In a pre-fight interview UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones interestingly said that that his DUI arrest had ‘set him free’ from expectations and trying to be perfect.
But the youngest ever UFC champion put in a near-perfect performance forcing Vitor Belfort to tap in round four and retain his belt at UFC 152 in Toronto.
Jones was arrested back in May after crashing his car into a telegraph pole, but he is trying to turn the ordeal into a positive saying that it’s a blessing and another opportunity for him to grow into a man.
Many didn’t expect Belfort, a replacement for Dan Henderson, to test Jones, but the former UFC Heavyweight champion had the 25 year old in deep waters midway through round one when Belfort worked for an armbar.
Belfort had Jones close to breaking point, with the current champion saying that he’s never had his arm popped like that before, but admitted he was never going to tap.
“He got that armbar in every way, shape and form,” Jones admitted. “I honestly was waiting for it to break. I was not going to tap out.”
But that is where the real Jon Jones kicked into gear. While many fighters may have crumbled under the pressure of the submission, Jones rallied on with the state of his arm unknown, and cut Belfort open with his trademark elbows, leaving the Brazilian veterans face resembling a bloody mess.
Jones continued his dominance through the middle rounds and early in round four he secured the takedown on Belfort, moving to side control and locked on an Americana forcing Belfort to tap.
The victory was Jones’ eighth straight and fourth defense of the UFC title. The heart showed by Jones to fight through the injury and out of the early and damaging armbar was a display of a seasoned veteran.
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