If you have been reading this site for a while you will remember that I predicted Lyoto Machida would give Jon Jones his toughest test to date and I wasn’t wrong when the two finally met at UFC 140. But as we all know what sets true champions apart from the rest is how they deal and subsequently overcome adversity.
For the first time in his UFC career Jones lost a round. Despite two judges giving him the first round it was clearly Machida’s, Dana White and Ariel Helwani both agree with my sentiments as well if you watch their post UFC 140 interview.
In the first round Machida used his speed and elusiveness to avoid Jones’s attacks while countering him with flurries of punches and kicks when he leaped in and out of range. For all watching it looked like we were returning to the Machida Era. The look of bewilderment on Jones face at the end of round 1 only added to the feeling that it would be Lyotos night. But Jones proved why he’s the champion and did it with BJJ.
In the second round Jones switched his tactics and shot for a takedown. While on the ground he used his razor sharp elbows to open a nasty cut above Machida’s eye. Referee Big John McCarthy then called a stop to the fight so Lyoto could be looked at by the cageside doctor to access the severity of the injury.
After the restart the two traded punches until Machida got caught with a right straight that caused him to stumble. He attempted to turn this fall into a takedown. But Jones latched on to a guillotine as Machida attempted to back out and get back up to his feet.
Jones used a modified guillotine in which he pressed Machida up against the cage to put pressure on both sides of the neck. From the GIF you can see that Jones uses his right hand to push up his left arm in a kind of lever fashion to put incredible pressure onto the neck of Lyoto. Not only is he being choked but he’s also getting neck cranked at the same time. Joe Rogan said at the end of the fight that it is the same choke Cody McKenzie likes to use (known as the McKenzietine 
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There is no denying that Jon Jones has amazing reach but seeing how he finished that submission, it seems to me that he has a heavyweights strength even though he fights at light heavyweight.
Jones holds the choke until Machida goes limp and John McCarthy is forced to stop the fight (late in my opinion, which isn’t like Big John). Jones then performs the greatest walk off submission I have ever seen, leaving Machida to fall, unconscious face first onto the mat. I said after the Rampage fight that I could see Jones being champion for a long time and this fight further cements that theory.
Rener and Ryron Gracie break down how Jon was able to submit Machida. They also break down the submissions from Diego Brandao and Tony Ferguson from the ultimate fighter finale and Frank Mir’s kimura armlock that broke Minotauro Nogueira’s arm.
What did you think of 140? Do you think Jon Jones will be the champion for a long time? Le me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading cheers, and all the best to you!
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