All eyes were on Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 172 when he defended his light heavyweight title for a seventh consecutive time against Glover Teixeira.
Perhaps the only question Jones faced on Saturday night was whether his confidence had been shaken, following his five-round war with Alexander Gustafsson last September.
The 26-year-old phenom had effortlessly breezed through contenders before meeting Gustafsson in a bout many are calling the greatest title fight in UFC history. While wading through the fires of endless criticism, Jones had remained virtually flawless in his professional career up until that point.
Some believed the close call with Gustafsson awakened a sleeping giant. Others thought Jones’ slight brush up with mortality would make him more tentative and subsequently lead to his downfall against Teixeira.
Devastating results are a natural occurrence whenever Teixeira puts knuckle to chin. The Brazilian slugger torched 20 straight foes on his way to a UFC title shot. There wasn’t any doubt he’d come out swinging in hopes of adding the most important head yet to his ever-growing mantle.
But Jon Jones wouldn’t be denied on Saturday night, earning a 50-45 unanimous decision over the challenger.
The reigning UFC champ defeated Teixeira and ended the 20 fight win streak to prove once more why he is a worthy successor to Anderson Silva’s pound-for-pound throne.
Here is the round-by-round recap of the UFC 172 main event.
