Clock & Brock
Jones KOs Cormier for title, calls out Lesnar
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The end came with a sudden viciousness built up over the past two years.
It started with a leg kick to the head, and once Jon “Bones” Jones swept Daniel Cormier off his feet, he began a relentless ground and pound fueled by anger and redemption.
With a battered Cormier defenseless, the referee had no choice but to stop the fight at 3:01 of the third round of their UFC light-heavyweight showdown Saturday night at the Honda Center.
Jones regained the title at UFC 214 that was stripped from him in 2015 after he was involved in a hit-andrun accident. He had fought just once since serving two suspensions.
“I made it back,” Jones said. “I did a lot of right things to get back to this position. As long as you don’t quit, it’s never over.”
The first two rounds were competitive and close. Cormier (19-2) appeared to stagger Jones with a right hand in the second round, but the end came suddenly in the third round once Jones landed the leg kick. Jones, as the champion, won their first meeting in January 2015 by decision.
Jones (23-1) called out former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar after the fight.
“If you want to get your [butt] kicked by someone who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the octagon,” Jones said.
Jones’ victory was one of three title fights on the pay-per-view card. Cris “Cyborg” Justino won the women’s 145-featherweight title, while Tyron Woodley successfully defended his welterweight crown.
Justino, considered by many the best female fighter on the planet, dropped Tonya Evinger with the first punch she threw in the first round. But Evinger got up and fought gamely over the first two rounds, absorbing hard blows and kicks from Cyborg, who applied relentless pressure.
Evinger (19-6) finally caved in the third round.
The end began with a kick to the head that dropped a battered Evinger. Justino (18-1) went for the finish with an explosive ground and pound that forced the referee to stop the bout at 1:56 of the round.
Germaine de Randamie became the UFC’s first women’s featherweight champion when she defeated Holly Holm at UFC 208 at Barclays Center. But Randamie refused to defend the title against Justino because of Justino’s past connections to performance enhancing drugs. Justino is the champion now. “I’m really happy to be champ,” the Brazilian said. “It’s the perfect time for me. This is just the beginning.”
Woodley (18-3-1) retained his welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Damian Maia (26-6) in a fight fans hated for its overall lack of action. Woodley escaped the repeated takedowns by Maia and won the fight with his accurate, if limited striking. The bout reportedly set a record for fewest strikes thrown in a championship.
Robbie Lawler also won a unanimous decision over Donald Cerrone.