UFC 145: JONES VS. EVANS
APRIL 21, 2012
LIVE FROM ATLANTA, GA.
FACEBOOK PRELIMINARY CARD QUICK RESULTS
* Marcus Brimage def. Maximo Blanco via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
* Chris Clements def. Keith Wisniewski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
FX PRELIMINARY CARD
-The newly buzzed head of Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg welcome fans to the prelims broadcast at Philips Arena in Atlanta, and after a quick rundown of tonight’s pay-per-view main event, we’re on to the first fight of the televised broadcast. Ten fights in all between FX and PPV tonight.
FIGHT ONE: EFRAIN ESCUDERO VS. MAC DANZIG (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Escudero opened quickly with a leg kick. Danzig clinched and drove Escudero to the cage with a few knees to the body. Escudero turned him around, but Danzig battled right back and landed a nice short flurry. Danzig scored a nice trip, but Escudero grabbed for a heel hook. Danzig escaped and took Escudero’s back. Escudero turtled and worked to his feet. Nice sequence. Escudero landed a leg kick but Danzig drove forward. Danzig landed a solid straight right. Danzig landed a few nice jabs as he kept Escudero on the cage. Escudero clinched but Danzig broke it with an uppercut. Danzig landed a few punches and closed the distance. He took Escudero’s back standing and tried to take him to the ground. Escudero held off the takedown attempts and kept working in the clinch. Danzig landed some nice knees and landed an uppercut as he separated. Escudero shot in but got stuffed. Danzig finally got loose and they traded strikes as the horn sounded.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Danzig. Escudero had the heel hook attempt, but Danzig out-struck him and got pressed the action throughout.
ROUND TWO: Escudero landed a leg kick early, but Danzig walked him down again. Much more tentative start to the round. Escudero connected on a right as they exchanged strikes. Danzig got in a good body kick. He landed a punch and grabbed a clinch. He landed a nice series of knees to the legs and body. Danzig landed a few short strikes and backed out of the clinch. Danzig landed a hard leg kick after blocking several punches. Escudero connected on a jab. Danzig landed a punch and leg kick combo. Danzig shot in again with the clinch but Escudero backed out again. They traded punches again. Another clinch, and the boos came from the crowd as the action was a bit tentative. They traded strikes again and separated. Escudero initiated the clinch, but Danzig drove him to the cage with knees again. Escudero got a few in. Escudero went for a late takedown but got stuffed as the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Danzig. I guess. Not much to the round. Really tentative action. Danzig pressed in and kept Escudero’s back against the cage, but neither did a ton.
ROUND THREE: Danzig’s right ankle was extremely swollen from the first round heel hook. He still pressed forward, and they traded punches early. They traded leg kicks. Danzig landed a nice three punch combo and finished with a leg kick. Danzig got the clinch again. They traded knees on the cage. Danzig took Escudero’s back standing. Escudero turned around and ate a knee as he got loose. Escudero landed a left. Danzig ducked under a punch and grabbed a clinch again. Danzig landed some nice body punches and again took Escudero’s back standing. Escudero again got turned around. The ref separated them as Danzig was getting the back again. Bad spot to halt them. Danzig landed a few strikes as he kept Escudero’s back on the cage. Danzig landed a hard body punch. He grabbed the clinch again and they traded knees. Danzig landed a right and a leg kick. Another clinch, body punches, etc. Rinse repeat here. Gross closeup shown of Danzig’s severely swollen ankle. Escudero landed a short combo. Danzig connected and the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Danzig. He outworked Escudero throughout the round, and really it was a case of Escudero not moving away from the cage and allowing Danzig to control the pace throughout the fight.
WINNER: Danzig via unanimous decision (30-27, 20-27, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (*+) There were a few spurts of excitement in the bout, mostly in the first round, but this was a very forgettable fight. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t really entertaining at all, either. Much needed win for Danzig, and Escudero is likely back on his way out of the UFC.
FIGHT TWO: JOHN MAKDESSI VS. ANTHONY NJOKUANI (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Makdessi tried to throw a hook kick to Njokuani’s head, but missed. Njokuani went high but got blocked. Makdessi tried to walk Njokuani down, but Njokuani circled well. Njokuani landed a leg kick. He landed another hard one 30 seconds later. Makdessi got in a kick after blocking one. Neither was eager to engage. Njokuani popped in with a few quick punches. He came in again but Makdessi landed a nice counter punch. Makdessi landed another left. Njokuani hurt Makdessi with a strike and he started backing away. Njokuani tried to rush after him, but Makdessi recovered. Njokuani threw a hard head kick but it was blocked. Makdessi continued to walk him down, but wasn’t able to get in close enough to connect. Njokuani landed a kick high. They traded strikes in the center. Makdessi landed a couple of kicks to the body. Makdessi connected on a right before the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Njokuani. Makdessi hasn’t figured out the range, and Njokuani landed the only really damaging blow of the round.
ROUND TWO: Makdessi came forward immediately and tried to close the distance. He wasn’t cutting Njokuani off at all, though. Makdessi landed a side kick to the body. He landed another body punch as Njokuani threw a body kick. Njokuani landed a few leg kicks again. He went high but again was blocked. Makdessi went for the side kick again. Njokuani landed a hard body kick. He caught a kick and tried to kick Makdessi’s leg out but he stayed up. Makdessi got in a good punch in close, then a body kick. Njokuani landed a body kick, and another leg kick. Makdessi went for the spinning wheel kick but missed. He threw a jumping kick that was also off the mark. The crowd booed as the action stayed fairly tentative. They traded strikes in the center. Njokuani landed a few kicks more. Makdessi continued having little success connecting on anything significant. Njokuani caught another kick and drove Makdessi across the cage. Makdessi landed a few strikes in close again. They traded punches. Makdessi went high with a kick that Njokuani absorbed and the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-10. Makdessi pressed the action and had a lot of output, but Njokuani’s leg kicks were the most significant of the round, even though there wasn’t much of it. Just not a ton happening in this fight.
ROUND THREE: Makdessi again came forward, and Njokuani again went to the leg kick. Makdessi has to really let loose this round. The crowd booed after a mundane first round. Njokuani landed a few leg kicks again. Makdessi threw the spinning kick to the body. They traded leg kicks. Njokuani landed a body kick. Makdessi connected slightly on a spinning back fist. Njokuani landed a few jabs. Njokuani with another body kick and a jab behind it. Makdessi went high with a kick that grazed Njokuani. Njokuani landed a couple more kicks. Makdessi landed a left hook. Then a spinning back kick. They traded leg kicks. Njokuani went up high. They clinched briefly and traded strikes on the release. Makdessi’s spinning kick again didn’t have much effect. More boos from the crowd. Makdessi got in a body kick. He missed a kick again. He landed a short combo. Njokuani continued to circle away and Makdessi landed a short combo at the end of the round and threw his hands up in apology to the crowd.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Makdessi. Njokuani was on his horse this round, and while he did a little damage with his kicks again it wasn’t as much as the last two rounds. I’ve got this scored as an uninteresting draw, but I’d imagine Njokuani will be given the second and the win.
WINNER: Njokuani via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*) Another fairly uninteresting fight. Makdessi simply couldn’t figure out the distance, and Njokuani was content circling away and occasionally firing off some offense. It was a bit tedious and repetitive, and unfortunately a very different fight than fans were hoping for.
FIGHT THREE: MATT BROWN VS. STEPHEN THOMPSON (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Thompson landed a straight kick early. Brown tried to close the distance as Thompson tried to keep him at bay. Brown shot in for a leg but Thompson got away. Brown caught a kick and Thompson stuffed the takedown again. He held onto Thompson’s leg and tripped him for the takedown. Brown missed an elbow. Thompson tried to kick Brown off of him. Thompson again kicked Brown off but couldn’t get to his feet. Finally he did. Brown clinched him immediately. Thompson landed a knee. He turned Brown around and landed a couple of knees. Brown scored another takedown but Thompson got to his feet. Brown stayed on his back and pulled him down. Thompson rolled through and got up. Brown stayed on him and got him into a turtled position. Brown went for what Rogan called a calf crank. Thompson broke out and got on top. He tried to get into a mount and Brown reversed it. He got into half guard on top. Brown landed a couple of body shots to end the round.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Brown. Solid start to the fight. Brown was relentless once he had a hold of Thompson and didn’t want to let him get separation at all.
ROUND TWO: Thompson threw a spinning kick early, but Brown caught it. Brown threw a high kick that was blocked. Brown shot in and Thompson held it off on the cage. Thompson got to his feet and ate a a few knees before landing a couple of his own. Brown shot in again and got Thompson to the ground. Thompson got to his feet again. He got separation. Thompson threw a spinning kick that looked like it missed but hurt Brown. He followed up with a few strikes but Brown recovered. Thompson landed a spinning kick to the body. He landed a hard punch. Brown briefly got him down but he got loose. Brown was hurt and Thompson connected on several strikes. Thompson continued landing strikes and Brown was clearly tiring. Thompson was as well. Thompson landed another hard left. Another combination landed. Thompson continued landing strikes. Brown then dropped Thompson with a right. He landed some strikes as he stood in his guard, then he dropped down. Brown cut Thompson open. He landed a few hard strikes and Thompson’s forehead was busted wide open. He finished the round on top.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Brown. Thompson was looking well on his way to winning the round before the final minute, but Brown finished really strong.
ROUND THREE: Brown rushed in fairly early, but Thompson avoided a few strikes. Brown blocked a kick. Thompson landed a few strikes. They were both very exhausted. Thompson landed a hard right. He connected on a couple more. Brown landed a good left. Thompson connected on a few and opened Brown up. Thompson hurt Brown with a big combo but Brown stayed on his feet. He got a weak single leg takedown, but Thompson got to his feet. Thompson landed a big combo in the center of the cage. Brown kicked out Thompson’s leg after a clinch and put him on his back. He passed to side control quickly. Brown worked to the crucifix. He got to the mounted triangle and started landing some hard strikes. Thompson was trying to defend, but he was getting brutalized. Brown ended the round and fight in that position.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Brown. Another round where Thompson was scoring, and doing well, but Brown controlled the second half entirely and beat him up pretty badly until the horn.
WINNER: (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (***-) Both were tired as all hell, but that was sloppy, unadulterated fun right there. That final round especially was a ton of fun, with two clearly exhausted fighters going back and forth and doing a ton of damage to one another.
FIGHT FOUR: TRAVIS BROWNE VS. CHAD GRIGGS (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: There is a very real height difference here. Griggs circled around as Browne held the center. Griggs tried to rush in, but Browne avoided it. Browne landed a jumping knee. He landed a couple more knees, got a body lock and slammed Griggs down. He got into half guard. Browne passed to full mount. Griggs tried to break free. Browne locked on an arm triangle choke. Griggs tried to hold it off, but finally tapped right as he went unconscious. Impressive performance from Browne, much, much better than his last fight.
WINNER: Browne via submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:29 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) A flying knee, a big slam, and a vicious chokeout in just half a round? That was fantastic. That was just a really good performance from Browne. Really excellent stuff.
PAY-PER-VIEW CARD
-Goldberg and Rogan ran down the card for the pay-per-view audience, including another breakdown of tonight’s main event.
FIGHT FIVE: MARK BOCEK VS. JOHN ALESSIO (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Bocek took the center as Alessio tried to keep the distance. Bocek shot in and scored a takedown briefly. Alessio worked to his feet but Bocek held the clinch. Bocek took Alessio’s back standing. Bocek landed a few knees, then dragged Alessio down and got side control. Bocek landed some hard short forearm strikes. He moved Alessio away from the cage and landed a nice elbow. Bocek landed a few more elbows to the side of the head. Alessio got back to full guard. Bocek landed some more hard strikes in the guard. He stood up in Alessio’s guard and dropped down a couple of hard punches again. Bocek passed to half guard briefly. Alessio tried to explode out, but Bocek quickly took his back and tried to get the hooks in. He was high up, but got himself back into position. He got a body triangle and landed a few strikes. He didn’t have a ton of time to work, though, and the round came to an end.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-8 Bocek. That was five minutes of all Bocek.
ROUND TWO: Alessio ran out to the center, but Bocek braced and Alessio stopped himself. They traded leg kicks. Alessio scored a two-punch combo. Alessio landed another combo. He connected on two more jabs. Bocek finally shot in and dragged Alessio to the ground. He tried to step over to half guard but didn’t completely get to the position. He finally got into half guard and went back to work on the ground strikes. Bocek passed to side control, but Alessio regained the half. Alessio finally worked to his feet and landed a left hook. Bocek connected on an inside leg kick. Alessio landed a straight kick to the body. Bocek landed another hard leg kick. Alessio connected with a few punches. Bocek rushed in with a shot and Alessio held off the takedown against the cage. They ended in the clinch.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Bocek. Alessio scored with his striking, but it wasn’t quite enough. Firas Zahabi told him to treat it as 1-1 going into the third. More cornermen need to give that advice.
ROUND THREE: Alessio rushed in with a short combo. He landed a leg kick. Alessio landed a nice punch and a leg kick. Alessio cracked Bocek again with a right. He landed a good leg kick. Bocek caught a front kick and took Alessio down. His nose started bleeding, but he took Alessio’s back and got a body triangle. He landed some good strikes to continue dragging Alessio down. Alessio grabbed wrist control to avoid the choke attempt. Alessio got free and escaped to his feet. Alessio threw a front kick. He tried to press in, knowing he needed the knockout. Bocek landed a right. He shot in again and scored the takedown. He took Alessio’s back, but Alessio broke free and landed a knee. Bocek turned behind him standing again, but Alessio got turned around. Bocek stayed on him against the cage, much to the dismay of the crowd. Alessio got separated with 15 seconds left. He pressed in and landed a few nice strikes to the horn, but it won’t be enough.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Bocek. Lots more ground control, and Alessio just couldn’t sustain enough offense or stay on his feet in this one.
WINNER: Bocek via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (**) It wasn’t a bad fight, but the inability of Alessio to stop the takedowns and Bocek’s inability to finish it led to a fairly predictable bout.
FIGHT SIX: MARK HOMINICK VS. EDDIE YAGIN (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Hominick came forward immediately. He landed a few lefts and backed out. He connected again with a left. Yagin landed a hard strike. Yagin connected again with a jab. Hominick connected on a few more jabs. Yagin landed a hard leg kick. He connected again. Hominick landed the jab again. Hominick continued to snap Yagin’s head with the jab. Yagin landed another hard leg kick. Hominick landed a hard body punch and another jab. Yagin landed a hard right. Yagin knocked Hominick down with a big right. Yagin started throwing a flurry on the ground, but Hominick finally got to guard. Yagin landed a few big strikes and backed off to let Hominick stand. Hominick’s left eye was almost closed shut already. Hominick landed a body punch and a right. He landed a hard jab. He connected again with the jab. Hominick landed a nice hook to the body. Yagin landed a nice looping left. Yagin threw a high kick but it was blocked. Hominick landed a left again as the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Yagin. Hominick was scoring well throughout, but that sequence where he was nearly finished gave it to Yagin.
ROUND TWO: They traded strikes early. Yagin missed a big looping right. Yagin landed a couple of leg kicks. Hominick landed a couple of jabs. He got in a body shot. Hominick worked the jabs. Yagin missed a spinning high kick. Hominick landed another body shot. The jab landed again as well. Yagin landed a hard right. He dropped Hominick with a right. He dropped into Hominick’s guard. Yagin landed a hard right. Yagin landed a few more strikes, but Hominick worked back up. Hominick landed a body shot. He landed a hard right. He got in a jab. Hominick had a massive mouse under his left eye. Hominick landed a hard jab. He got in a good uppercut. Hominick bloodied Yagin’s face up. He landed another hard body shot. He landed a few more. Yagin landed a right. Hominick back with more jabs. Hominick landed another hard body shot. Another body shot, and a few strikes to the face. Another few jabs land by Hominick as the round ends.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Hominick. Yagin did get the knockdown, but Hominick beat him up as well throughout the round with a lot more output.
ROUND THREE: Both came out swinging, but then backed off. Hominick went back to the jab and Yagin’s nose began bleeding again immediately. Yagin landed a few strikes. Hominick landed a good body punch. Hominick landed a hard uppercut to the body and a nice jab. Another couple of jabs followed. Hominick hurt him with more body punches. He connected and backed away on a few more punches. Hominick landed a hard right. He landed another hard left. Yagin got in a leg kick. Hominick connected again. Hominick with a hard body punch. A few more jabs connected. Then a body punch. Yagin’s face was getting blasted. Hominick landed another hard body punch. And another jab. Yagin landed a leg kick. Hominick went back to the head with strikes. He landed another hard jab. Hominick with a few hard jabs and he avoided the counters from Yagin. Hominick continued laying on the punishment. He smashed him with a big right and avoided the winging counters from Yagin. Hominick continued to deliver punishment. Hominick ended the round with another punch.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Hominick. Had he gotten a knockdown that round it would have been a 10-8. This is going to come down to how the judges scored the knockdown in the second round.
WINNER: Yagin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (**+) That was a good back and forth fight. Hominick’s chin failed him tonight, as the knock downs swayed the judges in the second. He needed to finish Yagin, but couldn’t hurt him enough to take it definitively.
FIGHT SEVEN: MIGUEL TORRES VS. MICHAEL MCDONALD (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Both fighters tried to gauge each other early. McDonald countered a kick nicely with a two punch combo. Torres overshot a punch and McDonald connected on a counter again. McDonald went high with a kick. McDonald connected again as Torres missed. They traded jabs. Torres landed a nice jab. McDonald pressed Torres to the cage with a big flurry. Torres covered up, but took a few good strikes in the process. McDonald landed a nice uppercut. Torres connected on a good jab. McDonald missed a high kick. Torres landed a hard right. Torres landed a body kick. McDonald got in a body kick. McDonald connected on a couple more counter punches. He knocked Torres’ mouthpiece out and the action was halted briefly to put it back in. McDonald landed a nice punch. He got in a good elbow. McDonald landed a nice uppercut, then dropped Torres with another huge punch! Torres was out on the ground as a couple more strikes were delivered. Michael McDonald is for real, folks.
WINNER: McDonald via KO at 3:18 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) That is an absolute breakout win for McDonald. Torres is still a relevant threat at 135 lbs., and McDonald put him out as bad as Brian Bowles did. And he’s only 21 years old. He’s going to be a title challenger a lot sooner than later.
FIGHT EIGHT: BRENDAN SCHAUB VS. BEN ROTHWELL (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Schaub took the center as Rothwell circled early. Rothwell got in close but ate a few big punches from Schaub. They traded strikes. Rothwell grabbed a clinch but at a couple of big uppercuts from Schaub. Schaub hurt Rothwell with a spinning elbow. He rushed in to follow up, but then got dropped as they traded punches. Rothwell landed a left hook in the exchange that put Schaub down, and he knocked him out further on the ground.
WINNER: Rothwell via TKO at 1:10 of the first round
-Rothwell gets the crowd in a frenzy as he thanks them all for him even being there.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was a crazy turn of events. Rothwell was dazed by the elbow from Schaub, then got tagged by a couple more strikes before catching him with that left hook on the button. Really tough loss for Schaub, but a huge win for Rothwell after his loss to Mark Hunt.
FIGHT NINE: RORY MACDONALD VS. CHE MILLS (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: MacDonald calmly took the center. Mills landed a leg kick from the outside. Mills landed another hard leg kick. MacDonald landed a left. Mills backed MacDonald to the cage. MacDonald landed a hard body kick, but then ate a right as Mills grabbed a clinch. MacDonald got separation. MacDonald ate a big right, but then shot in and scored a takedown into Mills’ guard. MacDonald postured up and landed a few big strikes in the guard. He continued landing some big strikes. MacDonald stepped over to side control with a huge hammerfist that cut Mills open. Mills tried to control MacDonald’s head. MacDonald landed a short elbow and tried to set up the crucifix. He got into the mounted crucifix and started landing strikes. Mills tried to push him off, but MacDonald stayed on him. He landed a hard elbow. MacDonald tried to pass but Mills held it off. MacDonald then got to full mount with 40 seconds left. He landed a big strike, then Mills gave up his back. back to mount, then the back. MacDonald just rode out the round on the back.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-8 MacDonald. Once it hit the ground that was complete domination on the part of MacDonald. He’s only 22 but he’s so poised and really good everywhere.
ROUND TWO: MacDonald grabbed a single leg and immediately scored the takedown. He landed a couple of strikes and easily passed to side control. Mills in a lot of trouble here. The cuts opened up on Mills started bleeding badly again. MacDonald passed to mount once again. He postured up and Mills gave up his back. MacDonald got the hooks in and landed a hard elbow to the side of the head. He got in another one. Mills was just trying to survive. MacDonald unleashed a flurry of strikes and forced Mills to turn over. Mills could only cover up as MacDonald unleashed everything and forced the stoppage. Immensely dominant and impressive performance by MacDonald.
WINNER: MacDonald via TKO at 2:20 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***) That was just another spectacular performance from the 22-year-old, but it was also expected. He’s just so good already, and he can hang with anyone in any aspect of the game right now, that it’s a little disappointing he was matched up in what was essentially a squash match. Just ridiculous talent at a young age, though, and he did what he was supposed to do.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT TEN: JON JONES VS. RASHAD EVANS (UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Jones came to the center early. Jones landed a body shot as Evans circled around. Jones walked him down and landed a high kick. Evans continued to circle. He landed a hard body kick. Jones ducked under a punch and threw a knee. Evans scored a left. Jones threw a jumping side kick to the leg of Evans. Evans landed a short uppercut and a couple of punches, but Jones came right back. Evans blocked a straight kick. Jones went high with the kick again. He landed a right, then a punch to the body. He landed a leg kick. Jones landed a side kick. He ducked under a punch and pushed Evans back. Jones landed a short forearm in close. Jones went to the body. He clipped Evans with a left. Jones landed a kick to the knee. Evans got in a leg kick. Jones threw a straight kick that grazed Evans’ face. He landed another kick to the lead leg. Jones landed a jumping body kick. He got in a superman punch and a couple quick and hard body kicks. Jones landed the left hook again. He landed a hard body shot. Evans went high with a kick and Jones backed off. Evans tried to press in. Jones went for a knee. He missed another one. Jones landed a big left as the horn sounded.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Jones. He’s pressing the action, landing quite often, and keeping Evans a bit off. Evans made him think with that late head kick though.
ROUND TWO: Jones grabbed a clinch early and Evans landed a knee. Jones got one in himself and separated with an elbow. Jones landed a hard leg kick. He missed a couple of looping strikes. Jones grazed Evans with an uppercut. Jones pressed Evans to the cage and missed a couple of strikes and Evans taunted him. Jones missed a spinning kick and Evans tried to grab a hold of him. Jones got loose, though. Jones went up high with a kick. Evans landed a jab. Jones responded with one of his own. Evans landed a body punch. Jones landed a hard elbow. Evans got in a hard leg kick. Jones landed a hard jab. Jones landed another excellent short elbow. He rocked Evans with a noter hard elbow. Evans grabbed a clinch, but he’s hurting. Jones landed another one. He pressed Evans to the cage. He landed a knee. He landed another elbow to press away. Jones landed a body kick. Evans recovered a bit. Jones landed the short elbow again. He smashed his jaw with the elbow again. Evans threw the overhand right. Jones again scored with the elbow. Jones landed a flying knee. He rocked Evans with two strikes at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Jones. Not enough offense for a 10-8, but he’s got Evans really hurt right now. Those short elbow strikes are just so vicious, and Evans didn’t see them coming.
ROUND THREE: Jones went for a high kick but it missed. Evans landed a hard right and Jones backed up. He tried to walk Jones down. Jones came right back with a left. Jones threw the overhand right. Jones landed an inside leg kick. Jones landed a hard kick up high but Evans looked ok. Jones kept pressing. He landed a jab. He landed another hard jab. Evans landed a leg kick. They traded jabs. Jones landed a knee and an elbow. He got in a hard body kick and a kick to the leg. Jones landed the flying knee. Evans got in a right. They traded strikes int he center. Jones landed a vicious body kick and a stiff jab. He got in a leg kick right after. Jones backed Evans up to the cage with the jab. Evans shot in but Jones easily stuffed it. Jones shoved him away. Jones looked down and threw a kick high. He landed another hard elbow as Jones connected to the body. Jones went high with a kick then a spin at the end of the round.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Jones. The Champ is in full control. He’s answering any questions about his chin, as he’s taken a couple of hard punches from Evans. But he’s in control fully here.
ROUND FOUR: Jones again moved forward early. He landed a nice hook 30 seconds in. Jones tagged him with a couple of jabs. Jones landed a straight kick. Jones went for his spinning elbow but Evans avoided it. Jones landed a leg kick. Evans ducked under and clinched, but Jones stuffed it again. Jones got a jab in again. Jones caught a kick and landed a nice right. Evans landed an inside leg kick. Jones landed a short hook. Jones got in another left. Evans landed a jab. The crowd got a little restless as the action slowed. Jones landed a jab. Jones landed a hard leg kick. Jones hopped in close and backed Evans up. Rashad shot in, but Jones stuffed it with a choke attempt and landed a knee to break loose. Evans missed a right. Jones landed the straight elbow again. Jones tried to grab a thai clinch, but Evans got in closer. They traded knees. Jones threw his shoulder into Evans’ jaw. Jones went high with a kick. Jones shot in and Evans stuffed him at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Jones. He’s in complete control, and Evans hasn’t been able to do much of anything. He’s on his heels, and backing up the entire time. Jones is more than comfortably ahead into the fifth.
ROUND FIVE: Jones came in with a jab. Evans threw a left but was blocked. Jones threw a straight. Jones landed a few jabs. He landed a body punch. Evans landed a leg kick. Jones danced around a bit. Jones landed a leg kick. Jones landed a nice right and avoided the counter. He landed a hard jab. He landed another hard right that got through. He got in with a nice elbow, then kicked Evans in face with a straight kick. Evans threw a spinning back fist and completely missed. Jones landed a big kick and jumped in with a knee and clinched. The crowd booed the clinch. Jones landed a nice elbow as he separated. Jones landed a hard kick. Jones landed a few more jabs. He got in a straight kick. Jones clinched again in the center. He landed the shoulder strike. He threw Evans to the ground with a trip and landed a couple of strikes but Evans scrambled to his feet. He landed a knee to the body. They separated with 30 seconds left. Jones landed a left hook. Jones pulled guard with 10 seconds left and ended the fight on his back.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Jones. That was just Jones showing Evans he’s on a completely different level as a fighter. Evans wasn’t able to do anything, and Jones wasn’t even anywhere near at his best tonight. It’s incredible what he can do in the cage.
WINNER: Jones via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
-Evans gave Jones credit for keeping him off his game all night. He said there were some similarities to their training, but some differences. He gave Jones credit for those short elbows that got through.
STAR RATING: (***+) Jon Jones was just on another level tonight. It’s absolutely crazy how poorly he was able to make Evans look. And make no mistake, Evans is capable of beating pretty much everyone else in the light heavyweight division, Jones is just that much better in every aspect of the game right now. Incredibly innovative with his short elbow strikes that really did keep Evans out of it here. This was further proof that Jones is the best light heavyweight in the world, and may just be the best fighter in the world, period.
Thanks for joining us tonight! We’ll have more on the event in the next week, and then it’s time to gear up for UFC on Fox 3 in two weeks!
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