LAS VEGAS – Jon Jones made a winning return to the octagon Saturday, on a night where the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s two best combatants solidified their status at the top of mixed martial arts.
Jones, after nearly 16 months without action, shook off some early rust to convincingly defeat Ovince Saint Preux at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, courtesy of a unanimous points decision.
The UFC had been rocked in recent times by seeing some of its biggest stars – including Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey - fall on the receiving end of major upsets. Such an outcome never looked likely this times around, with pound-for-pound No.1 Jones and No. 2 Demetrious Johnson showing they are ranked at the top of the tree for a reason.
Earlier, Johnson retained his flyweight championship with a technical knockout of 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo, the fight being stopped at 2:49 of the opening round. Johnson changed the contest with a ferocious knee to Cejudo’s chin and quickly finished things off.
Jones was always not at this imperious best against Saint Preux, a late replacement for light heavyweight titleholder Daniel Cormier, but was rarely troubled. Always in control, he subjected Saint Preux to heavy punishment in the latter half of round four and won every round of each of the judges’ scorecards.
A main event slot at UFC 200, the organization’s historic showcase event in the summer, may now beckon, as Jones bids to reclaim from Daniel Cormier the light heavyweight belt he relinquished due to legal troubles stemming from a hit-and-run incident.
