Here’s a look at the biggest winners at UFC 152, including the man who went from villain to hero in one night.
Jon Jones
It didn’t take long for fans to go from booing the man who was considered public enemy No. 1 to cheering enthusiastically for him. All it took was a gutsy performance in a Submission of the Night-winning victory.
That and a little Bob Marley.
The UFC’s light-heavyweight champion, who was criticized harshly for his decision last month to pass on a last-minute replacement fight against Chael Sonnen that eventually led to the cancellation of UFC 151, was jeered as expected when he came out for the main event of Saturday’s UFC 152 in Toronto.
But Jones very appropriately chose Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” as his walkout song, and after he defeated Belfort by fourth-round submission, it appeared that set the tone for the night.
“I try to fight for the people who respect me and love me and I knew I was going to get booed but I honestly thought the crowd turned around, people were clapping,” Jones said. “You can’t boo a Bob Marley singer.”
By the end of the fight, there were a few more people who loved and respected him than when he started, and that was due in no small part in the way he achieved victory on this night. He not only dominated the legendary Belfort, but he did it for most of the fight with one arm working at full capacity, after his right arm was almost snapped by his dangerous opponent in the first round.
Not to mention that he overcame the adversity, both mentally and physically, of the tight armbar that could have handed him his first loss as the 205-pound title-holder. But Jones found a way to hang in, avoid tapping, and eventually escape the submission attempt. And then he found a way to keep Belfort at bay for three more rounds until he finally pull out the victory.
When Jones took Belfort down and was working for the Americana, there was nothing but cheers for him and when Belfort quickly tapped out, the crowd erupted like he was the man they were rooting for all along. No more chants of “Vitor! Vitor!” that were peppered throughout the first couple of rounds. The crowd had turned because they appreciated what he could do inside the cage.
Indeed, he could be loved. Appreciated for how good he is, and forgiven for the mistakes he has made.
“There’s no doubt that was his best performance, he looked phenomenal tonight,” UFC president Dana White said. “He got injured in that first round, got that elbow popped. There was a lot of questions about Jon Jones that people kept asking over and over again, no matter who he fought, no matter how good he fought, could he take a punch? He got hit with some big punches tonight from a real puncher, and he was injured. He had the heart to keep going and he had a great fight tonight. There can be no more naysaying about Jon Jones.
“Listen, you love him or you hate him. If you don’t like him, whatever, if you like him, good. But you can’t deny that the kid is extremely talented and one of the best in the world.”
Vitor Belfort
The former UFC champion may have come up short Saturday, but Belfort came the closest to truly defeating Jones than anyone ever has.
Forget about Jones’ only official loss to Hamill — who apparently whispered “16… and one” to Jones at one point Saturday when they passed each other in the halls — that only blemish on his record was a disqualification for an illegal elbow that was unnecessary as he was already dominating that 2009 fight. Until Saturday, nobody had come close to beating Jones before.
Jones had never even really been in trouble, but Belfort showed some savvy like no other. While most thought Belfort had only a puncher’s chance against Jones, it was actually by avoiding the standup, where Jones’ reach gave him too much of an edge, and relying on his grappling game that almost managed him a stunning upset.
Belfort was already highly appreciated for his willingness to step up and take this fight in the first place, yet to perform so admirably — many people, including yours truly didn’t think he’d survive a round or two, nevermind have a decent chance to win — that will earn him respect that will go an even longer way with the organization.
Demetrious Johnson
It goes without saying that it was a big night for DJ, not only winning a UFC title for the first time, but being able to have the distinction of being the first ever flyweight champion. Whether he keeps that belt for a while or he loses it in his very next fight — which White confirmed will be against the winner of the John Dodson- Jussier da Silva match next month — that piece of history is something that will never be taken away from him.
While his win was a split decision that some, including his opponent himself, thought should have gone to Joseph Benavidez, there was no doubt that Johnson fought hard enough to deserve the victory. White thought he clearly won — and had a few choice words for the fans who booed during the fight. Johnson showed yet again why he’s nicknamed Mighty Mouse with his speed, athleticism and work ethic. And now he has the shiny new belt.
Michael Bisping
The only man who may have had more detractors than Jones, The Count has also been turning fans around with not just his performances but his self-awareness. He had plenty of both Saturday night, first employing a smart and effective gameplan against Brian Stann, whom he proved was just a notch below his talent level by outclassing him in the standup and taking him down at will as the fight wore on.
After the fight, Bisping admitted to saying and doing stupid things as a younger fighter, but also recognized that he is who he is, love him or hate him. On this night, they loved him.
That includes White, who mostly dodged the question whether he now deserves a title shot, but did say the UFC brass had been discussing a Bisping vs. Anderson Silva fight and called it “interesting.”
And in a post-fight media scrum, White went even further in praising the British superstar.
“Look how long Bisping has been in the UFC and how many fights he’s won and how many he’s lost. And the fights he’s lost, look who he’s lost against,” White said. “There’s no doubt he’s one of the best in the world and has been for a long time … We’ll see what happens.”
That’s code for “we’re strongly considering making it happen.” And if Bisping finally does get that title shot, that’s an even bigger win for him than simply beating Stann.
Canadian fighters
If only Roger Hollett hadn’t been re-added to the fight card, Canadians would have been perfect on the night for the first time on a UFC card on Canadian soil.
Still, 3-1 isn’t bad, as Mitch Gagnon, Sean Pierson and T.J. Grant all came out victorious. Gagnon earned his first UFC victory, in just over a minute, Pierson won for the first time in his home town, and Grant won a hard-fought decision over a tough Evan Dunham, and won Fight of the Night for an extra $65,000. White was impressed with Gagnon and Pierson and said Grant looked “awesome.”
As for Hollett, White said he’ll get a bit of a pass for his lacklustre performance in a loss to Matt Hamill considering it was his UFC debut, as well as the fact that he took the fight on two weeks’ notice.
Honourable mention: Cub Swanson, who won Knockout of the Night by putting Charles Oliveira out cold; and Vinny Magalhaes, who pulled off a lightning-quick armbar on Igor Pokrajac in his return to the UFC after three-and-a-half years.