However for what many experts predicted to be a definite knockout for Jones ended up going the distance, as he looking a shadow of his former self early in the fight.
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Jon Jones made his return to the Octagon in more than a year Saturday night at UFC 197. “It is what Ovince Saint Preux has been waiting for”.
Jones has been on the sidelines for almost 16 months dealing with legal issues, and perhaps he experienced a bit of ring rust as UFC president Dana White feels. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier was on commentary for the fight (doing a critically acclaimed job), and Jones stared him down, before flipping the champion off on his way back to the dressing room.
Of course, Jones’ battle would be a bigger deal and a potential rematch with Daniel Cormier would be a quality addition.
If his version of “sucking” is easily beating a top-10 fighter to capture a UFC belt-even if it was the interim version-that’s pretty good.
With such a high profile fight on the card, as well as the flyweight championship, several fighters rose to the occasion, but only four could go home with the UFC’s official post-fight bonuses in hand. Him and UFC president Dana White both have expressed doubts that Jones would’ve been able to beat him with a performance like this one. “OSP” replaced the injured Cormier in the main event bout on less than one month’s notice and went five rounds with the fighter many call the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. “I want my actual belt back”.
Jones opened the fight at a slow pace, getting a feel for the cage in his first fight since last January.
There was no further update on Saint Preux’s condition immediately after the fight but it looks like he’ll be sidelined for a little while after he gets patched up in Las Vegas.
More: Georges St-Pierre Talks About Return to Octagon, Ronda Rousey To Get Title Shot in NY?
The UFC management has yet to release word on how long Saint Preux might be on the mend from fighting.
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Jones was stripped of the title he had held since 2011 last April after being charged in a hit-and-run case, an incident for which he was subsequently sentenced to 18 months probation.
