UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen | Results **Spoiler**

[Kemal]

Champ Jon Jones def. Chael Sonnen via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 4:33 - retains light-heavyweight titleMichael Bisping def. Alan Belcher via technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Roy Nelson def. Cheick Kongo via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 2:03
Phil Davis def. Vinny Magalhaes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Pat Healy def. Jim Miller via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:02
Rustam Khabilov def. Yancy Medeiros via TKO (thumb injury) - Round 1, 2:32
Ovince St. Preux def. Gian Villante via majority technical decision (30-28, 30-29, 29-29) - Round 3, 0:33
Sara McMann def. Sheila Gaff via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 4:06
Bryan Caraway def. Johnny Bedford via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 3, 4:44
Cody McKenzie def. Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Steven Siler def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

UFC 159 bonuses: Roy Nelson, Pat Healy and Jim Miller score $65,000 awards

Roy Nelson, Pat Healy and Jim Miller each earned $65,000 bonuses for their performances at Saturday's "UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen" event.

UFC President Dana White announced the winners at the evening's post-event press conference.

Nelson scored the "Knockout of the Night" award while Healy and Miller were given the "Fight of the Night" bonus. Healy also took home the "Submission of the Night" honors.

UFC 159 took place Saturday night at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

"Big Country" Nelson left little doubt as to who would take home the evening's "Knockout of the Night" bonus after demolishing Cheick Kongo with a pair of crushing right hands. The fight started slowly as Nelson pushed into the clinch, but when they were separated by the referee, Nelson uncorked a pair of power shots that earned him the win and an extra paycheck.

Lightweights Healy and Miller opened the evening's pay-per-view card with a clear "Fight of the Night" performance that wowed the New Jersey crowd even with the hometown fighter losing. Miller appeared he might finish the fight in the opening round, but a gritty Healy came back over the final two rounds and looked to be in his way to a decision win before sneaking on to the back and sinking a fight-ending rear-naked joke. The gritty effort was enough to earn both men the evening's "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Healy also scored a "Submission of the Night" bonus, earning him a total of $130,000.

[Kemal]

Steven Siler edges Kurt Holobaugh in prelim thriller

Fans who didn't show up in time for UFC 159's first fight missed an entertaining scrap as Steven Siler topped Kurt Holobaugh in an early "Fight of the Night" candidate.

The featherweight bout opened the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It streamed on Facebook ahead of additional prelims on FX and the pay-per-view main card.

The two set a torrid pace to open the fight while rifling off stiff low kicks and firing heavy leather up top. As they pushed into a Thai clinch, Siler drilled his opponent with several knees to the gut before wrapping the waist and slamming him to the mat. Holobaugh immediately rolled to escape, but Siler transitioned to the back, where he teed off with heavy punches while looking for an opportunity to sink in a choke.

As Holobaugh tried a rolling escape, Siler latched on to a deep rear-naked-choke attempt. With blood spewing from his mouth, Holobaugh somehow survived what looked to be a certain fight-ending hold and earned himself a second round.

Holobaugh tried to quickly reverse the momentum in the second round as he immediately dove into a guillotine choke. The move didn't work, but after a few entertaining transitions, Holobaugh worked to top position and unleashed several heavy ground-and-pound blows. It was then Siler's face that was bloodied as plasma streamed from his nose.

Siler scrambled to his feet with one minute remaining, and the two took turns teeing off before Holobaugh finished with one late takedown and a few odd punches to the leg before the bell sounded.

With the fight seemingly in the balance in the final frame, both fighters moved forward at the bell. Siler eventually moved back into the Thai clinch while working knees inside. Holobaugh worked the body with his hands. As the two continued to trade in the pocket, Holobaugh tried to move inside and look for a hip toss. Unfortunately for him, Siler countered perfectly and again secured the back as they fell to the canvas.

Siler tried again to lock in a choke from the dominant position, but a gutsy Holobaugh survived each attempt. Still, with Siler controlling the grappling in the latter half of the frame, he secured the win in an incredibly exciting fight. All three judges awarded him the contest with 29-28 scores.

After the fight, Siler revealed he found out earlier in the day that he's now a father-to-be.

"I found out I'm going to be a daddy today, so this is without a doubt the best day of my life," Siler said.

With the win, Siler (22-10 MMA, 4-1 UFC) improves to an impressive 4-1 in the octagon and rebounds from a November loss to Darren Elkins. Holobaugh (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a onetime Strikeforce vet, loses in his UFC debut but likely earned another look from the promotion.

"It was a great back-and-forth fight, and he has won three of his last four, so I know he deserves to be here," Holobaugh said. "I'm just trying to figure out where I fit in."

[Kemal]

Cody McKenzie cruises by Leonard Garcia

Cody McKenzie wasted no time getting Leonard Garcia to the mat in the opening seconds of their bout on Saturday night, and for the majority of the fight, that's exactly where they stayed.

McKenzie dominated Garcia with takedowns and superior grappling en route to a unanimous-decision victory (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It streamed on Facebook ahead of additional prelims on FX and a main card on pay-per-view.

Garcia was fortunate to escape several close submission attempts in the first round as McKenzie took his back and went in search of various chokes in between onslaughts of punches. A triangle-choke attempt by McKenzie late in the round seemed like it might seal the deal, but the clock ran out before Garcia's consciousness did.

Garcia's best chance came in the third, when McKenzie consented to stand and strike after clearly winning the first two rounds on the ground. Even then, Garcia's wild haymakers weren't enough to put McKenzie in any real trouble, and "The Ultimate Fighter 12" cast member rode to a victory on the judges' scorecards.

Garcia (15-11-1 MMA, 2-7 UFC) has now lost five straight in the UFC, with his last victory coming in December of 2010 via a controversial split decision over Nam Phan. McKenzie (14-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) bounces back into the win column after his first-round TKO loss to Chad Mendes at UFC 148.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It streamed on Facebook ahead of additional prelims on FX and the pay-per-view main card.

Garcia (15-10-1 MMA, 2-6 UFC)*** McKenzie (13-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC)***

[Kemal]

Bryan Caraway taps Johnny Bedford in third

Stepping in for injured Erik Perez on just six days' notice, Bryan Caraway outworked and outgrappled fellow "The Ultimate Fighter 14" cast member Johnny Bedford en route to an impressive third-round submission win.

The bantamweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of the pay-per-view main card.

After the pair traded punches to open the fight, Caraway deftly slipped to the back and simply dragged Bedford to the floor, where he secured both hooks and went to work with alternating choke attempts with both arms. After a few tense moments, Bedford scrambled to his feet and landed a few choice blows, but Caraway smiled and lasted until the bell.

With Caraway almost exclusively throwing his left hand to start the second, he opened a nasty cut over Bedford's right eye. A slick takedown earned him a dominant spot on the floor, and he controlled the positioning until the end of the round.

Down on the cards to open the third, Bedford turned up the aggression in the final frame, but Caraway used superior grappling to again work himself to top position and avoid a few submission attempts while dominating the action. With time winding down, Caraway declined to coast to a decision win and instead locked in a guillotine choke after transitioning quickly to mount and scoring a third-round tap-out with 16 seconds left in the fight.

After losing a disappointing decision to Takeya Mizugaki in March, Caraway (18-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) rebounds and is now 4-1 in his past five fights. After the win, he said he thinks the win erases the sting of that defeat, as well as girlfriend Miesha Tate's loss to Cat Zingano earlier this month.

"I was focused on finishing the fight tonight because I'm so sick of bad decisions and stoppages," Caraway said. "I think I got a bad call against Mizugaki and Miesha got a horrible call in that stoppage two weeks ago. I wanted to erase those memories and put a smile on both our faces with a win tonight. I think I did that."

Bedford (19-10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) sees a three-fight win streak snapped.

[Kemal]

Sara McMann dominates, submits Sheila Gaff

Sheila Gaff came out for the first round of her bout with Sara McMann as if she had never heard that McMann had a bit of wrestling experience under her belt.

That turned out to be a mistake, and one she paid for almost immediately as the Olympic wrestling silver medalist took down Gaff twice before achieving a mounted crucifix and raining down blows until referee Gasper Oliver stopped the bout at the 4:06 mark of Round 1.

The women's bantamweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

After walking straight into a McMann takedown to start the fight, Gaff managed to survive that initial blunder by holding on and hoping for a referee standup. It didn’t take long, however, before McMann nabbed a single-leg takedown and used a Gaff sweep attempt to move into the crucifix. From there, Gaff was stuck. As McMann upped the pressure with strikes, it was only a matter of time before the referee was forced to intervene.

"I just kept telling myself all week that this was going to be like the kind of pressure I felt before a world championship, and I wrestled in like seven or eight world championships," McMann said after the win. "That helped me to deal with the nervousness and the size of the crowd and the television and everything."

McMann (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) maintained her undefeated record with the win in her UFC debut, which was just the third women's bout in UFC history. Gaff (10-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) dropped her first fight since a decision loss to Milana Dudieva in 2010.

[Kemal]

Ovince St. Preux pokes Gian Villante's eye, awarded win

A battle of Strikeforce veterans making their UFC debuts offered one of the oddest endings in recent memory as Ovince St. Preux earned a majority technical decision win over Gian Villante.

The light-heavyweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of the pay-per-view main card.

The two UFC newcomers opened the fight at a moderate pace with Villante pressing forward and looking to work in the clinch. St. Preux avoided an early takedown by wrapping his arm over the top of the cage, and it worked to his advantage. For the remainder of the frame, St. Preux was a little crisper in exchanges and seemed to frustrate Villante by pushing him away from clinch positions.

Villante staggered St. Preux to open the second frame, but the pace slowed as both seemed to struggle to adjust to performing in the octagon. Villante seemed the fresher fighter as St. Preux often let his hands drift down toward his waist. Still, Villante was slow to attack and failed to capitalize on the openings.

With St. Preux opening the third with power punches, he laced out a right hand with his fingers clearly pushing into Villante's left eye. Referee Kevin Mulhall didn't appear to see the poke as Villante dropped to his knees. The ref quickly asked the fighter, "Can you see?" When Villante said he could not, Mulhall instantly waved off the fight in what proved to be a very unpopular decision. Villante quickly protested to no avail.

With the fight ending in the final round on an unintentional foul, the bout went to the scorecards, and St. Preux was awarded the decision with off scores of 30-28, 30-29 and 29-29.

"I definitely felt comfortable in there and I knew I was winning," St. Preux said. "I didn't feel like I poked him. I got poked too.

"Stuff happens, but I don't think they should've stopped the fight. I would've won the third round because I felt great and I was coming on stronger, but still it's unfortunate it had to end like that."

Despite the odd ending, St. Preux (13-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) improves to 10-1 in his past 11 fights. Villante (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) sees a three-fight win streak snapped.

"I couldn't see," Villante said. "He did poke me in the eye, so I don't know. [Mulhall] said the fight was over, and I didn't expect that because I was just reacting to his question.

"I got poked and my eye was closed up, so I thought he would stop it, but he didn't; he just kind of looked at me."

[Kemal]

Rustam Khabilov tops Yancy Medeiros via thumb injury

Rustam Khabilov and Yancy Medeiros were off to a good start in the early moments of the first round, and then the injury bug struck, this time mid-fight.

While defending against a Khabilov takedown attempt, Medeiros appeared to injure his thumb in gruesome fashion, which forced referee Dan Miragliotta to call a stop to the bout at the 2:32 mark of Round 1 and give Khabilov the TKO victory.

The lightweight bout closed out the preliminary card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

In a way, it was the second straight fight Khabilov ended with a suplex. But this time, instead of slamming his opponent on his head, he was thwarted in the attempt by Medeiros, who blocked the move but paid the price when he put his hand down to stop his fall. Replays showed that the thumb was clearly injured, and seconds after Medeiros alerted Miragliotta of the injury, the bout was waved off.

"There isn't much to say," Khabilov said. "Like I've said my business is to throw him down, and it's his business how he lands. Honestly, I walked out to the octagon to put on a good show. You saw what happened out there. I'm upset with the way it ended."

Khabilov (16-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who clutched his mangled thumb after the fight, gets his second straight victory inside the octagon, following up his slam KO win over Vinc Pichel this past December. Medeiros (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffers his first career defeat due to the injury.

[Kemal]

Pat Healy outgrinds Jim Miller, earns submission win

Fighting in the UFC for the first time in seven years, Pat Healy went into enemy territory and outgrinded notable grinder Jim Miller en route to an impressive third-round submission win.

The lightweight bout opened the main card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

While it was the bigger Healy who stepped forward and took the center of the cage to start, Miller was precise with several counter straights and a snapping inside leg kick that buckled his opponent's leg. A takedown came soon after, but the wily Healy immediately looked for submissions from his back. Equally adept on the floor, Miller defended each attempt and came dangerously close to locking in an armbar before they ultimately scrambled back to the feet. Healy bounced back with a pair of his own takedowns in the closing moments of the frame, but Miller swept to the top and unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound blows that busted up his opponent's right eye.

Despite the damage he absorbed in the first, Healy turned the tide a bit in the second by scoring an early takedown and grinding away with punches from the top and latching in a rear-naked choke when Miller exposed his back. Miller somehow turned in and escaped, but Healy reestablished dominant position and busted up his opponent's face in a sweet moment of revenge.

Miller showed quick hands to open the third, and he defended an early takedown attempt while trying to take control of the momentum. Just when it seemed he was succeeding, a Healy straight and knee to the gut (or possibly just below) saw Miller slow. Healy capitalized by taking Miller to the floor and shoved him to his back. Miller tried desperately to crawl to his feet, but Healy kept him stuck to the mat and eventually worked to the back, where a rear-naked choke worked under the chin. Miller refused to tap, but the choke was in tight, and referee Herb Dean stepped in for the submission call when it appeared the New Jersey native went briefly unconscious.

"Dude I'm so pumped up," Healy told UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan after the win. "I've been waiting seven years to get interviewed by you, Joe Rogan.

"I've been through so much in my career, but there's one thing you can never question about me, and that's my heart. I'm going to keep coming until I can't walk – I've got to crawl out of here. So no matter what, I'm always going to be in the fight."

An eight-time Strikeforce veteran Healy (30-16 MMA, 1-1 UFC) now boasts a seven-fight win streak. Miller (22-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), a perennial contender in the UFC's lightweight division, falls to 2-3 in his past five appearances.

[Kemal]

Phil Davis strikes way to win over Vinny Magalhaes

For three full rounds, Phil Davis used his rangy striking attack to pick apart Vinny Magalhaes on the feet, all while using his vaunted wrestling game purely to stay out of the jiu-jitsu champion's realm of expertise.

The result was a unanimous-decision victory (via 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores) for the former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Davis, whose jab proved to be a riddle that Magalhaes could not solve.

The light-heavyweight bout was part of the main card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Davis briefly seemed to have Magalhaes in trouble after a head kick in the first round, but he was content to stay on the outside and batter Magalhaes from a distance. Afterward, Davis thanked Magalhaes for engaging him in a pre-fight back-and-forth that he said elevated his game leading up to the fight.

"I really wanted to go out there and make a statement to the fans that I'm in the top 10 and I'm not going anywhere," Davis said. "Tonight was about precision and risk management. I'm not going to shoot for takedowns that I can miss. I'd rather be precise with my techniques.

"I was playing it smart in there because Vinny is dangerous on the ground. My striking is coming along, but it's not quite there yet. To me I'm brand new in this sport, and I'm still young. I'm just going to keep practicing hard every day because that's what I love to do."

Davis (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) gets his second win in a row thanks to the clean sweep on the scorecards. Magalhaes (10-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) suffers his first loss since 2010, and his first since his return to the UFC.

[Kemal]

Roy Nelson's right hand makes quick work of Cheick Kongo

With his scruffy beard and flowing locks, Roy Nelson may never look the part of an elite MMA fighter, but it's impossible to deny the man's punching power, as Cheick Kongo quickly discovered.

The heavyweight bout was part of the main card of today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

As the fight opened, Nelson pushed forward quickly into the clinch, where it looked like he wanted to work against the fence. But referee Kevin Mulhall quickly called an end to that strategy by breaking apart the fighters as they looked to establish position.

It worked out in Nelson's favor.

As Kongo kept his back to the cage, Nelson walked forward and unleashed an overhand right hand that landed on the ear and sent Kongo to the floor. As Kongo tries to scramble up, Nelson blasted him with another right hand that sent him sprawlin to the canvas. Mulhall then stepped in to call the fight at the 2:03 mark of the opening frame.

Nelson (19-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is now 4-1 in his past five appearances, and all four wins have come by way of knockout. After the win, Nelson called for a chance to fight for the UFC's heavyweight title.

"They set 'em up, and I knock 'em down," Nelson said. "I want that gold. UFC 160, whoever wins that I want."

[Kemal]

Michael Bisping tops Alan Belcher via technical decision

Just when it was looking like Michael Bisping was headed for an impressive, dominant victory over Alan Belcher, controversy reared its head yet again at UFC 159.

Late in the third round of a fight he'd controlled with his precise striking and unrelenting pace, an accidental eyepoke by Bisping dropped Belcher to the mat and forced a premature halt to the bout. At that point, the fight went to the judges' scorecards, who awarded the unanimous technical decision to Bisping via 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores.

The middleweight bout co-headlined today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Bisping dominated the first two rounds, repeatedly landing his right hand flush on Belcher's jaw, which prompted Belcher's corner to implore him to look for the finish in the third. But Bisping continued to out-strike Belcher in the final frame, right up until the eyepoke dropped Belcher in a heap and forced him to clutch his face in anguish.

After the fight, Bisping apologized for the inadvertent foul and admitted that he was "looking for a finish, but Alan was tough as hell."

"My apologies to Alan," Bisping said after the bout. "It was a complete accident. That's just the way it happens sometimes."

Belcher (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) drops his second fight following his decision loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 155. Bisping (24-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) bounces back into the win column after his TKO loss to Vitor Belfort in Brazil in January.

[Kemal]

Jon Jones halts Chael Sonnen, suffers gruesome injury

While longtime middleweight Chael Sonnen was a long shot in his bid for the UFC light-heavyweight title, some believed that if he could get champ Jon Jones on his back, he might have a chance. Quite simply, though, he couldn't.

Instead, Jones survived a gruesome toe injury and punched out the challenger in the first round.

The light-heavyweight title bout headlined today's UFC 159 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

As promised, Sonnen pushed forward quickly at the bell, though it was Jones who scored the first takedown. Sonnen, who recently coached opposite Jones on "The Ultimate Fighter 17," scrambled up to his feet, and Jones surprisingly elected to fight inside the clinch rather than use his massive reach advantage. Several takedowns followed as Jones seemed intent to prove he was the superior wrestler. A barrage of punches and elbows followed, and Sonnen was clearly in trouble as he lay on his side.

As Jones methodically picked apart the undersized challenger, he pulled Sonnen's arm away and blasted him with vicious elbow strikes and a devastating knee to the body. The onslaught ripped apart Sonnen's face, and referee Keith Peterson called a stop to the fight with 27 seconds left in the opening frame.

In a bizarre turn of events, as Jones celebrated his victory, he looked down to notice a gruesome break of his left big toe. It quite possibly could have threatened to end the fight in freak fashion had Jones not gotten the first-round stoppage.

Afterward, Jones said he didn't immediately know when the injury occurred.

"I don't know, but when my adrenaline calms down, I'm going to be in some pain tonight," he said.

With the win, the 25-year-old Jones ties UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz's record for the most-consecutive defenses of the UFC light-heavyweight title at five. It also ends a months-long feud with Sonnen that began with this past September's canceled UFC 151 event and continued through their stints as "TUF 17" coaches.

"I was just so happy to get past Chael Sonnen," Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) said. "Chael Sonnen's an awesome opponent. We went through a lot of drama that motivated me a lot.

"I really wanted to try to 'Chael Sonnen' Chael Sonnen. I think I did a good job of that."

Meanwhile, Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) has now fallen short in three UFC title fights in his past five appearances, which included a pair of defeats to middleweight champ Anderson Silva. He remained gracious in defeat and hinted that his fighting days may be done.

"He's an excellent fighter," Sonnen said. "I have no problem with the decision or the stoppage. He's very powerful. When he went for the kill, he never stopped. I thought I was alright, but I think he's the better fighter.

"I'm not going to be one of the guys to hang around. If there's not a road to the title, then this sport isn't for me. I believe that was probably my last opportunity."

[ChingChong]

https://twitter.com/UrijahFaber/stat...046144/photo/1

[mario the count]

nasty blessure die van jones

[cornelus]

op dat krukje midden in de octagon..

[Anderson]

Weer een sparringspartijtje voor Jones wat moet Dana nou doen om de fans rustig te krijgen.

[hankmoody]

Die partij van Jones vs Chael hoefde maar 20seconden langer te duren en we hadden een nieuwe champion, Jones had echt niet door kunnen vechten met zo'n fucked up teen.

[hankmoody]

Nu moet Lyoto vast helemaal lang wachten ivm met Jones's blessure

[cornelus]

Die partij van Jones vs Chael hoefde maar 20seconden langer te duren ....

.... of Chael had serieus naar het ziekenhuis gemoeten en daarna gelijk door naar de plastische chirurg

[Anderson]

Dan was Chael dood geweest.

[Silat]

Ai ai... ik heb dezelfde blesseure als Jones gehad in 2003.
Alleen bij mij scheurde mijn huid niet open.
Je voet is één en al losse botjes verbonden met pezen.
Als je teen zo blijft hangen op het canvas en je voet gaat door dan scheur je de pezen af aan de binnenkant van je grote teen.
Van mij is nooit vast gezet... assholes in het ziekenhuis.

[mario the count]

Jones oogt ook altijd zo sterk, hij is altijd langer dan zijn tegenstander maar zijn fysiek is ook vaak nog bruter.

[K-1sunstarr]

Phil Davis on UFC 159 win: 'I'm going to beat you at your weakest'

http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/4/28...sy67Av4jV0f0YY