UFC 128 Results: Shogun vs. Jones

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Main Card
Jon Jones def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua via third-round TKO
Urijah Faber def. Eddie Wineland via unanimous decision
Jim Miller def. Kamal Shalorus via third-round TKO
Nate Marquardt def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision
Brendan Schaub def. Mirko Cro Cop via third-round TKO

Undercard
Luiz Cane def. Eliot Marshall via first-round TKO
Edson Barboza def. Anthony Njokuani via unanimous decision
Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Almeida via unanimous decision
Gleison Tibau def. Kurt Pellegrino via split decision
Joseph Benavidez def. Ian Loveland via unanimous decision
Nick Catone def. Constantinos Philippou via unanimous decision
Erik Koch def. Raphael Assuncao via first-round KO

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NEWARK, NJ -- This is the UFC 128 live blog for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon Jones, the main event of tonight's UFC 128 pay-per-view from the Prudential Center.

After knocking out Lyoto Machida for the light heavyweight belt at UFC 113 last May, Rua (19-4) returns to action to make his first title defense. Jones (12-1), who is stepping in for teammate Rashad Evans, was offered the title fight last month after his win over Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

The live blog is below.


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A mostly pro-Rua crowd waits patiently for a break between fights. A hype video plays on the replay screens, and the fighters will be out soon. Jones walks out to "Empire State of Mind." He looks preternaturally calm. Takes a deep exhale before he walks in, then to his knees to say a prayer. He does a one-hand cartwheel into the cage. Now it's Rua's turn. He walks in to some dance music, throwing his fist in the air as he enters the cage. It's time. The two shake hands after getting ref's instructions.

Round 1: Jumping knee from Jones to open, then leg kicks. Rua swings with a right. Jones takes Rua down 30 seconds in. Crowd pops. Jones into Rua's guard. Rua throws his legs up for a triangle or arm bar, but Jones is out. Rua looking for a leg from the bottom. Jones prepared. Jones lands a left elbow, then another. But Shogun is busy enough from the bottom that Jones isn't peppering him. Jones lands a left hand as we reach midway. Rua back to full guard now. Jones with elbows to the body. Rua looking to set up a triangle. Jones with strikes from the top. Shogun tries to get up. Jones knees him to the body, then knees him to the head. Shogun is hurt. Jones is careful. Knees from the clinch for Jones. Jones with a right from outside. Rua with a right hand over the top. Rua takes Jones back, tries to take him down. Jones steps right out and ends on top with :20 left. Big round for Jones, 10-9.

Round 2: Jones looks the fresher of the two to start round two. Jones with a front kick. Rua throws a wild left. Jones clinches and holds him against the fence. Spinning back elbow lands for Jones. It's all Jones early. Jones looks very relaxed, switching stance. They clinch again. They break with nothing landed. Rua tries a two-punch combo, but it starts from across the cage and Jones sidesteps. Another front kick. Then leg kicks. Rua throws a leg kick, Jones catches it and takes him down with ease. Jones has a little trouble from the top as Shogun defends well, tying him up. Rua loves that half-guard from the bottom, but Jones is having no trouble stopping his favorite attacks because of his length and base. The grueling bottom position is no picnic for Rua. Jones position for a kneebar to close but the round runs out. 10-9 Jones.

Round 3: Rua's face is marked up a little. Rua tries to wade in with a barrage, Jones sidesteps him. Jones tries a head kick, Rua ducks under, takes his back. They scramble to the ground. Rua looks for a kneebar, Jones is out. Jones on top now. Jones with hard ground and pound, a series of strikes. Rua had his gloves up to protect, but some got through. Big left hand from Jones, then a right elbow. Left elbow. Rua ini big trouble. Rua in big trouble. He's back to his feet. Jones hammers away. Rua goes down. It's over. MMA 2.0 is here.

Winner: Jon Jones via TKO, Rd. 3 (2:37)

Jones: "Champion 2011. It feels so good. Believe in yourself, believe in your heart."

Rua: "I wanted to fight Jones wherever the fight could go. I have to congratulate him. He was better than me."

3/19/2011 11:59 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta

[deftones2015]

Wow! Jones is doing really well. I knew Jones would knock shogun out haha. Wish I would have bought the ppv last night. Shogun is a good fighter but Jones seems unstoppable right now.

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NEWARK, NJ -- This is the UFC 128 live blog for Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland, a bantamweight bout on tonight's UFC 128 pay-per-view from the Prudential Center.

Faber (24-4) is a former WEC featherweight champion and put Takeya Mizugaki to sleep at last November at WEC 52. Wineland (18-6-1) was the first ever WEC bantamweight champion and won his last four WEC fights. Both are making their UFC debuts after successful runs in the WEC.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Wineland runs out to meet Faber on his side of the cage. Faber clinches and Wineland pushes him against the fence. Crowd is heavily pro-Faber and they start to chant his name. Wineland lands a hard right uppercut as they break. Faber shoots in but Wineland side-steps him and they're against the fence again. Wineland clasps his hands behind Faber's back, then dumps him to the ground. Faber's back up in a flash and they go back to the center of the cage. Excellent takedown defense from Wineland early, as he stuffs another attempt. Wineland blasts Faber with a right that's the best scoring shot of the round. Faber shakes the cobwebs, lands his own right seconds later. Very close round. Slight edge Wineland, 10-9.

Round 2: Faber comes out aggressively with a punch, left high kick combo. Neither lands. But Faber has the center of the cage now. Faber uses a nice trip takedown to put Wineland on his back 1:30 in. Faber starts landing elbows from the top as he controls the position. Faber stands up in Wineland's guard and scores with right hands. Wineland tries to get back to his feet but Faber smothers him and keeps him on the mat. While the standup is anybody's game, the ground is Faber's world, and he's having no problems controlling his opponent and landing damaging strikes. Big round for Faber, 10-9.

Round 3: The two are slow to engage in the final round. After a Faber right, he tries a takedown. Wineland stops him. Wineland stacks Faber on the fence and throws an elbow that misses. Faber ducks under and escapes into space. Faber faked a takedown and tagged Wineland with a blazing uppercut that fazed him. He followed with a right as they exchanged, Faber getting the better of it. They clinch, Faber goes low and drives for a double leg takedown. About one minute left. This should seal it for him. Faber finished strong with elbows and right hands from the top. Faber, 10-9.

Winner: Urijah Faber via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

3/19/2011 11:36 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta

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Wow! Jones is doing really well. I knew Jones would knock shogun out haha. Wish I would have bought the ppv last night. Shogun is a good fighter but Jones seems unstoppable right now.

I like Jones personally. I was hoping he would win and glad to see he did He has a nice long reach and uses that REALLY well. He is very impressive especially for only training in mma for 3 years

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I didn't get to check RachHeads link but I am guessing it has to do with what I am about to post. This is just for anyone who does not know yet or has not checked his link (if this is what it has to do with):

Jon Jones Takes Unexpected Turn as Crimefighter Before Winning UFC Belt118

3/20/2011 3:32 AM ET By Mike Chiappetta
Mike Chiappetta
MMA Writer

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jon Jones has a specific fight day ritual. He likes to visit a spot with some natural beauty to feel the energy of nature. It's supposed to be a peaceful time, a way to collect his own power and find his focus.

On Saturday afternoon, his peaceful spot turned to chaos. Jones found himself in the middle of a robbery, and along with coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, helped apprehend a thief.

Jones recounted the story in brilliant style following his star-making UFC 128 championship win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, capping off a day that can only be classified as epic.

Jones said he and his coaches were just getting dropped off at a park in the nearby city of Paterson when his co-manager Glenn Robinson warned them that the area was known for its crime. The trio shrugged it off and was no sooner out of the car when they heard screaming. Before Jones even realized what was happening, Jackson and Winkeljohn took off after the perp, who had allegedly smashed a windshield and stolen a GPS unit. Jones, who ironically had the career ambition of becoming a police officer before turning to MMA, quickly followed them.

"I got these gazelle legs, and I'm running, and next thing you know, I catch up to my coaches," he said. "I said, 'What do we do? We going to catch this guy?'"

Jones said it was then he "put the jets on" and sprinted past his coaches.

"The guy looks back, he sees me," Jones said. "You know I'm 6-foot-4, and I said, 'You know I'm going to catch you, right?'"

The thief tripped over his own feet and as he tried to regain his footing, Jones kicked his ankle out, figure-foured his legs and helped hold him until the police came for the easy collar.

Jones said it was then that one of the cops realized who he was.

"The policeman said, 'What? What are you doing here? Aren't you fighting tonight?'" Jones said.

Jones then returned back to the woman who had screamed for help, and she thanked him and told him God would be with him as he fought.

Perfectly segueing the incident into a public relations opportunity, UFC president Dana White weaved the incredible tale into his post-fight comments.

"I just want to say to [New York MMA opponent] Assemblyman Bob Reilly, we come to New York, have an economic impact on your city, not just here but in Syracuse, Buffalo and all these other cities, and we fight crime, too," he said. "How can you keep us out of here?"