The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 239: “Jones vs Santos.” The event was headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between champ Jon “Bones” Jones and top title contender Thiago “Marreta” Santos.
In the co-main event, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda “Lioness” Nunes defended against Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm. At welterweight, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal battled “Funky” Ben Askren in a pivotal matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the main card.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon “Bones” Jones vs Thiago “Marreta” Santos
Round 1:
An exchange of leg kicks opened the fight and Santos landed a hard one that buckled Jones’s right leg. More kicks landed for both men and Santos targeted Jones’s left leg and body. Jones caught a kick and tried to clinch, but Santos stayed on his feet and narrowly avoided a spinning back elbow. Santos scored with another hard leg kick and he knocked Jones’s mouthpiece out with a one-two. After a brief timeout, Santos flurried with punches and Jones was forced to retreat after throwing two side kicks. Jones grazed with a spinning back kick at the bell. 10-9 Santos.
Round 2:
Santos appeared to hurt himself throwing a kick early in round two, but he backed Jones up with a combination and seemed to recover in the ensuing seconds. Jones blocked a head kick, but Santos kept the pressure on with a body kick. He slipped against the cage and Jones took advantage by landing a kick and a one-two. Santos scored with three punches, a head kick and a chopping leg kick. He rushed in with punches again late in the round and sidestepped two spinning hook kicks. 10-9 Santos.
Round 3:
The third round began with Santos landing a grazing head kick and he followed with a liver kick. A big combination landed for Santos, but Jones was unfazed and he stunned Santos with a counter hook. Jones jumped in with a flying knee, but lost his balance and fell. The fight returned to the feet and Santos landed a nice leg kick. Jones opened a cut on Santos’s hairline with an elbow and he followed with a head kick. Jones mixed up his strikes and Santos’s offence slowed down. Santos threw two leg kicks in the final minute and he came up just short with a one-two. 10-9 Jones.
Round 4:
Santos was very aggressive with punches in round four and he landed two lunging hooks as Jones backpedalled. The fighters traded kicks and Jones narrowly missed with a spinning wheel kick. A leg kick and a right hand landed for Santos as a large welt began to form on the inside of Jones’s left leg. Jones opened up with side kicks and Santos landed another leg kick. He followed with one more before the end of the close round. 10-9 Santos, barely.
Round 5:
Early in the final round, Santos landed a body kick and a four-punch flurry. He landed a left cross, a body kick and another left hand as Jones backed up. Jones fired back with two side kicks to the body and both men landed leg kicks. Santos rushed at Jones and landed more punches over the top. He fell while throwing a kick, but quickly returned to his feet. 10-9 Santos.
Winner: Jon Jones by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. He improves to 25-1-0, 1 NC and remains the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Amanda “Lioness” Nunes vs Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm
Round 1:
Nunes began the fight with body kicks and Holm countered with a straight left hand. Another leg kick landed for Nunes and she followed with a head kick. The fighters clinched and traded knees to the body, and Holm quickly returned to her feet after Nunes briefly took her down. Front kicks were exchanged and Nunes landed a hard one-two. She connected with a right hand soon after and floored Holm with a head kick. Holm tried to recover, but Nunes blasted her with punches and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Amanda Nunes by TKO (Head Kick & Punches) at 4:10 of round one. She improves to 18-4-0 and remains the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal vs “Funky” Ben Askren
Round 1:
Masvidal immediately ran at Askren and connected with a brutal flying knee that instantly rendered Askren unconscious and ended the fight in just five seconds for a new fastest UFC knockout record.
Winner: Jorge Masvidal by KO (Flying Knee) at 0:05 of round one. He improves to 34-13-0.
Jan Blachowicz vs Luke Rockhold
Round 1:
Rockhold opened the fight with head kicks and he punched his way into a clinch against the fence. He tried to take Blachowicz down with a guillotine choke and Blachowicz stayed on his feet. Rockhold landed knees to the body and Blachowicz countered with two elbows and a left hand over the top. He jabbed and landed kicks to Rockhold’s legs. A right hand landed for Blachowicz and Rockhold countered with a flurry. Blachowicz badly rocked him with a head kick to the temple that landed just as the bell rang. 10-9 Blachowicz.
Round 2:
The second round began with Rockhold rushing forward with a body kick and a one-two, but Blachowicz clipped him with a counter hook and he followed with more punches. Rockhold tried for a takedown and Blachowicz defended with short punches in close. The fighters separated and Blachowicz landed a huge left hand that sent a barely conscious Rockhold crashing to the mat.
Winner: Jan Blachowicz by KO (Punch) at 1:39 of round two. He improves to 24-8-0.
“Maverick” Michael Chiesa vs Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez
Round 1:
Sanchez shot in right away and Chiesa countered with a sweep into top position. He transitioned to Sanchez’s back and looked to set up an armbar. Sanchez defended well and the fighters stood, with Chiesa briefly throwing Sanchez down to the mat. The fight returned to the feet again and Chiesa landed knees to the body. He tripped Sanchez and landed punches from back control as he looked to set up a submission. Chiesa locked on a body triangle and attacked with elbows while hunting for rear-naked chokes. Sanchez scrambled and slipped out the back, but Chiesa reversed a takedown and wound up on top again. He landed short punches as Sanchez rose to his feet before the bell. 10-9 Chiesa.
Round 2:
Chiesa took Sanchez down in round two and battered him with punches from back control. Sanchez weathered the storm and escaped to his feet, but he ate a big elbow and a flurry of punches on the way. Chiesa tripped him and followed with hammerfist strikes on the ground. Sanchez attempted a kneebar and Chiesa easily spun free before landing more ground and pound. Sanchez gave up his back and Chiesa teed off with punches. Sanchez scrambled again and stood up while pinning Chiesa against the cage. Chiesa countered another takedown and he threatened with a kimura late in the round. 10-9 Chiesa.
Round 3:
Chiesa trapped Sanchez in a crucifix early in the final round and he prevented Sanchez from scrambling free on the ground. Chiesa held Sanchez against the base of the cage and landed punches while trying to set up a variety of submissions. In the final minute, Chiesa stayed on Sanchez’s back and tried for a rear-naked choke. Sanchez defended until the final bell sounded. 10-9 Chiesa.
Winner: Michael Chiesa by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.