Complete results from Jones vs. Jackson in Denver, Colorado
DENVER – HeavyMMA.com is live and on the scene for today’s “UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage” event at the Pepsi Center.
Our coverage kicks off with the first preliminary card bout at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
PRELIMINARY CARD
James Te Huna (12-5) vs. Ricardo Romero (11-2)
The first bout of the evening began with a takedown attempt from Romero, and Te Huna made him pay for it. Romero recovered after taking a few shots, but the damage had been done. After a brief seperation, Te Huna landed a vicious uppercut that caused Romero to look for another takedown. He failed, and Te Huna proceeded to pound his way to the knockout victory. Very impressive finish.
Official Decision: Te Huna def. Romero via knockout at 0:47 of Round 1
Takeya Mizugaki (14-6-2) vs. Cole Escovedo (17-7)
Mizugaki pressed the pace early, landing several strikes on the feet. But Escovedo looked for a triangle choke when they clinched. He failed to lock it down, but managed to land several knees and elbows to hurt his opponent in the opening frame.
In the second round, Mizugaki found success in the striking game, flooring his opponent at one point. But the former top contender decided not to enter his opponent’s guard, and continued to hurt Escovedo on the feet. With the round coming to a close, Mizugaki really began to put it on, knocking down Escovedo once again. This time Escovedo did not get up, as Mizugaki finished the fight with his effective striking.
Official Decision: Mizugaki def. Escovedo via technical knockout at 4:30 of Round 2
Junior Assuncao (12-4) vs. Eddie Yagin (15-4-1)
After exchanging punches on the feet early, Assuncao worked the fight to the ground. While Yagin was able to stand up, Assuncao put him on his back again as the round was coming to a close.
In the second frame, Assuncao looked for a takedown, but Yagin made him pay with a nice knee to counter. His second takedown attempt, however, was a success, as Assuncao took his opponent’s back. Yagin was quick to escape the position, and the two went back to the striking game. Shortly after Assuncao earned another takedown and got caught in a guillotine for a moment, but he survived.The round finished on the feet without much action.
To being the final round, Yagin successfully earned top position after a takedown, but Assuncao stood back up without an issue. Assuncao then looked for a takedown, but Yagin locked on a guillotine choke once again. Assuncao survived and managed to gain top position after escaping. From half guard, Assuncao began to pound away at his opponent. Yagin survived, but he came up well short on the judges’ scorecards.
Official Decision: Assuncao def. Yagin via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Nick Ring (12-0) vs. Tim Boetsch (13-4)
In the first fight to broadcast live on Spike TV, Ring pressed the action early, even earning top position when the fight went to the ground. Boetsch stood up almost immediately, and the two finished the round on the feet.
The second round started slow, but Boetsch managed to hurt Ring midway through. He grabbed onto a guillotine, but his opponent escaped and gained top position. Boestch found success with his striking for the rest of the round, but Ring survived the onslaught, including a kimura attempt at the end of the round.
The third round started much like the second, and once again Boetsch was the first to inflict damage. He worked the fight to the floor just before the midpoint of the round and looked to send more damage his opponent’s way. Boetsch dominated Ring on the ground, landing several nice shots, which should have been enough to earn him the unanimous decision.
Official Decision: Boetsch def. Ring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Tony Ferguson (11-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1)
Both Ferguson and Riley failed to hurt one another early, but the former was the first to cause any damage. The former “Ultimate Fighter” winner hurt his opponent with several shots to the body and continued to pour on the punishment. Riley survived the round, but not without taking a good amount of damage in the process.
Following the end of the round, the fight was stopped due to Riley’s broken jaw. Impressive showing from Ferguson.
Official Decision: Ferguson def. Riley via technical knockout (broken jaw) at 5:00 of Round 1
Main Card
Nate Diaz (13-7) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7)
Round 1: Slow start to the round, as neither seem to be able to find their range. Diaz lands a nice shot that drops Gomi, but his opponent is back up. Another nice shot for Diaz. Gomi misses with a right hand. Jab from Diaz. And another. Gomi lands a nice body shot, but Diaz comes back with a vicious right hook. Diaz is having a lot of success here. He stands in front of Gomi with his hands down. He is extremely confident, and no one can really blame him. Nice one-two combination from Diaz. Jab lands for him shortly after. Another nice combination. Gomi is in trouble. Diaz is landing at will. Gomi is down, and Diaz takes his back. Gomi is back up, but still in trouble. Diaz lands another jab. This is incredibly one-sided. Gomi with the takedown. Diaz locks on a triangle choke. Gomi attempts to slam him, but Diaz rolls for an armbar. Gomi taps out. Incredibly performance by Nate Diaz.
Official Decision: Diaz def. Gomi via submission (armbar) at 4:27 of Round 1
Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-5-1)
Round 1: Broughton with a nice punch to start this heavyweight bout. Browne misses with an overhand right, and they clinch against the cage. They separate. Broughton comes up short with a left hand. Nice kick lands for Browne. He lands another kick. Left hand lands for Broughton. Browne lands a solid left hand and presses forward. They clinch against the cage again. Browne separates with a punch and takes his opponent down. He is in full mount. Broughton forces half guard, but takes a few shots as the round comes to a close. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Browne.
Round 2: Broughton misses with a left hook, then a right. Leg kick lands for Browne. He lands a shot to the body shortly after. Now Broughton lands. Browne seems fine, but he is avoiding damage for the most part. He presses forward with a combination, landing over and over again. Broughton is against the cage, but he looks okay. They separate for a moment, before clinching yet again. Browne is pressing his opponent against the cage. They separate again. Right from Browne misses. Browne earns the takedown and moves to full mount. This could get ugly for Broughton. 30 seconds remain. Broughton gives up his back and eats several shots. He survives the round. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Browne.
Round 3: Broughton with a leg kick to start the round, followed by a hook. He backs Browne down and presses him against the cage. They separate. Browne with the takedown, followed by a big shot. He is in half guard now. Broughton is in trouble here. Browne looking to advance to full mount. Broughton is holding him in half guard. Browne is dominating him here. Broughton can’t seem to escape, and the final round is coming to a close. He is looking for a kimura. Browne rolls into side control to avoid the submission. He has Broughton’s back now. 15 seconds left in the round. They are back up, and the final frame comes to a close. Not extremely exciting, but Browne earns another nice victory.
Official Decision: Browne def. Broughton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ben Rothwell (31-7) vs. Mark Hunt (6-7)
Round 1: Hunt misses with a combination to begin the third contest of the main card. Left hand lands for Rothwell. Hunt is very aggressive here, but he misses with another combination. They exchange, but no one lands. Out of nowhere, Rothwell gains mount after the fight goes to the ground. Hunt is back on his feet. Rothwell shoots in for a takedown.He has a single, but Hunt escapes yet again. Hunt gets him down to the floor and is in side control. Rothwell stands back up. He gets a takedown, but, once again, Hunt is back up. Rothwell gets him down again. Under 20 seconds in the round. Rothwell ends the frame in side control. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Rothwell.
Round 2: Rothwell lands a nice uppercut to start the round. Both fighters seem a bit tired now. Rothwell presses forward, and Hunt begins to throw. He lands a few before taking the fight to the ground. He is in side control. Hammerfists land for Hunt, but he is forced to guard now. Big shots from Hunt, and Rothwell looks spent. I don’t think he has much left in the gas tank. Rothwell is bloodied up. Hunt moves back to side control. Elbows from Hunt now, and this looks very bad for Rothwell. He attempts to scramble, but Hunt takes his back. He moves to full mount. He is looking for an armbar. He almost has it. Time is running out, and he can’t lock it on. Dominant round for Hunt. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Hunt.
Round 3: First off, Rothwell is completely drained. Hunt comes out with a combination. Hunt lands and is looking for a takedown. He has it. Only a matter of time now. Hunt with more shots from the top. The official stands them up. Rothwell looks very tired. He lands a nice left and looks for a takedown. Hunt reverses and gets on top. He lands a nice right hand, but Rothwell is okay. They are both exhausted. Hunt gets back on top after another takedown. He is in side control now. Hammerfist lands for Hunt. Rothwell is in big trouble. The referee stands them up, even though Hunt was in side control. Ridiculous. Rothwell is completely spent. He has nothing left. Hunt looks for the takedown, and Rothwell attempts a guillotine choke. 10 seconds remain, and he moves to full mount. Too little, too late for Rothwell. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Hunt.
Official Decision: Hunt def. Rothwell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)
Matt Hughes (45-8) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5)
Round 1: Hughes leading with a jab, but Koscheck avoids it well. Nice left hand lands for Koscheck. Hughes misses with a left. Combination scores for Koscheck. They are trading now, each landing shots here and there. Hughes lands a nice jab, followed by an uppercut. Another exchange, and Koscheck looks for a takedown. Hughes stuffs it. Koscheck lands a combination that hurts Hughes. He may be in trouble now. Hughes is down after a combination. Hammerfists from Koscheck as the round is closing out. The referee calls it. It’s over. Koscheck with the victory. Impressive finish after a slow start.
Official Decision: Koscheck def. Hughes via technical knockout at 4:59 of Round 1
Jon Jones (13-1) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8)
Round 1: Jones starts out really low, and it is very confusing. He looks for a takedown, but Jackson stuffs it. Jones pressing “Rampage” against the cage. Knees from Jones. Jackson reverses, but Jones turns and presses him against the cage again. Not much action here, as Jones seems content to keep his opponent against the fence. They separate. Kicks by Jones. They lock up again, and Jones throws Jackson away. They are back to boxing now. More kicks from Jones, who is keeping the distance very well. They clinch yet again and are up against the cage. Knees land for the champion. Spinning elbow lands for Jones as they separate. 20 seconds remain. He misses with a spinning kick, and “Rampage” lands at the end of the round, but it’s not enough. HeavyMMA.com scores it 10-9 for Jones.
Round 2: Kick misses for Jones to start the second round. He presses forward and pushes his opponent against the cage. Jones reverses and grabs Jackson’s neck. “Rampage” separates. Jones with a left hand, but he misses with a kick. Jackson continues to press forward, but is not finding much success. More kicks from Jones. “Rampage” is looking to counter, but Jones is remaining conservative. They clinch again, but separate shortly after. Another leg kick lands for Jones. Jackson needs to figure out his opponent’s striking. Another kick lands to the body of Jackson. Left hook is blocked by the champion. Jones with punches, but he doesn’t land flush. They clinch in the center of the Octagon. Jones with a last second triangle attempt, but the round comes to a close. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Jones.
Round 3: Jones locks up with Jackson, but eats a punch in the process. Jones looking to strike, but fails to land. He is looking for the takedown and he has it. Full mount for Jones. Jackson is in trouble here. Elbows from Jones. “Rampage” gets up, but eats a knee in the process. Jackson puts his hands up, urging Jones to come at him. Leg kick lands for Jones. And another. Jackson eats a punch and can’t seem to figure out Jones’ striking. Flying knee from Jones. Head kick is blocked, but the champion lands a jab. Jones with his hands down. He looks for a takedown at the end of the round. HeavyMMA.com scores the round 10-9 for Jones.
Round 4: Jackson presses forward early and dodges a head kick from Jones. They clinch in the middle of the cage, but Jones presses “Rampage” against the cage. Jackson is down, and Jones takes his back. He is looking for the rear naked choke. Jackson taps and defends his light heavyweight belt. Really nothing to say. Very impressive work from Jones.
Official Decision: Jones def. Jackson via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:14 of Round 4