THE good news is that Jon Bones Jones has defended his UFC light heavyweight crown without controversy (well, almost, but we’ll get to that later). The bad news for his rivals is that he just seems too damn good for everybody else in this division.
At UFC 235 Saturday, March 2, Jones dominated Anthony Smith to retain the 205-lb. title, but it wasn’t much of a main event really.
DOMINATION. It was all Jones right from the get-go. Smith was quoted as saying he knows the secret to beating Jones, but all throughout the fight there was not an iota of evidence about the knowledge he claimed to possess.
The taller Jones took his time in the early rounds, like a cat playing with his food. Slowly he broke down Smith with kicks, knees and head shots. In the third, Jones scored a takedown and basically just got his way with Smith.
Perhaps the only exciting part of the fight was in the fourth round when Jones was again dominating from the top position and Smith was trying to get back up when Jones hit him with an illegal knee.
That right there could have merited a disqualification as Smith was clearly hurt. But the latter gallantly proclaimed he was fit to continue and would not opt for the easy route to victory. Consequently, Jones was deducted two points, but it would not matter at this point in the fight as he was so far ahead.
Apparently sensing this, Smith came alive in the final round, but it was a case of too little, too late as Jones once again controlled the action in the second half of the round and Smith’s efforts sputtered out.
LAWLER. It was heartbreaking to watch one of my favorite fighters, Robbie Lawler, lose on the undercard to Ben Askren who was making his UFC debut.
The fight lasted only a round but it was as wild as it could get and ended controversially.
After grappling, Ruthless Robbie picks up Askren and just slams him. Lawler then proceeds to unleash some vicious elbows and strikes, bloodying Askren. The latter somehow manages to get up and as they grapple along the cage, Askren trips Lawler and manages to get on top and administer what looked like a bulldog choke.
After seeing Lawler apparently go limp, the referee Herb Dean waives the fight off.
Surprise, surprise! After the hold was released, Lawler immediately protests indicating he was okay and the choke was not even fully locked on, but later takes the high road and congratulates Askren for the win.
VERBATIM “I want to win it, I don’t want to steal it.”(www.bloodyelbow.com)—Anthony Smith on continuing the fight and not going for the DQ.
LAST ROUND. It’s on my daughter Julia Emmanuelle who absolutely killed it in her rendition of “Please be careful with my heart” with the legend himself, Jose Mari Chan. So proud of you Ate. Cheers!