Jon Jones, in weight-in photo by Dan Rod
The USA’s Jon Jones is the new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world.
This Saturday night MMA’s young prodigy didn’t give Brazil’s Maurício “Shogun” Rua a chance and took his belt.
Jones showed superiority from the outset of the fight.
With an assortment of kicks, punches, elbows, takedowns and knees and apparently in better shape than the Brazilian, Jones held a lengthy lead throughout the second round.
Any hope the Brazilian may have retained in launching a comeback were dispelled at 2:37 minutes of the third round, after a concussive string of strikes and a knee dropped Shogun to the ground and obliged referee Herb Dean to step in at the same instant as the Brazilian tapped the ground in desistance.
Already with the belt around his waist, the new champion thanked everyone who helped him on his journey and sent a message: “I’m proof dreams can come true. If you have heart and determination, don’t give up.”
Jones’s next opponent should be now-former training partner Rashad Evans, who entered the octagon after the bout.
Shogun recognized his defeat, over the microphone: “My strategy was to fight him wherever it went, but he was better than me. My congratulations to him.”
Check out the complete results from UFC 128:
UFC 128
Newark, New Jersey
March 19, 2011
Erik Koch knocked out Raphael Assuncao at 2:32 min of R1
Nick Catone defeated Constantinos Philippou via unanimous decision
Joseph Benavidez defeated Ian Loveland via unanimous decision
Gleison Tibau defeated Kurt Pellegrino via split decision
Mike Pyle defeated Ricardo Almeida via unanimous decision
Edson Junior defeated Anthony Njokuani via unanimous decision
Luis Banha Cane defeated Eliot Marshall via TKO at 2:15 min of R1
Brendan Schaub knocked out Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic at 3:44 min of R3
Nate Marquardt defeated Dan Miller via unanimous decision
Jim Miller defeated Kamal Shalorus via TKO at 2:15 min of R3
Urijah Faber defeated Eddie Wineland via unanimous decision
Jon Jones defeated Mauricio Shogun Rua via TKO at 2:37 min of R3