Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
UFC 140 took place from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The event featured a light heavyweight title bout between champion Jon Jones and former champ Lyoto Machida. The main card aired on pay-per-view, while the preliminary card was shown on ION television and Facebook.
Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones faced the biggest test of his young career, battling early adversity to defeat former champ Lyoto Machida.
Machida prevented Jones from mounting much offense in the opening frame, frequently countering and even rocking the lengthy Jones with a left hand. The karate practitioner appeared to confuse the divisional kingpin.
In the second round, Jones solved the puzzle, taking the Brazilian to the mat and opening a large cut with an elbow. When the fight returned to the feet, Jones connected with a left hand that rocked the former champion. Before Machida could recover, Jones locked on a standing guillotine choke and removed him from consciousness. When referee John McCarthy did intervene, Machida’s unconscious body crashed to the mat, face-first.
The fight earned the $75,000 “Fight of the Night” honors.
In a rematch of the UFC 92 interim heavyweight title bout, Frank Mir once again got the better of Pride legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
The Brazilian opened the fight aggressively, hoping to erase the memory of the sluggish performance in their first bout. He rocked Mir with a right hand that sent the American to the ground. Rather than finishing the fight with strikes, “Big Nog” latched onto Mir’s neck. The guillotine attempt failed and allowed Mir to recover.
Once the cobwebs were clear, Mir immediately went to work on Nogueira’s right arm from the top position. The Brazilian tried to roll out of the kimura attempt, but Mir transitioned back to the dominate position and broke the arm. Nogueira has no choice but to tap out.
The comeback submission earned Mir the night’s “Submission of the Night” award.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira made sure that fans would forget his last few outings in a dominant performance over former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz, who resurrected his career in July with a submission win over Ryan Bader, opened the fight moving forward and attacking. Nogueira, with his Olympic boxing skills, countered the early barrage with a series of left hands that stunned Ortiz. A knee to the body sent Ortiz to the mat in obvious pain
Nogueira followed Ortiz to the ground and rained punches and elbows. Eventually, a series of body shots to Ortiz’s left side forced referee Yves Lavinge to end the fight.
In one of the night’s closest bouts, welterweights Brian Ebersole and Claude Patrick clinched and grappled back-and-forth, with Ebersole ultimately earning the judges’ nod.
The bout was primarily fought in the clinch against the fence, with Ebersole frequently working for failed takedowns. Patrick’s best offense was submission attempts from his back, but Ebersole was never in danger.
Korean Chan Sung Jung needed only seven seconds to finish off Canadian Mark Hominick in their featherweight bout.
Hominick rushed forward and missed with a jab, walking directly into a right hand from Jung. Hominick immediately dropped to the canvas with Jung with him all the way. Two more shots forced Herb Dean to intervene.
The seven-second KO earned Jung the “Knockout of the Night” bonus and tied him for the official record of fastest finish. (However Duane Ludwig defeated Jonathan Goulet in just four seconds at Ultimate Fight Night 3).
Light heavyweight Igor Pokrajac needed only 35 seconds to dispatch of Krzysztof Soszynski. Pokrajac connected with right hand that rocked the TUF alum and a barrage of strikes on the ground forced the stoppage.
Middleweight Constantinos Philippou finished off former light heavyweight Jared Hamman with an onslaught of punches. Philippou rocked Hamman repeatedly, ultimately forcing the fight to end.
In a lightweight contest, former welterweight Dennis Hallman (who missed weight by 2.5 pounds) showed off his experience and grappling expertise to submit Canadian John Makdessi by rear-naked choke. The loss was the first of Makdessi’s career.
Bantamweights Yves Jabouin and Walel Watson battled it out on the feet for three full rounds, with the Canadian Jabouin getting the decision on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
Lightweight Mark Bocek outworked Nik Lentz from the top position, repeatedly putting Lentz on his back and handing him his first Octagon defeat.
Debuting welterweight Jake Hecht survived a rough first round against Ultimate Fighter alum Rich Attonito to come back and finish the fight in the second with a barrage of elbows.
John Cholish spoiled Canadian Mitch Clarke’s debut, delivering a second round TKO after a slick transition to take his back.
Jon Jones def. Lyoto Machida by technical submission (guillotine choke). Round 2, 4:26 (retains light heavyweight title)
Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission (kimura). Round 1, 3:38
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Tito Ortiz by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 3:15
Brian Ebersole def. Claude Patrick by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Chan Sung Jung def. Mark Hominick by TKO (punches). Round 1, 0:07
Igor Pokrajac def. Krzysztof Soszynski by KO (punches). Round 1, 0:35
Constantinos Philippou def. Jared Hamman by KO (punches). Round 1, 3:11
Dennis Hallman def. John Makdessi by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 2:58
Yves Jabouin def. Walel Watson by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Mark Bocek def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jake Hecht def. Rich Attonito by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 1:10
John Cholish def. Mitch Clarke by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:36
Photo: Lyoto Machida lies on the canvas unconscious after being defeated by Jon Jones
