UFC 285: JONES VS GANE RESULTS
The UFC returned home to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night with the best fight card of the year, after starting the pay-per-view season with two events abroad.
The flyweight and heavyweight championship fights at UFC 285 culminated 14 exciting contests in seven weight classes. The action was intense right away.
Here's a look at how it all transpired: new names made statements; new competitors arose; and new champions were crowned.
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Early Prelims Results
Loik Radzhabov defeats Esteban Ribovics by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Esteban Ribovics and Loik Radzhabov, two rookies, engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth in the lightweight division to start the program.
The first right hand Radzhabov delivered knocked Ribovics to the ground, and later in the opening round, he wobbled him once more before turning to his wrestling. When Ribovics delivered a clean shot to the body in the second round and followed it up with a right hand to the jaw, Radzhabov was in a precarious position.
In the third, Radzhabov started the match with more powerful blows, and even though Ribovics was able to withstand them, he kept losing the fight. Despite having Radzhabov wounded late in the third round, Ribovics was unable to take advantage as Radzhabov found ways to clinch, scramble, and salt away the win.
Both fighters gave tremendous performances in their respective UFC debuts, with Radzhabov proving why he was a strong favorite despite the short notice and Ribovics improving his standing despite losing.
Farid Basharat defeats by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Farid Basharat began the process of catching up to his older brother Javid in terms of UFC victories by defeating Da'Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision in his official debut.
The younger Basharat, who took the same route through Dana White's Contender Series as his brother, fought a similar tactical battle versus Blackshear, outhustling the Jackson-Wink MMA fighter with his slick, assured hitting and timed wrestling. Every time Blackshear seemed ready to change the momentum, Basharat found a way to respond, getting up or finishing a takedown of his own to stop the flow and maintain control.
Basharat had to withstand a last-second triangle choke attempt in order to get his hand raised and advance to 10-0 with the victory, increasing the siblings' combined record in the UFC Octagon to 4-0.
Tabatha Ricci defeats Jessica Penne by submission (armbar) 2:14 of Round 2
On Saturday night, Tabatha Ricci put on the best performance of her career and won her third straight round by submission against previous championship challenger Jessica Penne in the second round.
"Baby Shark" won the first round with her grappling and had the upper hand in the sparring matches because she was the fastest and more athletic of the two. The veteran tried to attack off her back in the second, but Ricci spun through and locked in the armbar, stretching it and forcing Penne to tap. This ended the match.
Following her promotional debut loss to challenger Manon Fiorot, Ricci is currently establishing herself as a rising star in the 115-pound weight division. She is 3-0 at strawweight and getting more at ease with each outing, so keep an eye on her in the future.
Cameron Saaiman defeats Mana Martinez by majority decision (29-26, 28-27, 28-28)
For the second round in a row, Cameron Saaiman dropped a point, but it didn't matter because he defeated Mana Martinez by majority decision to maintain his perfect record.
As Saaiman unintentionally kicked below the belt twice in the opening round, he was penalized one point. The 22-year-old proceeded to lead the dance and take the fight to Martinez, dropping him in the second with a jab and finishing the round landing damage from top position, much like in his debut against Steven Koslow.
In the third, Saaiman increased the intensity after receiving an eye poke, forcing Martinez to the ground and landing elbows. Martinez continued to display his signature toughness, but "MSP" was unquestionably the better man on Saturday, sweeping the scorecards to improve to 8-0 on the year and 2-0 inside the Octagon.
Ian Machado Garry defeats Song Kenan by TKO (strikes) at 4:22 of Round 3
Late in the first, there was a scare, but Ian Machado Garry managed to avoid it and won the game.
For the first four minutes of the opening frame, the Irish welterweight was picking away Song, but he was struck with a left hook that sent him to the ground, giving the Chinese veteran the advantage and the round. But, the 25-year-old made a good recovery and attacked Song in the second round, displaying improved awareness of the counter while continuing to mix up his attacks. He continued this strategy into the third round to leave Song bloodied and broken.
Machado Garry opened out after realizing that Song was wounded late in the frame. He landed a dozen unanswered punches on Song's feet, sending Song to the mat, and a few more to end the fight.
Machado Garry needed to make a statement like this in order to revive interest in his potential.
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Prelim Fight Results
Marc-Andre Barriault defeats Julian Marquez by TKO (strikes) at 4:12 of Round 2
On Saturday, middleweights Marc-Andre Barriault and Julian Marquez engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth fight that culminated with Barriault pouring it on and finishing Marquez near the fence late in the second.
Barriault turned away from the exchanges after Marquez repeatedly stabbed him in the first round due to his superior fighting technique and early advantage. In contrast, "Powerbar" lived up to his name in the second round, choking Marquez with a relentless torrent of blows from the opening bell and continuing to pressure the Dana White's Contender Series graduate until referee Mark Smith was compelled to intervene and call time on the contest.
Barriault put on a strong performance to earn his fourth UFC victory and return to the winning ways with the stoppage victory.
Amanda Ribas defeats Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
At UFC 285, Amanda Ribas, who had not competed since last spring, won by unanimous decision over Viviane Araujo, a fellow Brazilian, in the televised preliminary bout.
Through the first round, the two fought evenly, landing good shots on each other sometimes. But, early in the second round, Ribas wounded and downed Araujo, chasing her to the ground. Her search for the arm triangle choke took up a significant chunk of the round. Despite Araujo's strong defense, Ribas stayed on her and climbed onto her back to maintain control until the finish of the round.
In the third round, Ribas continued to fight with assurance and poise, landing many of Araujo's blows on the end and dodging most of the follow-up shots. In the waning seconds, Araujo attempted a Hail Mary armbar, but she dodged it and sealed the victory with a combination of spinning kicks and high kicks.
The perpetually happy Ribas put in a tremendous performance in her victory, which improved her overall record to 12-3 and brought her Octagon record up to 6-2.
Dricus du Plessis defeats Derek Brunson by TKO (corner stoppage) at 4:59 of Round 2
The litmus test for middleweight aspirants has long been Derek Brunson, and Dricus Du Plessis passed it on Saturday.
Du Plessis survived the storm and scored some well-placed blows of his own, including one right at the end of the first round. Brunson had a lot of success in the opening round, knocking him to the ground and hurting him on his feet. In the second, Du Plessis, who was the more rested of the two, began to gain the upper hand. He repeatedly stung Brunson before putting him on the canvas and continued to attack.
Brunson's corner decided to end the fight as Du Plessis continued to pound away from inside the worn-out and bruised middleweight's guard.
The up-and-coming "Stillknocks" doesn't always have it easy, but he's now 5-0 in the UFC and on an eight-fight winning streak overall. When the middleweight rankings are updated the next week, this ought to help him advance and set himself up for a tougher opponent the following time around.
Cody Garbrandt defeats Trevin Jones by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Former champion Cody Garbrandt finished the UFC 285 preliminary bouts by defeating Trevin Jones with patience and poise.
Garbrandt, who entered having lost five of his previous six fights and was on a two-fight losing streak, was the quicker and more aggressive of the two throughout, picking his moments to snipe at Jones, who had trouble finding "No Love" throughout. Late in the battle, Jones delivered the most powerful blows, stinging Garbrandt before knocking him to the ground and landing another right hand on his chin.
For the Guam boxer, it was too little, too late, as Garbrandt accomplished enough in the opening two rounds to earn the victory by decision.
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Main Card Fight Results
Bo Nickal defeats Jamie Pickett by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:54 of Round 1
Bo Nickal quickly closed the gap and grabbed Jamie Pickett, and as soon as he did, it was over. After forcing Pickett to the ground with his debuting Penn State standout, Pickett was eventually choked by an arm-triangle hold. He then painstakingly worked to alter his grasp and secure the tap.
Everyone anticipated a one-way finish from the three-time Division I National champion wrestler, and that's exactly what they got. Even though Nickal is just 4-0 in mixed martial arts, he is already a danger for anyone who ends up on the canvas with him as he advances in the middleweight level.
Mateusz Gamrot defeats Jalin Turner by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner squared up as Top 10 lightweights on the main card, and while Turner prevailed in the standing striking exchanges, Gamrot prevailed when the bout hit the mat.
The taller Turner was successfully knocked off his feet by the Polish veteran Gamrot throughout each round, but he only really scored a blow in the middle frame when he executed a crucifix takedown to end the session. The 27-year-old Turner displayed his strength when they were standing, repeatedly stinging "Gamer" in the air, notably down the stretch in the third round.
The outcome of each of the three rounds depended on how the judges interpreted the activity. Gamrot was the one to walk away with the split decision victory after the points were added up.
The veteran pulled off a remarkable triumph, accepting the fight on short notice and returning to the winning column. Turner's five-fight winning streak comes to an end with the defeat, but the gifted 27-year-old should learn a lot from the setback.
Shavkat Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:17 of Round 3
Midway through the UFC 285 main event, the unbeaten rising star triumphed over tenacious DWCS graduate Geoff Neal to earn his fifth straight victory in the UFC and 17th straight victory overall. The 28-year-old was put through his most difficult test yet, and despite a few tense moments, he succeeded.
The rated welterweights engaged in foot combat in each of the three rounds, with Rakhmonov providing more variety and volume. Early in the third, Neal had him rocked but was unable to find the shot to knock him out, allowing Rakhmonov to close the gap and have a chance to recover.
Late in the frame, the unbeaten "Nomad" struck Neal with a clean right hand before adding knees to the body to further inflict pain. Somehow, though, the Fortis MMA fighter managed to maintain his balance. With only a few seconds left, Rakhmonov secured a standing rear-naked choke to secure the victory as the two grapplers struggled along the rail.
This bout raised the profile of both combatants and was the most entertaining of the year thus far. With the win, Rakhmonov improves to 17-0 and should face a Top 5 opponent the following time out.
Co-Main Event: Alexa Grasso defeats Valentina Shevchenko by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:34 of Round 4
In the fourth round, the Mexican challenger fully capitalized on Valentina Shevchenko's tactical error to secure the rear-naked choke victory.
The entire battle was extremely competitive, and in the first round, Grasso shocked Shevchenko by fighting from a southpaw stance. Grasso maintained her composure and continued to take advantage of her openings as the champion switched to her grappling to gain a lead going into the championship rounds.
Shevchenko failed to land a spinning back kick, so Grasso immediately jumped on her back and went for the choke, locking her in with her hooks, flattening her out, and eventually drawing out the tap.
With this outstanding performance, Grasso joined Brandon Moreno and Yair Rodriguez as the third fighter from Mexico to win the championship gold this year. Such an outstanding performance from the new champion!
Main Event: Jon Jones defeats Ciryl Gane by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:04 of Round 1
Little over a minute into the fight, "Bones" knocked Ciryl Gane to the ground; the French heavyweight was never able to stand back up. When "Bon Gamin" successfully defended off the first attempt at a guillotine choke, Jones climbed into a mounted position and began attempting a second one, which resulted in a swift tap from Gane.
Jones needed less than a round to reclaim the heavyweight title after a three-year absence. In the process, he increases his winning run to five games and raises his record to 27-1 with one No Contest. The 35-year-old, who is still one of the most extraordinary talents to ever enter the Octagon, put out an incredibly overpowering performance in this contest.
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