In case anyone was wondering, Jon Jones is still pretty great at this fighting thing. Bones reclaimed the light heavyweight championship with a third-round TKO of Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 214 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday.
The first round showed that the two could put on something special. Jones came out especially aggressive, attacking with punches, leg kicks and knees to the body, but Cormier found ways to land punches as the round went on.
The UFC highlighted some of the work from DC toward the end of the round:
Mike Chiappetta of Bleacher Report scored the round for the challenger but acknowledged the end of the frame made it a tough call:
That momentum carried into the second round as Cormier continued to pressure his foe. Jones continued to throw, but DC was consistent in staying in Jones’ face and throwing an array of hooks, uppercuts and leg kicks to keep Jones guessing.
Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie commented on how confident Cormier looked:
Jones’ patience in the face of Cormier’s pressure paid off, though. A massive left head kick turned the fight on a dime, stumbling Cormier across the cage where an aggressive Bones followed him to the mat and followed up with ground-and-pound to put the finishing touches on an incredible round.
As Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting noted, he also became the first man to finish Cormier:
After the bout, Jones looked to bury the hatchet with his bitter rival, giving the former champion props as a fighter and man, per MMA Fighting:
And he took the time to call out Brock Lesnar while he was at it:
The win for Jones marks a long, winding path back to champion status. It’s been more than two years since he’s been the undisputed light heavyweight champion, but none of that streak had anything to do with what happened in the cage.
Jones was originally stripped of his belt due to his role in a hit-and-run incident, an exodus that forced him to wait until April 2016 to return. Previously, Jones had tested positive for cocaine after his first win over Cormier. It also opened the door for Cormier to become the new light heavyweight champion by defeating Anthony Johnson.
Upon his return, trouble once again found Jones. He was suspended from the UFC for a USADA violation that turned out to be the result of a banned supplement, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.
Now 30, Jones is saying all the right things. Before the fight, he talked about growing up and having higher expectations.
“I’ve come to expect more out of myself—as a citizen, as a man, as an athlete—to reach a better place, a place I’ve never been,” Jones said, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m just loaded with good energy right now and I’m excited to take all this with me into the Octagon.”
A Jones who can keep himself out of trouble is a good thing for the UFC. Regardless of actions outside the cage, fans love to witness greatness, and Jones provides that.
Bones is by far the most successful light heavyweight of all time with a slew of Hall of Fame-caliber victims on his resume. With Ronda Rousey’s fall from grace, Conor McGregor off boxing and the iffy status of Georges St-Pierre, Jones is one of the few fighters with serious star power available to the promotion.
It also appears the new champion might do his best to bring back one of the sport’s biggest stars.
“I would love to fight Brock Lesnar,” Jones said in the Facebook chat, per Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting. “He’s a massive dude; it would be a massive draw. Really big for the sport. It would be a great challenge. That’s a big, old boy. I doubt Brock Lesnar would take that fight, though.”
Regardless of whether Lesnar would really leave the WWE to fight Jones, who has always teased a foray into the heavyweight division, the mere fact that it’s a discussion is a sign of the impact Jones’ return could make.
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