UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage” was a mixed martial arts event held on September 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Jon Jones was expected to make his first title defense on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133 against Rashad Evans, but Jones was sidelined with a hand injury. It was initially announced that the hand injury would require surgery, but Jones opted for rest and rehabilitation without surgery after further consultations with doctors. Jones injury was originally thought to keep him out of action until late 2011, but instead, he made his first title defense against Quinton Jackson at this event.

 

Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck

Hughes is one of the UFC's all time best fighters, but is on the tail end of his career. His strength is his wrestling and he also has a solid submission game, but he has always been a subpar striker. He was originally supposed to fight Diego Sanchez but Sanchez was injured and Koscheck stepped in. Koscheck has wanted to fight Hughes for years but Hughes always resisted the fight because he didn't like Koscheck and didn't want to give him the opportunity. Now on short notice he took the fight. Koscheck is a younger man with better wrestling credentials and better striking. It's a tough stylistic matchup for Hughes and Koscheck is the heavy betting favorite.
Hughes comes to the cage with the old Miletich Fighting Systems crew: Pat Miletich, Robbie Lawler and Jeremy Horn. That was one of the first elite training camps in MMA and one of the most important training camps in the evolution of the sport. Hughes has trained more with Lawler in recent years and the group coming out together is clearly meant as a statement.
Hughes after the fight said he's not retiring but he's going to tell UFC to "put him on the shelf" for the time being. Hughes seemed on the version of tearing up but kept his emotions in check.

Jon Jones vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Jones comes from a wrestling background but has picked up striking very quickly. One of his greatest strengths is his natural size and reach, which keeps opponents off balance and allows him to attack from unique angles and in unique ways. Jackson was originally more of a wrestling based fighter but over time he has fallen in love with boxing and he utilizes primarily boxing to win these days. Jackson is also noted for having an excellent chin. Jones has a colossal 11 and a half inch reach advantage.

Jones neutralized Jackson’s offense, softened him with kicks and then finished him at 1:14 of the fourth round with a rear-naked choke in the main event of UFC 135 at the Pepsi Center. Jones opened a cut over Jackson’s right eye in the third round with an elbow, then quickly finished him with the choke in the fourth. Jackson, a former champion, had spent more than two months training in Denver, working harder than he had in a long time, by his own admission. But he still had no answer for Jones’ length and varied attack. Jones’ striking was even a factor.

“He insulted my striking and said I had no punching power,” Jones said. “I got together with Mike Winkeljohn to work on my striking to try to prove a point.”

Jackson, who staged a psychological battle against Jones leading up to the fight, came away impressed. “I thought it was hype, but he’s the real thing,” said Jackson, who said he was better than he’s ever been.”

 

UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage” Results

Preliminary Card

• Light Heavyweight bout: James Te Huna vs. Ricardo Romero
Te Huna defeated Romero via KO (punches) at 0:47 of round 1. This bout aired on the televised broadcast following the Ferguson vs. Riley fight.

• Bantamweight bout: Takeya Mizugaki vs. Cole Escovedo
Mizugaki defeated Escovedo via TKO (punches) at 4:30 of round 2. This bout aired on PPV broadcast following the Jones vs. Jackson fight.

• Featherweight bout: Junior Assunção vs. Eddie Yagin
Assunção defeated Yagin via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27).

• Middleweight bout: Nick Ring vs. Tim Boetsch
Boetsch defeated Ring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

• Lightweight bout: Tony Ferguson vs. Aaron Riley
Ferguson defeated Riley via TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 5:00 of round 1.

Main Card

• Lightweight bout: Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
Diaz defeated Gomi via submission (armbar) at 4:27 of round 1.

• Heavyweight bout: Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton
Browne defeated Broughton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

• Heavyweight bout: Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt
Hunt defeated Rothwell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27).

• Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck
Koscheck defeated Hughes via KO (punches) at 4:59 of round 1.

• Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones (c) vs. Quinton Jackson
Jones defeated Jackson via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:14 of round 4 to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Bonus awards
 - Fight of the Night: Jon Jones vs. Quinton Jackson
 - Knockout of the Night: Josh Koscheck
 - Submission of the Night: Nate Diaz
 

UFC 113 was a mixed martial arts event held on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The two first met at UFC 104, where Lyoto Machida retained his belt in a controversial unanimous decision victory. Tim Credeur was scheduled to face Tom Lawlor, but was forced from the card with an injury and replaced by Joe Doerksen.  Joey Beltran was set to fight Chad Corvin, however after Corvin's paperwork was not approved by the Quebec Athletic Commission, Beltran ended up fighting Tim Hague.  Nick Catone was forced out of his bout with John Salter due to a back injury. UFC veteran David Loiseau was supposed to step in as his replacement, but Loiseau was denied a license to appear on this card due to alleged ties to organized crime. Salter ended up fighting returning UFC fighter Jason MacDonald. Loiseau would still make his return to the UFC having faced Mario Miranda at UFC 115. According to UFC President Dana White, the winner of the Josh Koscheck-Paul Daley fight will receive a title shot at Georges St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship and be the opposing coach to St. Pierre in the upcoming twelfth season of the UFC reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter.

UFC 113 – Machida vs. Shogun 2 – Preliminary card

• Middleweight bout: Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter
Salter defeated MacDonald via TKO (injury) at 2:42 of round 1.

• Welterweight bout: Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Mike Guymon
Guymon defeated Yoshida via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

• Heavyweight bout: Tim Hague vs. Joey Beltran
Beltran defeated Hague via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–26, 29–28).

• Welterweight bout: TJ Grant vs. Johny Hendricks
Hendricks defeated Grant via majority decision (29–27, 29–27, 28–28). Grant had a point deducted due to multiple groin strikes.

• Welterweight bout: Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
Davis defeated Goulet via TKO (punches) at 1:23 of round 2.

• Middleweight bout: Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
Doerksen defeated Lawlor via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:10 of round 2.

UFC 113 – Machida vs. Shogun 2 – Main card

• Middleweight bout: Patrick Côté vs. Alan Belcher
Belcher defeated Cote via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:25 of round 2.

• Heavyweight bout: Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione
Mitrione defeated Slice via TKO (punches) at 4:24 of round 2.

• Lightweight bout: Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
Stephens defeated Stout via split decision (30–27, 29–28, 28–29).

• Welterweight bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley
Koscheck defeated Daley via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

• Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua
Rua defeated Machida via KO (punches) at 3:34 of round 1 to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

After the bell sounded to signify the end of the final round, Koscheck walked back to his corner with a visibly upset Paul Daley following. What looked to be a gesture of good sportsmanship turned out to be a sucker punch delivered by Daley which connected. In the post-fight press conference, Koscheck went on to say, "Oh yeah, it hurt. It was the best shot he landed all-night." Dana White stated "He [Daley] will never fight in the UFC again." Dana White confirmed in the post-fight press conference that Kimbo Slice will "probably" be cut from the UFC. When the event was re-aired on cable TV, the Koscheck/Daley fight was not a part of the re-airing, due to Dana White's disdain for the incident which occurred after the final bell.

Fight of the Night: Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout
Knockout of the Night: Mauricio Rua
Submission of the Night: Alan Belcher

 

UFC 106 – Ortiz vs. Griffin 2

November 21, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

  

 

 

 

  

Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28).

Josh Koscheck def. Anthony Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:27

Paulo Thiago def. Jacob Volkmann via unanimous decision (29-28, 30- 27, 30-27

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Luiz Cane via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:56

Amir Sadollah def. Phil Baroni via Unanimous Decision

Ben Saunders def. Marcus Davis via knockout (knees) – Round 1, 3:24.

Kendall Grove def. Jake Rosholt via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:59

Brian Foster def. Brock Larson via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:25

Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes declared majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28).

George Sotiropoulos def. Jason Dent via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:36

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UFC 103 Results

 - Vitor Belfort def. Rich Franklin via KO — 3:02 Round 1
 - Junior Dos Santos def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic via verbal submission (strikes) — 2:00 Round 3
 - Paul Daley def. Martin Kampmann via TKO — 2:31 Round 1
 - Josh Koscheck def. Frank Trigg via TKO — 1:25 Round 1
 - Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca via KO — 3:26 Round 2
 - Efrain Escudero def. Cole Miller via TKO — 3:36 Round 1
 - Tomasz Drwal def. Drew McFedries via submission (rear naked choke) — 1:03 Round 2
 - Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez via TKO (shoulder injury) — 0:48 Round 2
 - Nick Lentz def. Rafaello Oliveira via unanimous decision — 29-28 (2x), 30-27
 - Rick Story def. Brian Foster via submission (arm triangle) — 1:09 Round 2
 - Eliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz via split decision — 30-27 (2x), 27-30
 - Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision — all three judges scored the bout 30-27
 - Rafael dos Anjos def. Rob Emerson via unanimous decision — all three judges scored the bout 30-27

 
  UFC 103 fight comment…

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