Jon Jones Vs Dominick Live
With four champions in action, UFC 259 was always going to have an outsized fallout compared to almost any other UFC card.
Jones needed a late rally to edge a game Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 247 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night, live on pay-per-view. Judges had it 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 all in favor of Jones, who defended his light heavyweight title and picked up a record 14th title fight win.
And while Amanda Nunes continued to bolster her GOAT credentials with a thorough defeat of Megan Anderson, that's as close as pre-show expectations for the three pay-per-view title fights came to reality.
Jon Jones has made winning UFC title fights look easy. And on Sunday (AEDT) against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jones looked entirely mortal in possibly the biggest scare of his career. Jon Jones successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at UFC 247 on Saturday.
Jan Blachowicz used his size and power to suffocate Israel Adesanya's standup game in the main event with a pair of stifling takedowns on his way to a clear decision win. Petr Yan had Aljamain Sterling reeling in a fight that started close, only for Yan to connect with an illegal knee against a grounded Sterling that triggered the first DQ title change in UFC history. There was talk of an immediate rematch after, although Sterling seemed to start warming to the idea of facing Henry Cejudo, much to the chagrin of Yan.
Earlier in the night, Islam Makhachev showed his mastery of the suffocating ground game that brought his coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, to the top of the lightweight division. Dominick Cruz proved he still has something to offer in a deep UFC bantamweight division with a victory that appeared more decisive than the split decision he ultimately won against Casey Kenney.
So where do we go from here?
Our MMA panel of Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi, Jeff Wagenheim and Phil Murphy set out to separate fact from fiction in this week's edition of Real or Not.
We will never see Israel Adesanya vs. Jon Jones
Helwani: I have been covering this sport long enough to know better than to say 'never' regarding anything, but yeah, it isn't happening for a very, very long time, if ever. I feel confident in saying that.
I also feel confident in saying Jones and Adesanya should have fought Saturday night. And no, this isn't some Monday morning quarterbacking.
Go back to September, after Adesanya beat Paulo Costa. I said the time was right now to fight Jones, because Adesanya didn't have any good options at 185 and Jones had nothing doing at the moment at 205 or heavyweight. They were going back and forth on social media, the fans were into it, it was perfect timing and it was the kind of fight that didn't need a belt attached to it. Jones vs. Adesanya at 205, non-title fight: Who wouldn't have loved to see that?
I'm afraid it will go down as one of those great 'what if?' fights in MMA history. Again, crazier things have happened, but they are no longer in each other's orbits: Adesanya is moving back down to 185 and Jones is fully committed to heavyweight. A big win by Adesanya on Saturday could have changed things dramatically, but alas, it was not meant to be. Unfortunate.
Petr Yan will recapture the title when he faces Aljamain Sterling again
Murphy: Real. The illegal knee disqualification at UFC 259 robbed viewers of a lot. It took the most from guilty party Petr Yan, as he lost his belt. Aljamain Sterling has not been able to fully enjoy the aftermath, either. His social media is under assault from the dregs of MMA Twitter, calling Sterling a 'paper champion.'
The bright side of the dubious conclusion to perhaps the event's most anticipated fight is that a rematch was likely in the cards in coming years for these elite bantamweights no matter the result. Controversy just put it on an accelerated timetable, one that may not bode well for the new champion.
Whenever Sterling-Yan II takes place later this year, it will be a functional Round 5 from March 6. Opportunities for evolution directly correlate with time passed and opponents faced. The new schedule speeds up the deadline at the drawing board for Sterling and Longo-Weidman MMA coaches against an opponent no one in the UFC has come close to figuring out.
Illegal strike notwithstanding, Yan was moments from a 39-37 lead on any sensible scorecard -- two judges had Yan up 29-28 after three rounds while the other had it 29-28 Sterling -- and starting to pull away. A finish -- a legal one -- seemed as likely as a Yan decision at that point. Sterling exhausted his tank in the opening rounds, while Yan began winning both the striking and grappling exchanges in the latter two.
Opening betting odds agree: While the first fight closed as a functional coin flip, Yan is a 2½-1 favorite in the presumed rematch. At age 31, Sterling could've afforded a traditional rebound after a title-fight loss. Wins over top-five competition would've reasserted him as a worthy challenger. Instead, he'll stand in the red corner after weeks of answering questions for a mistake he didn't make, and he will have to train to solve a puzzle in Yan in less time than his first fight against Yan suggests is likely.
Jan Blachowicz will finally shed the underdog label the next time he defends his title, against Glover Teixeira
Wagenheim: I imagine this is real, in terms of betting odds at the very least. When you win nine of 10 fights, as the UFC light heavyweight champ has done over the past 3½ years, the oddsmakers eventually are going to catch on.
That 'eventually' took a while, of course -- Blachowicz was favored to win only two of those 10 bouts. But Blachowicz's work over the past year or so -- knockout wins over top 205-pounders Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes, and then a smothering victory over middleweight champion Israel Adesanya on Saturday night -- has been eye-opening. When he steps in with Teixeira, his expected next challenger, Blachowicz presumably will be the darling of those who like to bet the chalk.
Will that translate into a surge of star power for the 38-year-old? I doubt it will, at least not by a significant measure. The fight game's spotlight falls not necessarily on those who fight the best, but rather on those most adept at talking a big game. That's not Blachowicz. He's the gentleman champion, an excellent fighter, period. No flair. No frills.
Real fight fans appreciate the elite excellence of a champion. On the other hand, the masses who are fascinated by fake feuds, clever wordplay and the other shiny distractions of life in MMA are simply going to have to look elsewhere for their gaudy entertainment. Maybe that makes Blachowicz an eternal underdog. But that's OK by me, and I suspect it's OK for him.
Dominick Cruz was good enough to keep title hopes alive
Raimondi: I have some reservations about this one, but I'll say 'real' here because counting out Cruz is foolish. The guy has come back from so many injuries, so many bouts of inactivity and won fights. He did it again Saturday night against Casey Kenney, an up-and-coming fighter who was favored going in. Cruz had not fought in 10 months -- which paled in comparison to his comeback after three years in 2014, or after two years in 2016 to win the bantamweight title -- and he still beat Kenney by split decision. One judge even gave Cruz every round, which I could totally see.
The obstacle that would keep Cruz from winning -- or even fighting for -- his old title again isn't so much him. He is still incredibly skilled and capable of giving fits to any other bantamweight in the world. The problem is the bantamweight division he has come back to is the deepest weight class in the UFC. And beating Kenney doesn't get Cruz within striking distance of another title shot. Cruz lost to Henry Cejudo in a title fight at UFC 249 last May.
Aljamain Sterling is the champion now, and a rematch against Yan should be next. The winner of that is likely to face the winner of a rumored bout between former champ TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen. The likes of former champion Cody Garbrandt, legend Jose Aldo and up-and-coming striker Rob Font are just below that group. And then there's Cruz, who is 35 years old now. He could still theoretically win one more fight and vault into that conversation. But he's not getting any younger, and the division is bulging with top-tier talent.
Cruz is a future Hall of Famer. He's one of the greatest bantamweight fighters of all time. Is he on the path toward another title shot? If you squint hard, you could maybe see it. I'm just not in the business of saying Dominick Cruz cannot do something.
Islam Makhachev will get a title shot by this time next year
Okamoto: Real. All the ingredients are there. For starters, he's really, really good. I said this on Saturday and I'll repeat it here: Who in the lightweight division would be favored to beat him right now? I'd have to consult with oddsmakers who obviously know better than I, but it legitimately would not surprise me if Makhachev opened as a betting favorite against every single lightweight in the world right now.
It's that Nurmagomedov/Dagestani grappling style that sets him apart. Nobody ever solved that puzzle when it was Nurmagomedov, and now you wonder who, if anyone, can solve it with Makhachev. He's also got a marketable storyline as Nurmagomedov's protege. And he has a strong, international fan base behind him.
At most, he's two wins away from a UFC title shot, and I think he ends up fighting two more times in 2021. So as long as he wins, there's no reason to think he won't be fighting for a lightweight championship by the first half of 2022.
Jon Jones now has the most title fight wins in UFC history.
Jon Jones Vs Dominick Reyes Live Results
But his latest title fight victory was rough. Jones needed a late rally to edge a game Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 247 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night, live on pay-per-view. Judges had it 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 all in favor of Jones, who defended his light heavyweight title and picked up a record 14th title fight win.
The 49-46 score was instantly criticized by MMA pundits and fans alike — both contingents not being able to fathom how anyone could have seen the bout four rounds to one for Jones. DAZN News had it 48-47 for Jones.
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Still, Jones walked into the Octagon and out of it as champion yet again.
'Dominick, you have totally earned my respect,' a victorious Jones told Joe Rogan in the Octagon. 'That was a great fight.
'The difference in the fight was takedowns,' he continued moments later.
Jon Jones Vs Dominick Reyes Live Stream
'That fifth round won me the fight. That fifth round won me the fight.'
Reyes outworked Jones through much of the first three rounds, stinging him with heavy hands and dropping the champ in the opening frame. But Jones took advantage of the fatigued challenger during the fourth round by taking him down and unleashing on punishing kicks. Still, Reyes managed to draw blood from the champ's nose that round.
The decisive fifth round had Jones once again taking Reyes down and going high, low and to the body with more kicks to ride out the bout as the fresher fighter and gain the slimmest of edge for the victory.
'I thought I won one through three,' Reyes (12-1) said moments after suffering his first pro loss. 'He was on me four and five. He's a champion, he got those takedowns at the end, but I popped right back up. I didn't think they'd be a factor ... it is what it is, I'll get better. This just proves I'm the real deal.'
The combination of how Reyes took it to the champ and that one inexplicable 49-46 score could pave the way for a rematch, which Jones didn't write off following his win.
Here's the full round-by-round breakdown for Jones vs. Reyes, plus all the results from the UFC 247 main card.
UFC 247: Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes updates, round-by-round results
Main event: Jon Jones def. Dominick Reyes by slim unanimous decision to retain light heavyweight title
1:11 a.m.: Jones declared the unanimous decision winner by the scores of 48-47, 48-47, 49-46.
Round 5: It all comes down to this. Reyes lunging with some hooks early on. Jones rushes Reyes and takes him down now. The champ briefly has Reyes' back, but the challenger gets free. Jones has him pressed up against the cage. They're back in the center of the Octagon and Jones slices Reyes with an elbow.
Jones with an inside leg kick and now a body kick. Jones is ripping away at Reyes with stinging kicks. Another kick to the body now from Jones. Halfway through the decisive round. Big left hand lands for Jones. The champ is still the fresher fighter. Reyes ducks under a high kick and retorts with a left hook. Reyes now throwing some jabs.
One minute left. Jones with an inside leg kick. Thirty seconds. Ten seconds. And it's done. The fight goes the distance. Jones raises his hands, but let's see how the judges have it. We've got Jones winning just barely, but could understand if judges have it the other way. The announcement is about to be made. (10-9 Jones, 48-47 Jones)
1:00 a.m.: Reyes is winded, but he has hurt the champ. Let's see how this plays out.
Round 4: Jones appears to be the fresher fighter entering the round. Reyes lands a big right hand and a left that hurts the champ. Jones slips, but gets up and wraps his arms around Reyes for a takedown. Now, the champ has Reyes pressed up against the cage. Jones is bleeding from his nose. Reyes buries a left hook to Jones' chest. Jones with a leg kick and he's back to grabbing Reyes. Jones applying pressure on the feet now, walking Reyes down. High kick from Jones lands. Jones plants a right hook to Reyes' body, then blasts him upstairs with a left hook. (10-9 Jones, 38-38)
Round 3: Jones smiling entering the round, asking for the Houston crowd to get louder. Big left high kick lands for Reyes. The challenger slaps Jones hands down and sneaks in a sweeping hook. That's one way to deal with the champ's massive reach advantage. Reyes seems to be slowing down a bit midway through the round. He unleashes a stinging uppercut, but Jones comes back with a head kick. Reyes goes to the body with a straight left hand. Then, he goes upstairs with a left hand. Jones with a left hand now. Jones with a jump kick to end the round. (10-9 Reyes, 29-28 Reyes)
Round 2: Reyes starts working inside. He lands a few shots and is applying pressure and giving chase trying to land more punches. Jones does a good job evading any real damage. Plus, Reyes spent plenty of energy during that time. Now Jones with a leg kick and lands a left hook moments later. He's walking down Reyes now, analyzing data in real time. Jones peppers Reyes with a stinging left jab. That could be a bigger weapon for Jones in this bout as it landed that cleanly.
Two methodical kicks from the champ now. Kick to the body brushes Reyes up against the cage. Then, he adds a left uppercut seconds later. But the challenger strikes back with an inside leg kick during the waning seconds. (10-9 Jones, 19-19)
Round 1: Reyes immediately delivers a knee to the body and a left hand. He isn't wasting time. He adds a leg kick to check the champ. They're clashing shins hard here a bit. A left hand from Reyes to the body drops Jones.
ROCKED! 😱@DomReyes puts the champion down early in R1! #UFC247pic.twitter.com/rYykH9nPQb
— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 2020And the challenger adds a quick barrage of punches that land and definitely grabs the champ's attention further. Reyes is the more aggressive fighter right now and yet he's calm and composed. Impressive. Jones lands a nice left head kick, then seconds later adds a right head kick. (10-9 Reyes)
12:37 a.m.: Both fighters have been introduced. It's about that time to see if Jones' dominance continues or Reyes' threat is legit.
12:34 a.m.: 'Bones' makes his traditional crawl into the Octagon and this one is about to start.
12:30 a.m.: Reyes is in the Octagon. The lights go out and here comes the champ, Jon Jones. 50 Cent's 'God Gave Me Style' starts his walk before the song switches to Jadakiss' 'The Champ Is Here.'
12:27 a.m.: Reyes making his way to the Octagon to the sounds of the late Nipsey Hussle's 'Grinding All My Life.' The game challenger looks loose and focused. Let's see how he fares against the GOAT.
12:18 a.m.: The Houston crowd boos welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and roars in approval for BMF champ Jorge Masvidal, as we await the start to the main event.
😁😨
🏆 @Usman84Kgpic.twitter.com/dMiDuAR1HB
12:15 a.m.: Shevchenko says there's plenty of good fighters out there in flyweight, but she's been running through the competition at a crazed pace. That's three straight title defenses for 'Bullet.'
Co-main event: Valentina Shevchenko thoroughly dominates Katlyn Chookagian in third-round TKO to retain flyweight title
Round 3: Chookagian comes out more active by attempting a couple of kicks and a knee, but Shevchenko responds by taking her down once again. Shevchenko goes from side mount to crucifix and is pummeling Chookagian with punches. Chookagian is in big trouble. This could end any second now. And it's over, as the ref steps in to end the punishment.
STILL DOMINANT. 🏆
🇰🇬 @BulletValentina defends the throne! #UFC247
Get the E+ PPV ➡️ https://t.co/AjIbEjcpmG#UFC247pic.twitter.com/f0SiFOtZxn
And the celebration from Shevchenko:
💃🏆💃@BulletValentina#UFC247pic.twitter.com/2lZxcwHMcL
— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 2020Round 2: A spinning kick to the body from the champ to the challenger early on. Chookagian tries to engage inside and Shevchenko tags her with a stiff left across the jaw. Shevchenko blocks a leg kick and retorts with an inside leg kick of her own. Punishing stuff from the champ. A devastating spinning back kick lands inside for the champ across Chookagian's jaw and she adds an axe kick attempt.
Target acquired. 🎯@BulletValentina#UFC247pic.twitter.com/srep1sqqMf
— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 2020Shevchenko is back on top in the mount and trying to let loose with some more slicing elbows. (10-9 Shevchenko, 20-18 Shevchenko)
Round 1: Shevchenko puts Chookagian on notice of her power with a hard right hand. Moments later, she adds a spinning backfist that lands flush. Then, the leg kicks start for Shevchenko, who's dominating thus far. And a takedown for the champ with about a minute left in the round.
She's in the mount and delivers an elbow during the waning seconds that opens up a cut on Chookagian's left eyebrow. Chookagian's corner says the cut 'isn't bad at all.' That's just not true. She's leaking! (10-9 Shevchenko)
12:00 a.m.: Shevchenko lands a dazzling spinning backfist right at midnight. Damn!
11:42 p.m.: Valentina Shevchenko puts her flyweight title on the line against Katlyn Chookagian in this UFC 247 co-main event up next.
Justin Tafa blasts Juan Adams with first-round TKO; Heavyweight
11:34 p.m.: Whoa! Tafa goes across Adams' jaw with a right hook and then adds a splintering right uppercut to drop him with a thud. He throws in a quick barrage of punches and this one's a wrap just like that.
BAD. MAN. 😤@Justin_Tafa with the first round KO at #UFC247! 👊
Get the E+ PPV ➡️ https://t.co/AjIbEjcpmG#UFC247pic.twitter.com/7jPquijA8V
11:30 p.m.: Adams was on the receiving end of a first-round TKO against former NFL star Greg Hardy last July.
11:25 p.m.: The card flips back to heavyweight action with Juan Adams taking on Justin Tafa next. The prospects have just over 10 pro fights combined.
Dan Ige gets the best of Mirsad Bektić by split decision; Featherweight
11:18 p.m.: Ige gets the nod by split decision: 29-28 Bektić, 29-28 and 29-28 Ige. That's five straight wins for Ige.
11:15 p.m.: This is going to be a tough fight to call, as Ige dominated with the strikes and Bektić controlled things with the takedowns and top game.
Tough one to call! 📝
⏰ @MirsadBekticMMA and @DynamiteDan808 go the full 15, who gets your nod? #UFC247pic.twitter.com/njiMrUFIj1
11:10 p.m.: Bektić spends a chunk of the second round in the mount and threatening a head and arm choke submission, but Ige survives and we're in the third and final frame.
11:00 p.m.: Ige razor-sharp in the first, as he's connecting with good timing. But Bektić countering some shots well.
10:50 p.m.: Mirsad Bektić and Dan Ige up next in featherweight action.
Derrick Lewis brings the fireworks in unanimous decision over Ilir Latifi; Heavyweight
10:45 p.m.: In true Lewis form, he announces the afterparty and says 'I’ll let y'all buy me five shots...I’m not buying y’all sh-t though!'
10:41 p.m.: All three judges score the bout in favor of Derrick Lewis, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, to the roar of his hometown Houston crowd. Lewis' late surges are one of the most exciting things in MMA to watch.
10:38 p.m.: Latifi looks to the clock and Lewis blasts him with a head kick. Lewis kept the late fireworks coming with some stinging elbows and a right uppercut. We've got Lewis edging Latifi on the cards. Let's see how the judges score it.
10:35 p.m.: Lewis unleashes a big right hand and adds a flying knee moments later, but gets taken down once again, as Latifi is in the mount.
10:32 p.m.: After grinding hard, Latifi finally got the takedown he was working so diligently for. But he didn't do much with Lewis on the ground. A missed opportunity for sure. Moments later, he tossed Lewis to the ground. We have it as a round apiece entering the third and final frame.
Jon Jones Vs Dominick Live Stream
10:30 p.m.: Latifi with some low leg kicks on Lewis early in the second round. Lewis will need to avoid those.
10:27 p.m.: A strong first round for Lewis, as he put Latifi on notice of his power and even surprised him with a couple of head kicks. In addition, he stuffed three takedown attempts from Latifi, so Lewis delivered an all-around solid first round.
10:24 p.m.: Lewis just detonated a jumping knee to Latifi's face. I don't know how Latifi stayed on his feet. Lewis is clearly the bigger, stronger man.
Lewis with the flying knee! 😳@TheBeast_UFC is NOT the guy you want to mess with! #UFC247pic.twitter.com/taRPVQv4jk
— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 202010:15 p.m.: Fan favorite Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi — in his heavyweight debut — are about to kick this UFC 247 pay-per-view off.
10:02 p.m.: The UFC just gave a nine-second of silence to honor the nine victims aboard the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant last month. Earlier in the week, UFC president Dana White revealed that Bryant was an investor in the UFC.
Remembering Kobe. pic.twitter.com/HZkK0CYf3d
— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 202010:00 p.m.: Trevin Giles just edged James Krause by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in the final fight of the prelims. Krause had taken the bout on short notice. This UFC 247 main card pay-per-view is about to launch. Keep it locked here for all the live updates and round-by-round results.
UFC 247 card
Main card
- Jon Jones (c) vs. Dominick Reyes for Jones' Light Heavyweight title
- Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Katlyn Chookagian for Shevchenko's Women's Flyweight title
- Juan Adams vs. Justin Tafa; Heavyweight
- Mirsad Bektić vs. Dan Ige; Featherweight
- Derrick Lewis vs. Ilir Latifi; Heavyweight
Preliminary card
- Trevin Giles vs. Antonio Arroyo; Middleweight
- Alex Morono vs. Kalinn Williams; Welterweight
- Lauren Murphy vs. Andrea Lee; Women's Flyweight
- Mario Bautista vs. Miles Johns; Bantamweight
- Bantamweight Miles Johns vs. Mario Bautista
- Bantamweight Journey Newson vs. Domingo Pilarte
- Bantamweight Andre Ewell vs. Jonathan Martinez
- Austin Lingo vs. Youssef Zalal; Featherweight
Latest news from UFC 247: Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes
-Dominick Reyes wants to be the first fighter to knock Jon Jones out and thinks he has the tools to get it done.
-Valentina Shevchenko has been described as an almost unbeatable fighter. Katlyn Chookagian simply doesn't agree.
Jon Jones Vs Dominick Reyes Live
-Everything you need to know about UFC 247, including how to watch the card and its price.