Full results: Jones, Johnson among victors at UFC 197
In two vintage performances, Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson cemented their statuses as the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world. "Mighty Mouse" only needed half a round to knock out Henry Cejudo, while Jones thoroughly dismantled an overmatched Ovince Saint Preux.
Complete fight-by-fight results for UFC 197 below:
Jon Jones def. Ovince Saint Preux via unanimous decision
In a display of technical dominance, Jones overcame the awkward style of Saint Preux to win the interim light heavyweight title in his first fight since January 2015. Two massive takedown slams were Jones' biggest highlights, throwing around the athletic OSP with no problem. Jones also had a chance to finish the fight in the fourth round with a ground-and-pound at the bell, but Saint Preux held on to go the distance. It was a solid win for Jones after looking a little rusty early on.
Demetrious Johnson def. Henry Cejudo via 1st-round TKO
Using a devastating group of knees, Johnson took Cejudo down midway through the first round with a dominant TKO. After a shaky start that saw Cejudo take Johnson down early, "Mighty Mouse" began to land strikes from the clinch and swing momentum. After clipping Cejudo with a knee to the face, Johnson stayed on the attack, dropping "The Messenger" with a knee to the gut.
Edson Barboza def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision
Barboza warded off several wild head-kick attempts from Pettis to get a hard-fought unanimous decision. Barboza utilized a left inside leg kick to keep Pettis at bay, leaving a nasty bruise reminiscent of the damage inflicted on Whittaker by Natal in the previous fight. The takedown defense of Barboza was impressive as he eluded several attempts by Pettis to take the fight to the ground. It was a disappointing loss for Pettis, his third straight, as he couldn't keep up with Barboza's quickness and boxing. He may have to drop down in weight class if he hopes to continue on in the UFC.
Robert Whittaker def. Rafael Natal via unanimous decision
Whittaker overcame a vicious barrage of leg kicks throughout all three rounds to stay undefeated at 185 pounds with a unanimous decision. Both fighters opened the first round swinging wildly, with Whittaker able to connect on more controlled punches throughout. He dominated Natal with his jab, while taking significant damage to his left thigh that left him walking gingerly. Whittaker also hurt his hand in the second round, powering through to the end, finishing at the bell with a head kick that left Natal dazed. "Sapo" deserves credit, and both fighters will be feeling it Sunday.
Yair Rodriguez def. Andre Fili via 2nd-round KO
After an electric opening round that saw both Rodriguez and Fili land big shots, "El Pantera" pulled off a stunning flying head kick in the second round to gain a knockout victory. The finish came after FIli appeared to get hurt in an exchange, clutching his eye as he backed into the cage before the knockout blow. It was an incredible finish to the first bout of the main card, hopefully an entertaining harbinger of things to come.
Sergio Pettis def. Chris Kelades via unanimous decision
Sergio Pettis mixed up his striking and wrestling effectively in a workmanlike decision win over Chris Kelades. Fighting at 125 pounds in the UFC for just the second time, Pettis was put to the test by the resilient Kelades. Even though he comfortably won each round, nothing came easy as Kelades pursued him for the duration of the bout. Pettis found the mark more than once with his speedy strikes, only to find Kelades bearing down on him. In the end, it was Pettis who secured the convincing, if unspectacular victory.
Danny Roberts def. Dominique Steele via unanimous decision
A hard-charging Dominique Steele couldn't get past Danny Roberts after three rounds of back-and-forth action. The judges all scored the fight 29-28 for Roberts, who grew stronger as the match went on after being knocked down in the opening round. Steele was repeatedly caught with strikes coming in and even when he was holding Roberts against the cage, it was Roberts doing the damage with short punches and elbows. Unable to secure a takedown or land a telling blow, Steele found himself on the wrong end of a close decision.
Carla Esparza def. Juliana Lima via unanimous decision
Carla Ezparza's wrestling was on point in a unanimous decision win over Juliana Lima. Every round saw Esparza get a hold of Lima and put her down on the mat for the majority of each period. Lima was active off of her back, but the smothering top game of Esparza completely neutralized her. It was a triumphant return for Esparza who was fighting for the first time in 13 months.
James Vick def. Glaico Franca via unanimous decision
James Vick put on an impressive striking performance to take a unanimous decision from Glaico Franca and move to 5-0 in his UFC career. Once "The Texecutioner" figured out how to shrug off Franca's grappling attempts, he imposed his will in the stand-up game with stiff jabs, uppercuts, and a flying knee. A gritty Franca made it to the final bell, but it was Vick who came away with the W.
Walt Harris def. Cody East via 1st-round TKO
It took four tries, but Walt Harris finally earned his first UFC win with a TKO of Cody East. After a brief feeling out process, the action broke down into a slugfest with Harris landing a straight left that stunned East. "The Big Ticket" wound up and launched haymakers at his fallen foe, forcing the referee to call off the action in the opening round despite East's protests.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Clint Hester via 1st-round submission (arm triangle choke)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima made quick work of Clint Hester with an arm triangle choke submission at 4:35 of the first round. It was an early striking exchange that marked the beginning of the end for Hester as he was dropped by a thudding counter-right hook. He struggled off of his back and De Lima softened him up with ground-and-pound before securing the fight-ending hold.
Kevin Lee def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision
A late takedown helped Kevin Lee avoid the first losing streak of his career as he beat Efrain Escudero by unanimous decision. "The Motown Phenom" bounced back from a recent knockout loss with the help of a steady jab, strong takedown defense, and effective clinch work. The consistent performance was enough to get by Escudero, who stayed aggressive throughout the fight. Lee kept himself in the discussion of the lightweight division's most promising prospects.