An incredible event from Toronto has wrapped up, as UFC 140 is in the books.
The main event of the evening, was a Light Heavyweight Championship bout as champion Jon Jones (15-1) defended his championship for the second time, defeating former champion Lyoto Machida (17-3) via standing guillotine choke at 4:26 of Round 2.
With the victory, Jones became the first champion to successfully defend the Light Heavyweight Championship more then once, since Chuck Liddell did it in 2006.
For Jones, Machida was by far the toughest and most versatile striker he had ever fought, and in the first round, Machida had his way with Jones, due to his unique standup.
Jones had a tough first round, and was even clipped by Machida. Machida was slick and elusive, avoiding Jones' strikes, while blitzing in with his barrages of combinations. Jones looked uncomfortable and timid, and like many others, he could not figure out the timing of Machida, losing a round for the first time in his UFC career.
The second round started out the same, but during the second half of the round, Jones started to loosen up and eventually found his groove.
The turning point of the fight, was when Jones was able to secure a takedown and immediately landed a big elbow which opened up a nasty gash on Machida's head. The fight was briefly stopped, and once it restarted, Jones landed a big straight left which dropped Machida and during the scramble, Jones was able to grab ahold of Machida's neck and squeezed it until Machida went to sleep and the fight was stopped, as Machida dropped to the mat unconscious.
I was very impressed by Jones in this fight, as it was the first time he was ever taken into deep waters and did not dominate from the get go. Jones had to overcome adversity and was able to solve the puzzle of Machida, finishing him in impressive fashion.
Since Liddell, the Light Heavyweight Championship has been like a game of hot potato, switching hands very often. However, Jones is a different type of fighter and is without a doubt the greatest athlete to ever compete in MMA. As long as Jones stays focused and avoids any serious injuries, I fully expect Jones to defend the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for many years to come.
Up next for Jones, is the victor of the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis fight, which is the main event of UFC on FOX 2.
The co-main event of the night was a Heavyweight rematch, as Frank Mir (16-5) once again defeated Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (33-7-1-1), this time by submission at 3:38 of the first round via kimura.
“Minotauro” came out strong and showcased his much improved boxing, landing big shots to Mir up against the fence. “Minotauro” was delivering excellent combinations and even dropped Mir, following up with big hammer fists on the ground.
However, it was when “Minotauro” went for a choke did things become interesting.
Mir was able to slip out and ended up on top of “Minotauro” in side control. Mir immediately went for a kimura, putting “Minotauro” in deep trouble. Quickly realizing what was happening, “Minotauro” tried to roll out of the submission attempt, but Mir rolled with him, staying on top, locking the kimura in tighter.
“Minotauro” clearly did not want to tap, but had no choice as Mir applied more pressure, torqued back, and eventually broke “Minotauro's” arm, forcing the tap out.
I couldn't be more impressed with Mir's performance, as there were questions regarding the legitimacy of their last bout. However, Mir answered all those questions and proved once and for all that he is the better fighter.
UNBELIEVABLE! Submission of the Century!
The other featured bout of the evening, saw “Lil' Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5) defeat Tito Ortiz (16-10-1) via TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of round 1.
Tito came out aggressive, but Lil' Nog was able to land a big knee which dropped Ortiz and eventually put him away with strikes to the body.
Ortiz has had a long and storied career, and has been competing inside the UFC for almost 15 years.
Although, retirement is on the horizon, Ortiz wants to finish out the remaining fight on his contract and put on one more show for the fans.
Tito Ortiz will always be one of my favorite fighters and I can't help but smile every time he steps foot into the Octagon. I hope the UFC grants Tito his wish because I know I would love to see him compete one more time and possibly leave with his hand raised.
Jung is a human highlight reel, and he added another impressive finish to his resume, knocking out former number one contender Mark Hominick (20-10) in seven seconds of the first round.
The knockout is tied for fastest in UFC history, and is just another reason why I love watching the “Korean Zombie” compete.
UFC 140 was a great card, which delivered a lot of exciting and brutal fights. Only three bouts went to a decision, thus making UFC 140 one of the best cards of the year.
UFC 141 is only two weeks away, when Brock Lesnar faces Alistair Overeem in a battle of the giants.
Bonus Awards:
Fight of the Night: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida
Submission of the Night: Frank Mir
Knockout of the Night: Chan Sung Jung
Results:
Jon Jones def. Lyoto Machida via submission (standing guillotine choke) – Round 2, 4:26
Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo 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
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)
Mark Bocek def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jake Hecht def. Rich Attonito via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:10
John Cholish def. Mitch Clarke via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:36
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