UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort Recap
By Head MMA Writer: Mike Alexander
UFC 152. The red-headed step child of the UFC’s 2012 Pay-Per-View lineup. The card no one wanted to buy, yet still no one wanted to miss. Even with all of the drama surrounding Jon Jones heading into this match, the rest of the card looked like a fantastic draw, especially with the inaugural Flyweight championship match, not to mention the potential slug-fest between Michael Bisping and Brian Stann.
Main Card:
Cub Swanson def. Charles Oliveira via KO (2:40 1st Round)
Wow, what a KO! Cub Swanson has always been one of those guys who has had big potential, but never seemed to put it together until he dropped to 145. With back-to-back KO’s, Cub has thrown himself into the upper echelon of the Featherweight division.
Matt Hamill def. Roger Hollett via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
One word: Boring. Hollett was overwhelmed from the beginning and Hamill underwhelmed us again with a lackluster performance. Sloppy striking was the trademark of this fight. Maybe it was ring rust for Hamill, but he’ll definitely have to work on that if he wants to challenge for the belt.
Michael Bisping def. Brian Stann via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bisping picked Stann apart in every facet of the game. From the get go, Bisping ripped into Stann with a jab that never seemed to miss. Bisping was able to disrupt any momentum that Stann could develop with that jab and with his much improved wrestling. Bisping slammed Stann multiple times in this fight, showing just how far Bisping has come. Bisping obviously deserves a top five guy now, possibly Chris Weidman for a #1 contender match.
Demetrious Johnson def Joseph Benavidez via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) NEW FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Demetrious Johnson has always been fast, but no one could have known how devastating his speed could be. Never in the UFC has a fighter been able to slip in and out of danger with such finesse. From my viewpoint, the match wasn’t as close as the scorecard read. Johnson came in as a large underdog and proved everyone wrong by avoiding punishment and keeping up a pace that Benavidez could not handle. I expect to see Mighty Mouse defend his title against the winner of the Jussier Da Silva/John Dodson fight.
Jon Jones def. Vitor Belfort via Submission (Americana, 0:54 of the fourth round)
Jon Jones did what was expected of him, but not as easily as everyone anticipated. After Jones landed a take down in the 1st round, Belfort locked up a armbar that would have tapped a regular man, but Jones would not be denied and picked Vitor up and drove him into the canvas, allowing him to sneak his arm out. From that point on, Jones absolutely destroyed Vitor with devastating elbows from the guard, superior striking, and was able to sink in an American in the 4th round. If ever there was a moral victory in MMA, Belfort deserves it for the effort and heart he showed. Jones on the other hand proved again why he is arguably the best fighter on the planet.
Official Results
| Main Card (PPV) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Jon Jones | def | Vitor Belfort | Submission (americana) | 4 | 0:54 | ||
| Flyweight | Demetrious Johnson | def | Joseph Benavidez | Decision (split) (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) | 5 | 5:00 | ||
| Middleweight | Michael Bisping | def | Brian Stann | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | ||
| Light Heavyweight | Matt Hamill | def | Roger Hollett | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | ||
| Catchweight (146.2 lbs.) | Cub Swanson | def | Charles Oliveira | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:40 | ||
| Preliminary Card (FX and Sportsnet) | ||||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Vinny Magalhães | def | Igor Pokrajac | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 1:14 | ||
| Lightweight | TJ Grant | def | Evan Dunham | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | ||
| Welterweight | Sean Pierson | def | Lance Benoist | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | ||
| Featherweight | Marcus Brimage | def | Jimy Hettes | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | ||
| Preliminary Card (Facebook) | ||||||||
| Welterweight | Seth Baczynski | def | Simeon Thoresen | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:10 | ||
| Bantamweight | Mitch Gagnon | def | Walel Watson | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 1:09 | ||
| Welterweight | Kyle Noke | def | Charlie Brenneman | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:45 | ||
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