Jon Jones took 3 rounds to return to form but when the light finally clicked the fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena were treated to a showcase by the best fighter in the world.
Before Jon warmed up, or tired out Ovince Saint Preux, however you look at it; he struggled to assert himself on offense. The first round was spent feeling out his opponent and fainting punches and elbows. The second round saw a bit more offense but he also left himself open to a few OSP over hand rights. Those same punches thrown by the likes of Daniel Cormier or Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson would’ve hurt a lot more.
The third round started out just as slow but a takedown late showed Jon that his advantage against OSP in the clinch was the adjustment that changed the fight.
In the fourth round Jon gained confidence and took Saint Preux down at will. The end of the 4th round saw Jon in control after a take down of OSP and his world-renowned ground and pound, highlighted by some devastating elbows, nearly earned him a TKO victory. Luckily for OSP the bell rang in time to stop Jones’ melee and let him regroup in the corner.
The 5th round was much like the 4th. Jon took OSP down twice, once with a monster slam, and kept the pressure on when they returned to their feet.
Jon won every round of the fight according to all 3 judges but it wasn’t his best performance. As a matter of fact, it was far from the norm for Jon. Fans have grown accustomed to seeing Jones rise to the occasion and dismantle the world’s best light heavyweights but even the mighty Jon Jones is no match for octagon rust.
After the decision Jon admitted that the layoff had an effect on him and that the fight against OSP was a blessing in disguise.
“I needed to do this and get this fight out of the way. I felt like I only used 20 percent of my technique tonight. I felt that I was just watching and imagining things instead of landing. I didn’t look at this fight as a warm-up fight, but I needed this fight before I fight for the championship. I’ll probably be back at practice on Tuesday and I’m excited to fight Daniel Cormier.” – Jon Jones
Jon also said that he didn’t want the interim belt, he wants his real belt. That’s an obvious shot at Daniel Cormier who was doing commentary ringside.
Cormier is the true loser of the night because he missed his opportunity to fight a vulnerable Jon Jones. There’s no guarantee that Cormier would’ve beat this version of Jon but he surely had a better chance than in their first meeting.
DC’s next opportunity to fight Jones could come as early as UFC 200 and he’d should do everything in his power to catch Jon before he returns to his elite form. The cage rust is gone but his conditioning and the new weight cutting measures will still take a while to get used to. Cormier learned a lot from calling this fight ringside and if he’s ever going to beat Jon UFC 200 would be that time.
Waiting until November at UFC 205 in NYC will only allow Jon to learn how to adapt his skill set to his new muscular frame and when that happens we may see the best version of Jon Jones that’s ever fought in the octagon.