Tag: UFC 140

UFC 140 Results: What’s Left to Say About Jon Jones?

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. 

He is the 24-year-old Silva that the UFC needs. 

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 to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.

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UFC 140 Results Jones vs. Machida: We Have Entered the Jon Jones Era

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.

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UFC 140 Aftermath Part I: Jon Jones Puts Doubts, and Machida, to Rest

Not elusive enough. (Photo: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting)

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.

Not elusive enough. (Photo: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting)

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.

 

– Chris Colemon (@chriscolemon)

 

UFC 140 Results: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Is Still Overrated

On Saturday night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Tito Ortiz via first-round TKO due to body shots on the ground.It was an impressive win for Nogueira, but he is still incredibly overrated.In the UFC, Nogueira is an underwhelming 3-2, which cou…

On Saturday night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Tito Ortiz via first-round TKO due to body shots on the ground.

It was an impressive win for Nogueira, but he is still incredibly overrated.

In the UFC, Nogueira is an underwhelming 3-2, which could easily be 2-3, had the judges seen his fight against Jason Brilz the other way—as many thought it should have been.

So, first, let’s just take a look at Nogueira’s three wins.

He beat Luiz Cane in his debut. It was definitely an impressive victory, but Cane is not even close to a top-10 light heavyweight, and he is dropping to middleweight, where he is also not a top-10 fighter.

Then he beat Brilz via highly controversial split decision. Many say the fight should have gone to Brilz. Unfortunately, Brilz is not a quality opponent, as after the decision loss to Nogueira, he was knocked out—twice—in a combined 1:37.

He has since been released from the UFC.

Then, Nogueira beat Ortiz. Ortiz has become a fan favorite as of late, but if you honestly just look at his recent performance, he is 1-6-1 in his last eight fights.

If that was nearly anyone else, they would have been out of a job a long time ago.

Ortiz will always have a place in the UFC, but his fights are just getting worse and worse for him.

Nogueira has defeated three mediocre fighters, and has lost to the only top-10 fighters he faced—Phil Davis and Ryan Bader—and he lost to both by unanimous decision.

Nogueira got an impressive win, but he also got way too much credit to begin with.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow Tim on Twitter @tmt2393.

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UFC 140 Results: How Would Jon Jones Fare at Heavyweight?

On Saturday night, Jon Jones proved all the doubters wrong—again—as he submitted Lyoto Machida in the second round to become the first man to defend the light heavyweight title more than once since Chuck Liddell in 2006.Jones appeared to be…

On Saturday night, Jon Jones proved all the doubters wrong—again—as he submitted Lyoto Machida in the second round to become the first man to defend the light heavyweight title more than once since Chuck Liddell in 2006.

Jones appeared to be in a bit of trouble in the first round, but he came back in resounding fashion in the second. He rocked Machida with a punch that set up the fight-ending standing guillotine choke.

He has now beaten three of the top five contenders in the light heavyweight division, and has looked simply unstoppable.

At only 24 years old, and with the frame that he has, it is very likely that he will have to move up to heavyweight at some point in the future.

So how would Jones fare at heavyweight?

For right now, it is a difficult question to answer. If you look at two of the top four heavyweights—Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar—both are highly credentialed wrestlers.

Jones is yet to face someone of that caliber. Once he fights Evans, we’ll have a clearer picture of how Jones will fare against wrestlers.

Then there is Junior dos Santos. JDS is undefeated in the UFC, and is another fighter who made his way to the top without ever being in trouble.

We need to see more of Dos Santos, and more of Jones, before we can even begin to make a prediction about how a matchup like this would go down.

There is no question that Jones would be a top heavyweight, it’s just a question of how close to the top.

He has all the potential to be the heavyweight champion. If he could handle the wrestling of Lesnar and Velasquez, and if he could avoid the big right hand of JDS, Jones could become the most dominant fighter ever—in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow me on twitter @tmt2393.

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UFC 140 Results: Will Too Much Success Too Fast Be Jon Jones’ Downfall?

Last night, Jon Jones turned in arguably his most lauded performance against former champion Lyoto Machida.The New Yorker was tested early by the Brazilian, who used his distance and timing in order to catch the Greg Jackson product on several occasion…

Last night, Jon Jones turned in arguably his most lauded performance against former champion Lyoto Machida.

The New Yorker was tested early by the Brazilian, who used his distance and timing in order to catch the Greg Jackson product on several occasions, seemingly taking home the first round. However, Jones remained patient and eventually was able to take down the wily fighter—a feat that has not been duplicated inside the Octagon.

A hard left hand dropped the challenger, which allowed Jones to cinch up a tight guillotine choke against the fence. A few moments later, Machida was dropped to the canvas after having been rendered unconscious by the hold, allowing Jones to claim the submission victory and the second defense of his light heavyweight title.

Jones has now suffered adversity in a fight, collected himself and stormed back for an emphatic finish—something that many pundits had questioned if Jones would be able to overcome, given his meteoric ascension through the ranks in just this year alone.

The Greg Jackson product’s 2011 run began in February when he was pitted against then-undefeated 205-pound powerhouse Ryan Bader, who Jones finished with his now-patented guillotine choke inside of the second round.

The win helped Jones secure a shot against then-champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua just a few weeks later, where he finished off the Chute Boxe product with a third-round TKO finish.

A subsequent battle against former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson ensued, with the 24-year-old dominating the heavy hitter with a fourth-round rear-naked choke—the first submission loss in more than 10 years for the Pride veteran.

And now with a victory over “The Dragon,” Jones has turned in four solid performances against consensus top-10 competition, claiming a world title and defending twice within a calendar year, giving him unarguably the best year of success that any mixed martial artist has cultivated.

With all of his recent accolades preceding him, it would be easy for the daunting amount of success to become an equally daunting amount of pressure, but Jones seems primed and ready to take on all comers. 

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