The main event of the night for the interim Light Heavyweight Belt, featuring the return of another pound-for-pound great after a 16-month lay-off, and possibly the greatest fighter of all time to grace the Octagon in Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, is up next.
Much has been made about the power-lifting and gym training that Jon Jones has been plowing through during his hiatus, and the results were on display as he looked more ripped and ready to go than ever. But as the fight panned out, the stroke of reality that even the greatest of fighters are not spared of ring rust, hit home beyond a doubt.
Although clearly dominating all five rounds against an opponent he was expected to put away with relative ease in Ovince St.Preux, Jon Jones – self admittedly – looked a tad hesitant in pulling the trigger throughout the fight.
He controlled distance for the most part in the fight, using those patented oblique kicks that hyper extend the knee and push kicks to the body, while also doling out offence by intermittently mixing in spinning heel kicks to the body and the head.
Ovince St.Preux for his part, displayed admirable takedown defence for the first three rounds, managing to avert the clinch from where Jon Jones generally works his wrestling game and imposes his will on his opponents.
But towards the end of the fourth round, Jones did get the takedown on a tiring St. Preux and managed to land a few brutal ground and pound elbows and punches, with only the buzzer at the end of the round averting the stoppage.
Despite St. Preux getting in precious little offence throughout the fight, if any, nothing could hide the disenchantment of both the audience in attendance and indeed, Jones himself, as the performance from him was not nearly as dominant as many predicted.
But perhaps in our memory of a dominant Jon Jones, we overlook the percept that this may be as good as he could have looked after a long lay-off blighted by numerous issues with the law.
The night’s proceedings were then closed out by crowning a new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, but the anti-climatic aura that hung in the air could not have been more palpable.
Result: Jon Jones by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44)
