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UFC 152 Results: ‘Jones vs. Belfort’ Play-by-Play & Updates

UFC 152 Fight Card


Sherdog.com will report the Air Canada Centre in Toronto at approximately 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with play-by-play and live results of UFC 152, which is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight pitting champion Jon Jones against challenger Vitor Belfort.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.

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Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke

Round 1
Noke flicks out a few jabs and just misses with a front kick up the middle. Another jab, this one stiffer, finds Brenneman’s chin and staggers “The Spaniard.” Seconds later, a right cross drops Brenneman to his knees. The wrestler begins grabbing for Noke’s legs in survival mode, but referee Dan Miragliotta steps in after a few more punches from Noke. Brenneman hops up and protests the stoppage on wobbly legs, but it’s too late. Kyle Noke gets the finish just 45 seconds into his welterweight debut.

Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson

Round 1
The much taller Watson uses long kicks and feints to keep Gagnon at bay for the first 30 seconds, but Gagnon steps inside and crumples Watson with a massive left hook. Gagnon chases the American to the ground and throws a flurry of punches before taking control of Watson’s back. Gagnon goes straight for the rear-naked choke and gets the tap 69 seconds into the opening round.

Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen

Round 1
Baczynski throws hands to the body early and flicks out a leg kick; Thoresen steps forward and tries to find the range with some jabs. Baczynski has a right high kick blocked and pulls up short on a combination. An outside thigh kick from Thoresen makes some noise and the welterweights trade right hands. A few right hands from Thoresen have Baczynski’s upper lip cut open. Baczynski gets inside and tries the Thai plum but gets shoved off. Thoresen is finding more success with his punches and keeping Baczynski on his back foot. With less than two minutes remaining in the round, Baczynski accidentally gouges Thoresen’s eye. Thankfully, Thoresen recovers quickly and gets back to throwing punches and leg kicks. Baczynski slips a right hand and counters with a crushing left hook that sends Thoresen slumping face-first to the canvas. Ref John McCarthy immediately recognizes that Thoresen is out cold, though it takes some effort to pry Baczynski off. The official time of the knockout is 4:10 of the first round.

Jim Hettes vs. Marcus Brimage

Round 1
Brimage ducks low and punches to the body, then sends Hettest to the canvas with a quick right hand. Hettes pops back up and Brimage gets him backing up with a left over the top. A shot from Hettes yields no result as Brimage sprawls backward and then sprints away. Another body shot and a left to the jaw connect for Brimage; a low kick from Hettes catches him low, but the featherweights keep going. Brimage chops the leg out from under his rangy opponent, drawing an “ooh” from the crowd. A left sends Hettes to the ground again, but the Pennsylvanian recovers and puts Brimage in his guard. Brimage backs out and lets Hettes back to his feet. Brimage keeps the snappy punches coming but now gets tagged with a short right hand. Another short right from Hettes gives Brimage reason to pause. A straight left from Hettes splits his man’s gloves; Brimage sends one over the top but Hettes doesn’t go down this time. Brimage lands a right hook and rushes forward. Hettes seems to consider a guillotine but quickly gives it up. For the first time tonight, a fight will go to the second round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brimage
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brimage
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Brimage

Round 2
Brimage goes straight back to swinging in the second, this time mixing in some body shots. Hettes takes this for about 40 seconds before grabbing hold of the smaller man and tripping Brimage to the canvas in the middle of the cage. From half-guard, Hettes cracks Brimage with a pair of stiff elbows, but Brimage is able to flip Hettes and scramble back up. After a cracking knee from Hettes, Brimage is brought down again, and this time Hettes is able to secure back control. Hettes switches from hooks to a body triangle on the back and begins working for the rear-naked choke. Brimage does well to defend, peeling off the wrists and breaking the body control to get back to his knees. Hettes locks up the body triangle again and goes back to punching, trying to soften up Brimage for the choke. Brimage powers out of the bad position and gets back to his feet with about 75 seconds remaining in the round. Brimage shuts down a shot from Hettes and finds his jaw with a left. Another shot is stuffed by Brimage, who tries to steal the round with a last-second flurry of punches and a missed flying knee.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hettes
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hettes
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hettes

Round 3
Both featherweights are swinging for the fences early in the final frame, with Brimage repeatedly unloading his wide left hand. Hettes is giving chase and has begun bleeding from an unseen cut behind his right ear. Solid one-two from Brimage finds Hettes’ chin; Hettes keeps walking forward and takes another hard left. Brimage lands a low kick; Hettes pulls his man’s head down in the Thai plum but misses a knee. Hettes tries to pick the ankle and Brimage jogs away, then catches Hettes coming in with another left. Brimage misses a combo and takes a counter right on the cheek. Ninety seconds remain and Brimage -- now cut underneath his left eye -- backs Hettes away with a left. Brimage turns away another takedown attempt from Hettes and resumes back-stepping and counterstriking. Brimage turns Hettes around with a leg kick and gets the youngster to bite on two more feints.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brimage (29-28 Brimage)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brimage (29-28 Brimage)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Brimage (29-28 Brimage)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Marcus Brimage.

Lance Benoist vs. Sean Pierson

Round 1
Both lefties come out swinging hands until Pierson slows the action with a clinch against the fence. They break off and leg kicks are exchanged, then Pierson floors Benoist with a corking left hand. Benoist hops back to his feet and is shoved into the fence again. Benoist works out, only to be put back on the cage. Benoist lands a hard leg kick and a left over the top. The next leg kick is caught by Pierson, who slugs Benoist back down to the ground. Pierson goes to the ground, but Benoist is ready and swings up his legs for an armbar attempt. Pierson extracts the limb but stays in the danger zone and nearly gets triangled. Benoist switches to an omoplata; Pierson escapes from this as well and now wants the fight back on the feet. A left hook from Pierson has Benoist stunned, and Pierson bullies him on the fence again with a minute to go. Benoist lands a hard outside leg kick and takes a hard one-two in return at the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pierson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierson

Round 2
Benoist overextends on a punch and gets caught behind the ear by Pierson, who once again puts Benoist’s back to the chain-link. Another long punch from Benoist gets him clipped, so he chops at Pierson with a leg kick. An attempted takedown from Benoist is reversed; Pierson grabs a front headlock and controls position, waiting perhaps to take the back of the kneeling Benoist. The chance doesn’t come and Benoist works an underhook to scramble back to his feet. Benoist is working some leg and push kicks but is still taking jabs and the occasional combo from Pierson up the middle. Pierson has a shot stuffed just before the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pierson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierson

Round 3
Pierson catches a kick from Benoist and throws a punch, but this time Benoist is ready and fires a one-two from his back foot. The southpaws trade right hooks and circle off. Pierson sticks a finger in Benoist’s left eye and immediately apologizes; Benoist is blinking but motions that he’s alright to continue. Benoist lands a short elbow before being backed away by a pair of Pierson punches. A left scores for Benoist, but Pierson gives him a right hand in return and shoves him into the fence. They don’t stay there long, and Benoist lands a loud outside thigh kick as the fight enters its final two minutes. Pierson is working his jab, keeping his distance until a left hand from Benoist puts him on rubbery legs. Benoist smells blood and swarms with punches, smashing Pierson on the ground while referee Josh Rosenthal hovers nearby. The ref looks close to stopping the fight until Pierson sweeps and gets back to his (unsteady) feet. Benoist runs out of time, and this one is headed to the scorecards.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Pierson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Pierson)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Pierson)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Sean Pierson.

Evan Dunham vs. T.J. Grant

Round 1
Dunham gets off to a good start, swinging a right hook around Grant’s guard, followed by a sharp lead uppercut. Another uppercut lands for Dunham and Grant responds with a knee that has Dunham’s right eye reddened less than a minute into the bout. Grant keeps going for the plum and punching underneath while Dunham swings (and lands) over the top. Both lightweights are throwing flurries of punches but it’s Dunham getting the better of the exchange until he’s backed off by a Grant front kick. Grant connects with a right hand that has Dunham shaking his head. They take turns catching kicks and Grant taunts Dunham to bring it on as Grant chases him along the fence. Dunham nods to acknowledge a hard inside leg kick that lands right on his knee. Grant shoves Dunham into the cage and cracks the American with a pair of short elbows. Grant breaks off with a one-two but keeps the distance short, still working Dunham around the perimeter. Dunham drags Grant to the canvas with 30 seconds left but can’t do any damage before the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Grant
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Grant

Round 2
Dunham misses with his opening combo and head kick, but soon finds his range again with hard, hooking punches. Grant is standing just out of range, stalking toward Dunham and pushing him on the fence when he sees the opportunity. A knee up the middle causes Dunham to start streaming blood from his forehead almost immediately. Dunham seems unfazed as he continues to throw and take punches. Grant is controlling the action with his jabs and range, however, and now it’s becoming apparent that Dunham is having trouble seeing through the red coating his face. Dunham hits a takedown with 45 seconds left and now his blood is all over Grant as well. Grant gets to his feet, blocks a high kick and walks Dunham down. They trade punches and Grant stuffs a last-second takedown attempt from Dunham.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Grant
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Grant
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Grant

Round 3
Dunham wastes no time swinging for the fences in the final round, unloading with vicious punches and head kicks. Despite the blood, Dunham looks the fresher fighter, and it’s showing in the speed of his combinations as Grant circles the outside, throwing sporadic punches. A knee to the body lands for Grant but doesn’t slow Dunham down for long. Dunham lands a right hook behind the ear, has a body kick caught and shoves Grant away. Grant answers with a right hand to the body and a left up top. Grant strings together a few punches and Dunham decides to change levels for a takedown. Grant won’t go down, so Dunham gets vertical again and resumes punching. Grant lands a right and goes for a takedown of his own, but gets shut down by Dunham with 90 seconds to go. Grant catches a kick and socks Dunham with a straight shot; Dunham grazes Grant with a head kick and then has a shot sprawled on. Dunham finally drives Grant down to the ground with 40 seconds remaining. Blood continues to pool on Grant’s chest as Dunham works on top in the Canadian’s open guard. Dunham keeps the punches coming to the final horn and the lightweights embrace after 15 hard-fought minutes.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Grant)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Dunham)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Grant)

Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, T.J. Grant.

Igor Pokrajac vs. Vinny Magalhaes

Round 1
Magalhaes catches an incoming punch from Pokrajac and works the clinch with an overhook. Pokrajac puts the Brazilian on the fence and Magalhaes tries to kick out the knee of Pokrajac. After 70 seconds, Magalhaes trips Pokrajac to the floor and drops a pair of hard punches through the Croatian’s open guard. Magalhaes stands up and crashes back down, whereupon Pokrajac closes his guard. Pokrajac scores with some hard elbows and is warned by ref John McCarthy to mind the back of the head. Magalhaes peels off for an armbar but is forced to let go when Pokrajac rolls on top and stacks him up. Magalhaes dodges punches from his back and pulls rubber guard and throws elbows up the middle until Pokrajac lets him back up. Pokrajac clinches Magalhaes into the cage, landing a hard right hand just before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Magalhaes
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Magalhaes
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Magalhaes

Round 2
Magalhaes gets his overhook again and this time is tripped to the floor by Pokrajac. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt swings his legs up immediately, hunting for a triangle choke. Magalhaes can’t cinch the triangle and switches to an armbar. Pokrajac tries to roll free, but Magalhaes has perfect position and extends Pokrajac’s right arm all the way. Pokrajac taps immediately and remains on the ground, clutching his arm as he’s attended to by the cageside physician. The end comes officially at 1:14 of round two.

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

Round 1
The taller Oliveira sticks out his jab and whips out long kicks, then covers up when Swanson comes in to throw. Oliveira takes a hard punch on the chin but grabs hold of Swanson and dumps him to the ground away from the fence. Swanson keeps it tight on the ground, wrapping up Oliveira and avoiding punishment until he can open his guard and scramble up. Swanson misses with wide left hands while Oliveira comes up short as he charges in with combos. Outside leg kick from Oliveira and Swanson punches hard to the body. A massive overhand right connects flush on Oliveira’s temple. The Brazilian hits the ground and Swanson stands over him menacingly until referee Yves Lavigne calls a halt to the bout at 2:40 of the first round.

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett

Round 1
Hamill rushes across the cage and goes right at Hollett with awkward low kicks and punches. Hamill controls the distance with Hollett’s back to the fence in the first minute of the round, but Hollett swings back with a right hand that backs up the veteran. Hamill walks him down again and paws with his jab. Whenever Hollett comes forward to strike, Hamill covers up and steps backwards. Hamill gets off a few good punches to the body and one to the head before diving on Hollett’s legs and dragging him to the floor. Hollett turtles up with his right side to the fence and covers up the left side of his head under a heavy barrage of left hands. Hamill’s ground-and-pound doesn’t relent, and while Hollett isn’t offering anything back, he is covering up. As such, ref Dan Miragliotta allows the pummeling to continue until Hollett explodes to his feet and socks Hamill with a few hard shots just before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hamill
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hamill
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hamill

Round 2
Hollett attacks Hamill’s body with punches in the opening minute before going to the gut with a spinning kick. He shuts down a shot from Hamill and throws right hand over the top. Another body shot from Hollett hits the tiring Hamill, who plows Hollett to the floor with a powerful takedown. They’re in Hollett’s closed guard for 30 seconds before ref Miragliotta tells the pair to get busy. Hollett throws some elbows from his back before standing and looking to hit Hamill’s body some more. Hollett’s spinning kicks don’t land but his punches do, and a hard outside leg kick lands as well. Hamill is clearly exhausted as he has another takedown denied. There’s sparse offense from either man down the stretch. Hollett botches a spinning backfist and gets ragdolled to the ground by Hamill before the end of the frame.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hamill
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hollett
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hollett

Round 3
Hamill hits a takedown and bullies Hollett against the fence in the same position as the first round, but this time with about a third of the punching power in his left arm. Nonetheless, Hollett is unable to get up with Hamill’s heavy top control. Hamill goes to the other side and punches with his right hand before winding up on top when Hollett tries to roll. They’re in the opposite position now, Hollett kneeling with his left side to the fence, and Hamill slugs him with right hands until Hollett scrambles up. Hollett lands a punch to the body but is hustled to the ground again, this time with Hamill in side control. Hollett gets guard and Hamill scoots him around until the ref orders them up with about 45 seconds remaining. Hamill hits another takedown in short order and spends the last half-minute grinding from half-guard.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hamill (30-27 Hamill)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hamill (29-28 Hamill)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hamill (29-28 Hamill)

Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Matt Hamill.

Brian Stann vs. Michael Bisping

Round 1
Stann is the aggressor early, headhunting with overhand rights while he chases down the Brit. Once they get in close quarters, Bisping puts Stann’s back on the cage and grinds for 30 seconds before Stann pushes him away. Good bit of head movement from Bisping as he slips some murderous shots from Stann. A few straight rights get through for Stann before Bisping drives forward for a takedown. He wraps up Stann but can’t trip the American down and instead settles for clinching on the cage again. Stann cracks him with a right as they break off but the action pauses a moment later when Bisping clips Stann in the cup with a low kick. Stann wants to keep going and the middleweights throw hands for only a few seconds before Stann returns the favor on Bisping with a low blow. Bisping takes a moment to walk it off and they resume with 70 seconds left. Bisping lands a right hook but a harder one comes back from Stann. Nice leg kicks from Stann, and he closes it out with a huge right hand that sends Bisping stumbling back to his corner.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Stann
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10

Round 2
Bisping hits a powerful slam takedown into side control but gets reversed and winds up pinned to the fence as he’s scooted around the ground. Bisping powers back up and punches a kneeling Stann, and there’s some confusion as Stann motions to referee Josh Rosenthal. The fighter’s complaint goes unnoticed -- possibly a finger in the eye -- and the pair gets back to their feet. Bisping uses the clinch to control before circling off and reestablishing his jab. Stann keeps his kicks going, working both legs of Bisping but taking some stiff punches in return. Bisping charges on Stann with a full head of steam and floors him with a big double-leg. Side control for Bisping and he frames up a kimura as he leans right to left on Stann; he gives it up quickly and the round expires.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bisping

Round 3
Bisping resumes jabbing and Stann goes back to leg-kicking, with “The Count” landing the higher volume of strikes. Bisping dives on the legs again, but this time gets stood up and winds up clinching on the cage. They stay there only a few seconds and Bisping drills Stann with a sound one-two. More clinch work on the fence from Bisping grinds a few seconds off the clock. When they break, Stann kicks at the legs some more and lands one up top which doesn’t seem to bother Bisping. More jabs and more combos from Bisping are followed by another takedown inside the final minute. Stann escapes once again, shuts down a shot and gets a good right hand in just before the end.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping (30-27 Bisping)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping (29-28 Bisping)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bisping (30-28 Bisping)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Bisping.

UFC Flyweight Championship
Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson

Round 1
Referee Yves Lavigne is the third man in the cage for this inaugural UFC flyweight title bout. Benavidez strikes first with an outside leg kick that stumbles Johnson momentarily. Benavidez ducks inside and gets caught with a short left hand before clinching. They jockey for position on the fence, break off and Benavidez comes back for more, this time pinning Johnson on the fence. Benavidez sends a knee to the body of Johnson, who gives Benavidez two in return. Johnson catches Benavidez coming in again, this time with a straight right. Benavidez dives on the legs of Johnson but falls on his face, then stands and socks Johnson with a right. Johnson ties up the next time Benavidez comes in, but Benavidez rushes him against the cage. Benavidez tries to pin Johnson again, but “Mighty Mouse” is slippery and won’t stay on the fence. Down to the final minute of the round and Benavidez is still chasing down Johnson, who is doing well to slip Benavidez’s punches. Johnson gets off a good knee to the body and clinches late, sending Benavidez rolling for a leglock just before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 2
Benavidez comes forward again, walking through some more knees to the body in order to tie up. Johnson still won’t stay in one place and quickly escapes Benavidez’s grasp. Benavidez charges Johnson and finds some success with a pair of right hands and a leg kick. He takes a low blow but shakes it off as Johnson apologizes. Thirty seconds later, Benavidez gets hold of Johnson again and throws few knees to his thighs before Johnson escapes again. Benavidez goes to the body with a punch and slugs over the top to counter Johnson’s leg kick. Benavidez has a shot denied, sticks a hard right straight in Johnson’s face and then loses on another takedown attempt. Johnson extracts his leg and circles out, then gets on Benavidez’s back standing when Benavidez charges in with a reckless combo. Benavidez gets out of trouble in a few seconds and gets back to attacking with punches. Johnson’s circling on the outside is not as dynamic now, and the movement allows Benavidez to find him with a right hand. Another hard right follows closely behind, closing the round out strong for Benavidez.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benavidez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benavidez
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 3
Benavidez maintains his aggression at the start of the third, still trying to hunt down the elusive Mighty Mouse with power punches. Johnson is sidestepping Benavidez’s attacks and countering with well-angled punches. Benavidez -- now bleeding from the corner of his left eye -- is coming with more force, trying to throw heavier shots over the top of Johnson’s counters. Diving for a takedown, Benavidez again is unable to pin down Johnson, and the pair soon get out of the clinch. With a minute left in the round, Benavidez takes a finger in the eye. Referee Lavigne says he didn’t see the foul and Benavidez must continue. He paws at the eye for a moment but quickly gets back to throwing. Johnson gets off some good right hands on Benavidez’s blind side as the round winds down.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benavidez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 4
Johnson shuts down another takedown from Benavidez early in round three and gets off another pair of good right hands. Ref Lavigne tells Johnson to mind his fingers. A thudding right from Benavidez sends Johnson to the ground and Benavidez is all over him, cinching up a guillotine choke and rolling on top. The choke looks deep, but Johnson struggles underneath, refusing to tap and kicking his legs to try and break the position. Benavidez finally loses the choke but remains on top. Johnson slips out and the flyweights grind along the fence, throwing punches and knees in tight quarters. A botched takedown from Benavidez finds him beneath Johnson, then defending his back once they stand up. Benavidez turns around and steps to the other side of the cage to reset. Johnson hits a quick takedown but Benavidez scrambles back up. Johnson ducks a punch with 30 seconds left and muscles Benavidez to the ground with a double-leg. Johnson spends the last moments of the round in side control, punching the body of Benavidez.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benavidez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benavidez
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Benavidez

Round 5
Johnson opens the final round with a leg kick; his next kick, this one to the body, is caught by Benavidez, who throws a right hand counter. Johnson slams Benavidez to the ground seconds later, then again when Benavidez gets back up. Benavidez is on his feet again within seconds of the double-takedown, and the pair snipe with punches, now with 3:30 to go. Johnson gets another takedown and moves straight to side control, then north-south position when Benavidez gets to his knees. They’re back standing with 2:15 to go and Benavidez is still coming forward. A right hand misses and Benavidez shoots. He comes up empty as Johnson steps away and gives Benavidez a kick for good measure. Johnson dives on a single-leg and is turned away by Benavidez, who misses a spinning backfist upon exit. One last clinch from Benavidez ends Johnson landing a knee to the body, and the horn sounds.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson (48-47 Benavidez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson (48-47 Johnson)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson (49-46 Johnson)

Official result: Judge Jeff Blatnick scores the bout 48-47 for Johnson, while judge Richard Bertrand sees it 48-47 for Benavidez. Judge Douglas Crosby scores the bout 49-46 for the winner by split decision and first UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort

Round 1
Referee “Big” John McCarthy is in charge of tonight’s 205-pound main event, with judges Richard Betrand, Jeff Blatnick and Douglas Crosby scoring the bout. Jones crouches in the corner and crawls across the cage toward Belfort, who greets the champion with a kick. Jones grabs hold of a leg and Belfort momentarily flashes a guillotine before being put on his back. Working from Belfort’s open guard, Jones lifts up and slams Belfort, who is wrapped up tight. Belfort lashes on an armbar and forces Jones to defend a very deep submission attempt. Jones stacks up Belfort and resists, then extracts his arm and goes back on top. A chant of “Vitor!” breaks out in the crowd as the Brazilian works off his back, eating a few hard elbows on the way. Belfort angles for another armbar but this one doesn’t take, and Jones makes his challenger pay with some heavy punches on top. Blood is leaking directly into Belfort’s right eye as he holds on underneath with a minute remaining in the first round. Jones grinds with punches and forearms from side control, gets kicked off and dives onto his challenger one more time before the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jones
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jones
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jones

Round 2
Jones sees a roundhouse kick whizz past his face as he walks down Belfort toward the fence again. The champ misses a spinning elbow and gets shoved off by Belfort, who follows with a blocked high kick. Jones is working on the thigh and knee of Belfort with a side kick; he’s warned by ref McCarthy to keep his hands closed during punches. Belfort circles out midway through the round, as he’s been unable to get inside on Jones during this period. Jones just stalks forward again and pops Belfort in the face with a side-kick. Belfort tries to come over the top with a right hook, but Jones wraps him up and Belfort pulls guard away from the fence. Belfort closes his guard this time and wraps up, limiting Jones’ offense more than in the earlier round. Jones still keeps busy with punches as he moves Belfort around the cage. Belfort looks for an armbar just as the round expires.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jones
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jones
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jones

Round 3
Jones resumes his attack on Belfort’s lead leg, both with push-kicks to the thigh and traditional low kicks outside. A front side-kick lands on Belfort’s liver and the Brazilian hits the ground without another touch from the champ. Jones goes down to the guard of Belfort, who tries to control Jones’ arms again. They’re too slippery this time -- Jones stands and wants the challenger back up as well. Ref McCarthy warns Jones again to mind his fingers while punching. Jones is still finding a home for his kicks and right hands, looks for another spinning elbow. They clinch up and Belfort again pulls guard. The idea works out just about as well as the last time, as Jones spends the final minute on top, dropping elbows and punches from side control in the closing seconds.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jones
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jones
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jones

Round 4
After clinching with Jones, Belfort pulls guard again, and this time Jones moves straight into a crucifix position from cross-side position. Jones leans from left to right and cranks a nasty keylock on Belfort’s right arm. The hold is deep and Belfort is forced to tap almost immediately. Jon Jones retains his UFC light heavyweight title with a submission win 54 seconds into the fourth round.

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