gomi. The opinion was largely split regarding who would win this fight, but very few could have seen such a dominant performance from the 26-year-old.
DENVER —