LAS VEGAS — Jon Jones was a massive favorite to beat Anthony Smith at UFC 235 and didn't give his opponent room to breathe with a dominant performance, albeit without any controversy, as he retained the title with a unanimous decision victory in front of 14,790 at the T-Mobile Arena.
It wasn't terribly exciting as Jones spent much of the fight working Smith over with punishing kicks to the leg and body. Smith had nothing to offer in return with Jones controlling the difference and hurting Smith whenever he tried to take a step forward. By the third round, the fight was pretty much in the bag and all that was left for Jones was to decide how he wanted it to end. To Smith's credit, he wouldn't fold.
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Things almost took a turn for the worst in the fourth round as Jones completely dominated Smith on the ground. It appeared that the end was near as Jones ransacked Smith's body and head with short elbows and knees. However, an ill-advised knee to the head landed while Smith was down and caused a two-point deduction. Smith could have taken the easy way out and earned a disqualification victory, but decided to stay in the fight. The end was elementary and Jones cruised to a one-side victory with scores of 48-44 across the board.
Kamaru Usman made good on his promise to outhustle Tyron Woodley and became the new UFC welterweight champion with an absolutely dominant performance.
Usman pressed forward from the initial stanza and prevented Woodley from getting in any offense while securing takedowns over the vaunted wrestler. As the bout progressed, the fight was being slowly sapped from Woodley as Usman continued to crank up the aggression. It wasn't necessarily pretty as much of the fight took place in the clinch or with Woodley on his back, but the champion had absolutely no answers for the challenger on this night.
There was some drama in the fourth round as Usman clipped Woodley with a short elbow to the head that destroyed his equilibrium. Usman sought for the finish and Woodley swung for the fences, which made for an exciting moment in what was a one-sided performance as Usman ripped the title away Woodley with scores of 50-44, 50-44 & 50-45.
Here's how it all went down.
UFC 235 results
Jon Jones retains title with one-sided decision over Anthony Smith
This was a one-sided drubbing by Jon Jones, who had little trouble with Smith and earned scores of 48-44 across the board. It wasn't his best performance, but it was another session of dominance by arguably the greatest MMA fighter on the planet.
Round 5 (1:07 a.m.) : They start the fifth throwing hands. Smith knows he needs a knockout. Jones shoots for a takedown and Smith sprawls. Jones clinches with Smith along the fence and is working him over with knees, shoulder to the head and punches. Not a whole lot to write home about here. Easy round and an easy victory. 10-9 Jones (48-45 Jones)
Round 4 (1:01 a.m.) : Head kick by Jones and a body kick. Jones is all over Smith. And just racking him up. Body shots from Jones. He’s just finding a way to finish the fight. He tosses Smith down. Jones takes his back. Smith gets to his feet, but Jones takes him down again. Knees to the body. This is abuse. Jones with elbows and punches. The towel needs to be thrown in. This is ridiculous. Jones knees Smith to the head while he's down. Bad move. Smith might as well take the DQ or the No Contest. Instead, he gets up and Jones loses a point. 9-8 Smith (38-36 Jones)
Round 3 (12:53 a.m.) : Jones opens the third advancing and throwing kicks. Jones shoots for the takedown and has Smith pressed on the fence. Jones is just taking whatever is left out of Smith’s gas tank. Short knees from Jones to the legs of Smith. Left to the body. Another. Another. Big slam from Jones. Smith just wants to live. Jones waiting like a coiled snake. Jones is just wearing Smith out like a pair of old kicks. Utter domination to the point that this is a glorified sparring session. 10-9 Jones (30-27 Jones)
Round 2 (12:46 p.m.) : Jones is chopping up Smith with kicks. Spinning elbow by Jones lands. They clinch. Smith lands an overhand right. Jones doesn’t flinch. Jones with a head kick. He’s opening up the offense. Smith is desperately looking for an opening and Jones has shown him nothing. Jon Jones has absolutely destroyed Smith’s body and legs in the second round. A wicked right hook lands and Smith winces. A leg kick causes him to switch stances. This is all bad. 10-9 Jones (20-18 Jones)
Round 1 (12:40 p.m.) : Smith opens with a leg kick. Jones swings for the fences and misses. Spinning kick by Jones. Leg kick. Smith is waiting too long. Jones is downloading all of Smith's fight information. Spinning kick by Jones lands. Smith throws a head kick that Jones catches and clinches on the fence. Jones launches a head kick that is barely blocked. Kick to the chest by Jones. Easy round. 10-9 Jones
12:30 a.m. : Jon Jones heads to the Octagon with a huge smile on his face. He's made it clear he wants to fight four times this year. He's a massive favorite, but says he's not underestimating Smith.
12:27 a.m.: Anthony Smith enters the Octagon to "Return of the Mack" and looks loose. He doesn't appear to be overwhelmed by the moment. Let's see what happens when the fight begins.
12:19 a.m.: It's time for the main event. After witnessing what happened to Tyron Woodley, can Jon Jones turn back the advances of perennial underdog Anthony Smith and retain the UFC light heavyweight title or will Smith shock the world and take out arguably the greatest mixed martial artist on the planet?
Kamaru Usman wins UFC welterweight title with total domination over Tyron Woodley
This was total domination by Kamaru Usman. He owned Woodley in every facet of the game with high pressure, wrestling and neutralizing Woodley's striking. Unbelievable and with scores of 50-44, 50-44 & 50-45, Usman can now lay claim to the greatest welterweight on the planet.
Round 5 (12:09 a.m.) : Woodley is trying to get his bearings back and has Usman in a guillotine. Usman slams him for his troubles. The dominance that Usman has presented tonight is unreal. He’s owned Woodley in ever facet of the fight. Usman has Woodley pinned to the canvas and Woodley isn’t even trying to get up. He’s mentally defeated. Although Woodley may be the more skilled fighter, Usman was hungrier and put the pressure on Woodley to bust the champion down. 10-9 Usman (50-45 Usman).
Round 4 (12:02 a.m.) : The fourth round begins and Woodley is looking for something. Usman shoots and gets the takedown. I can hear Woodley's wife yelling from cageside for her husband to get to his feet. Usman hurts Woodley with a short elbow and Usman is all over him. It’s a dogfight! Woodley with a knee and Usman is unaffected.They swing, but Woodley is on shaky legs. Saved by the bell. 10-9 Usman (40-36 Usman)
Round 3 (11:55 p.m.) : Woodley letting his hands go to open the third. Usman closes the gap and starts clubbing him to the body. Usman cracks Woodley with a right and a left hook. He’s right back in his face and clinches along the cage. Woodley hasn't taken a step forward this entire fight. Usman has been the bully for three straight rounds. 10-9 Usman (30-27 Usman).
Round 2 (11:50 p.m.) : Usman pressuring Woodley to start the round and not allow Woodley the space to cut loose the big right hand. They clinch along the fence and the crowd boos. Usman cracks Woodley with a short elbow. There’s a whole lot of “I’m here now” from Usman. Usman takes down Woodley. Moves to full mount. This is bad. Usman has been all over Woodley from the beginning. He’s going to force Woodley to fight to win. Usman landing small punches in the mount. Usman postures up with elbows. Usman with a brief arm triangle. The round closes and Woodley is in a hole. 10-9 Usman (20-18 Usman)
Round 1 (11:44 p.m.) : Woodley circles and throws a counter right hand. Usman shoots for a takedown and Woodley stuffs it and goes for a guillotine. Usman’s safe, but a lesson learned. Woodley gets to his feet. They disengage. Usman shoots again for a takedown. Woodley stuffs. Woodley lands a right hand, but Usman ducks under the left and pins Woodley up against the cage. Round ends. 10-9 Usman
11:36 p.m. : Usman enters to music dedicated to his Nigerian heritage, while Woodley walks out to a medley of his own songs.
11:25 p.m. : It's co-main event time as Kamaru Usman will look to unseat the self-proclaimed greatest welterweight of all-time when he steps into the Octagon with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Can Usman take down the man who has been ruling the division with an iron fist the past few years or will Woodley continue his reign of dominance over the 170-pound division?
Ben Askren survives beating to get controversial stoppage of Robbie Lawler
11:21 p.m. : An unfortunate finish for a fight that was setting up to be an excellent one. Lawler survived a wicked beating, closed the distance and put his Olympic class wrestling on display. It might have ended sooner or later with the bulldog choke that Askren had, but Dean ended up halting it at the 3:20 mark.
11:19 p.m. : Askren gets a grip on Lawler and Lawler lifts him high over his head and slams him on his neck! Lawler with vicious strikes and it looks like it could be over. Askren somehow survives! Askren ties up Lawler and takes him down. Puts Lawler in a headlock and it's over! There's a ton of controversy here because Lawler didn't tap, but referee Herb Dean says Lawler was out. He clearly wasn't.
11:14 p.m.: Ben Askren makes his UFC debut next against Robbie Lawler. Askren was traded from ONE FC for Demetrious Johnson last November and the former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion gets his first fight in the Octagon against former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. A tall order but let's see if Askren can deliver and prove his trade value.
Weili Zhang runs winning streak to 19 against Torres
11:02 p.m.: Zhang's activity and striking were simply too much for Torres and she takes the decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Zhang has arrived and could be a problem for the rest of the division.
10:59 p.m. : A nice little exchange sees Torres land a few hard punches to open the third, but Zhang is undeterred. Zhang pushes Torres to the fence and lands some knees and body kicks on the inside. Zhang catches a leg kick and takes Torres down. Zhang lands elbows from half guard. She holds position for the final two minutes to take the round and likely the fight.
10:52 p.m .: Zhang and Torres have slowed down a bit as Zhang's striking keeps Torres offbalance. Eventually, Zhang takes Torres down, but "The Tiny Tornado" reverses and takes top position. A little back and forth as the round closes but ti's a close fight.
10:36 p.m. : Zhang's striking is extremely creative and Torres is trying to find a way to deal with it. Eventually, Zhang hops around to her back and looks for a choke but Torres escapes and goes for a hip toss. Torres lands the toss, but Zhang uses her momentum to sweep. Zhang is impressive.
10:33 p.m. : Up next is Tecia Torres against Weili Zhang. Zhang is looking to win her 19th fight in a row but can Torres — who is clearly the toughest opponent she has faced — put a stop to the Zhang train?
Pedro Munoz stops Cody Garbrandt in a wild first round affair
10:27 p.m. : The emotional wars that Garbrandt finds himself in need to stop. If Cody kept his composure, he could have done much better. Alas, Munoz gets the finish at the 4:52 and is creeping up on a title shot.
10:24 p.m. : Munoz attempts a heel hook early that Garbrandt fights off. Munoz lands a right hand that hurts Garbrandt badly. Munoz dives into his guard and Garbrandt gets to his feet. The two engage in a ridiculous back and forth of strikes until Munoz sneaks in a counter that puts the former champion down and out. Unreal that Munoz finished Garbrandt with the very counter that Dillashaw used to beat him. It needs to be said that Garbrandt should consider leaving Team Alpha Male because his striking hasn't improved.
10:04 p.m. : It's time for the UFC 235 pay per view and the main card will kick off with Cody Garbrandt looking to return to his winning ways against Pedro Munoz in bantamweight action. After starting his MMA career 11-0 and claiming the UFC bantamweight title, Garbrandt was knocked out in back-to-back fights against TJ Dillashaw. He desperately needs a victory to work his way back into title contention. Munoz is hoping to pick up his third win in a row and drop his name into the hat of title contenders.
Zabit Magomedsharipov takes decision over Jeremy Stephens
9:55 p.m. : Zabit Magomedsharipov takes the unanimous decision to the chagrin of the fans at T-Mobile Arena. It was a close fight, but the right man won with scores of 29-28, 29-28 & 29-28.
9:54 p.m. : Things got dicey for Stephens in the second round as Zabit took him down, sunk the hooks in and had his back. He worked from mount to the back with short elbows but Stephens managed to survive the round. They exchanged shoves at the close which likely means there will be some heat in the final frame. Unfortunately, that's not the case for the first half of the round with Zabit circling and Stephens trying to find the big punch. With a minute left, they exchange strikes with both getting good shots in. The fight ends and it doesn't seem like the vitriol between these two is settling down anytime soon.
9:41 p.m. : Zabit, searching for his range, cuts loose on some nasty leg kicks in the opening frame. Stephens is doing a lot of chasing until a kick to the groin stops the action. When the action picks back up, Zabit lands a hard body kick and a quick flurry of strikes. Nothing that slows Stephens down, but likely earned him the round.
9:30 p.m. : We're closing the UFC 235 prelims with a showdown between featherweights Jeremy Stephens and Zabit Magomedsharipov. Stephens is in need of a win after being turned back by Jose Aldo last July. As for Magomedsharipov, a lot of eyes are on him with 11 straight victories and being labeled as one to watch in the 145-pound division.
Johnny Walker decimates Misha Cirkunov with a flying knee in 36 seconds
9:11 p.m. : Johnny Walker just punched his ticket into the title contention conversation with an absolute annihilation of Cirkunov in the first round. Walker launched a flying knee and crushed his opponent. Cirkunov crumbled to the canvas and was sent home with follow-up strikes. Wow. That's three straight knockouts. Afterward, Walker admits that he dislocated his shoulder during his post fight celebration. Looks like the only person who can stop Walker is himself.
9:07 p.m .: Johnny Walker looks to run his winning streak to eight as he steps into the Octagon against the rugged Misha Cirkunov. Walker is shooting up the light heavyweight rankings and could find himself close to title contention with a win here.
Cody Stamman sneaks by Alejandro Perez
9:00 p.m. : It's an unpopular decision as Cody Stamman wins a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28 & 30-27. How a judge saw it a clean sweep for Stamman is beyond me.
8:58 p.m. : Perez comes out the final round as the aggressor with a takedown and a hard left hand. Stamman weathers the early storm and we're back to a chess match. Perez lands a hard left hook and is looking good in the final frame. What's been most impressive is Perez' ability to snuff out Stamman's takedown attempts. Perez with a strong finish and we go to the scorecards.
8:51 p.m : It's been a chess match after two rounds with Perez trying to read and fend off Stamman's takedown attempts. Tough fight to score, but have to figure Stamman is ahead heading into the final round.
8:34 p.m .: Up next is Cody Stamman vs. Alejandro Perez. Stamman is looking to get back into the win column after seeing a 10-fight winning streak halted by Aljamain Sterling last September. He'll have to get the victory against Perez, who is unbeaten in his last seven fights.
Diego Sanchez mauls Mickey Gall with 2nd round stoppage
8:26 p.m. : Gall is completely out of gas as Sanchez smothers him with vicious punches and elbows. Gall is doing everything he can to escape, but the seasoning of Sanchez is just too much as "The Nightmare" secures a second-round TKO. Sanchez lives to fight another day.
8:24 p.m. : Sanchez' tenacity is on full display, even though he's far from the fighter he was a decade ago. Gall had the upper hand in the striking early, but Sanchez managed to secure several takedowns to complicate how the judges saw the first frame. Here, in the second, Gall is working Sanchez over in the standup. Sanchez needs to get a takedown soon. Out of nowhere, a knee from Sanchez hurts Gall. A scramble ensues and Sanchez is on top. Interesting fight.
8:13 p.m. : Mickey Gall and Diego Sanchez are up next. Sanchez is the last man standing from season one of TUF and he's facing Gall, who is best known for his swift stoppage of Phil "C.M. Punk" Brooks. Can the elder statesman put out the young lion's fire?
8:07 p.m.: The first three fights on the prelims are a wrap. If how those fights played out are any indication, we could be in for a fun night. Edmen Shahbazyan made short work of Charles Byrd with a 38-second KO, Hannah Cifers squeezed by Polyana Viana in an exciting brawl and Macy Chiasson turned the lights out on Gina Mazany with a first-round TKO.
UFC 235 fight card
(winners in bold )
Main card
- Jon Jones (c) vs. Anthony Smith for Jones' light heavyweight title (UD - 48-44, 48-44, 48-44)
- Tyron Woodley (c) vs. Kamaru Usman for Woodley's welterweight title (UD - 50-44, 50-44 & 50-45)
- Robbie Lawler vs. Ben Askren ; welterweights (SUB 1 - 3:20)
- Tecia Torres vs. Weili Zhang ; women's strawweights (UD - 29-28, 30-27 & 30-27)
- Cody Garbrandt vs. Pedro Munhoz ; bantamweights (KO 1 - 4:52)
Preliminary card
- Jeremy Stephens vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov ; featherweight (UD - 29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Misha Cirkunov vs. Johnny Walker ; light heavyweights (TKO 1 - :36)
- Cody Stamann vs. Alejandro Pérez; bantamweights (UD - 29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Diego Sanchez vs. Mickey Gall; welterweights (TKO 2 - 4:13)
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Charles Byrd; middleweights (TKO 1 - :38)
- Gina Mazany vs. Macy Chiasson ; women's bantamweights (TKO 1 - 1:49)
- Polyana Viana vs. Hannah Cifers ; women's strawweights (SD - 29-28, 29-28 & 28-29)
UFC 235 latest news
- Whether Jon Jones is the greatest fighter of all time is a highly-debated conversation. Sporting News discusses how Jones can leave no doubt that it's him.
- A very special moment takes place in the last two fights at UFC 235, as four black men will be headlining the event. Former light heavyweight titlist Rashad Evans talks with SN about the historic moment.
- In the mood to win some money? Who isn't? SN breaks down the Jones vs. Smith main event and who you should place a wager on .
- Jon Jones carries a checkered past into UFC 235. He explains to SN how he plans on changing that narrative in his pursuit of greatness.
- Tyron Woodley has one goal in mind , as he looks to make another defense of the welterweight belt.
- Kamaru Usman went through a lot in the quest to challenge Tyron Woodley for welterweight gold. Usman tells SN his story of walking miles to get water in Nigeria, getting into fights at school once he got into the United States to now having the chance to change the rest of his life.
- UFC 235 features a lot of high profile names. We tell you why Pedro Munhoz is the fighter you need to watch out for.
