Jon Jones ------------------ Lyoto Machida
Toronto Canada
One lingering question has been answered: UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones can handle some adversity.
The seemingly indestructible champion faced some first-round troubles before storming back – in what's quickly becoming vintage form – to earn a submission victory over challenger Lyoto Machida.
The fight took place at UFC 140 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. It headlined the night's pay-per-view main card and followed prelims on Facebook and ION Television.
For Jones, it was a chance to cap off a successful 2011 campaign that ranks as one of the best single-year performances from a fighter in MMA history.
The champ worked low kicks in the first round, but Machida quickly found his range with countershots. Additionally, low-kick/punch combinations landed a few times for the challenger. With a minute remaining in the round, Machida then answered a pair of low kicks with counter-punches that forced the champ to stagger and retreat. It wasn't close to finishing the fight, but it earned him the round.
Machida remained at distance in the second round, and Jones was forced to move in to throw strikes. After catching a kick, Machida popped him again with a countershot. Jones, though, answered with a straight right before scoring a big takedown. Jones then immediately opened Machida with an elbow to the forehead, and once the challenger got to his feet, the ref had the deep cut examined.
With the doctor's green light, the fighters restarted in the clinch, where Jones landed knees to the body before they reset. Both fighters then moved forward, and Jones staggered and dropped Machida with a left before slapping on a guillotine choke as the "Dragon" got back to his feet. Jones actually pushed upward and held Machida upright and against the cage with the choke before Machida lost consciousness and brought about the end of the fight.
The ref halted the bout at the 4:26 mark of the second round as Machida fell unconscious to the canvas.
"He didn't have me hurt, but he did hit me pretty good," Jones said. "He's just smart. He kicked really hard. He knows his range. He has good tactics. He was a challenge.
"It feels great to have this win and retain the belt. I had a very healthy training camp. ... I didn't have too much strategy going into the fight except to perform at my best."
As for the finishing move, Jones said it's become second nature.
"It's not really a move I practice," he said. "I think it's just a move that comes natural from wrestling."
Jones (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) now has won six straight fights (all via stoppage) and posts his second straight title defense. He closes out 2011 with wins over notables Ryan Bader, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for the title), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and now Machida.
Machida (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who had hoped to reclaim the title he held from 2009-2010, suffers his third loss in four fights.
Official UFC 140 Resulits
Main Card (Pay-per-view):
Jon Jones def. Lyoto Machida via technical submission (standing guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:26 (to retain light-heavyweight title)
Frank Mir def. Minotauro Nogueira via submission (kimura) - Round 1, 3:38
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Tito Ortiz via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:15
Brian Ebersole def. Claude Patrick via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Chan Sung Jung def. Mark Hominick via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:07
Preliminary Card (ION Television):
Igor Pokrajac def. Krzysztof Soszynski via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 0:35
Constantinos Philippou def. Jared Hamman via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:11
Dennis Hallman def. John Makdessi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:58
Yves Jabouin def. Walel Watson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
MMA: UFC 140 results
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