Former Light Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, returned to the Octagon tonight (Sat., April 23, 2016) to the sound of, "Coming Home," a fitting tune since he was last in action more than one year ago. Standing in his way in the UFC 197 pay-per-view (PPV) interim Light Heavyweight championship main event was Ovince Saint Preux, a dangerous opponent who was filling in on short notice for injured division champion, Daniel Cormier.
Both fighters touched gloves, a sign of mutual respect, as Jones went back to his corner and crouched to that he could crawl out to the center of the cage like he often does. Jones open with a kick to the knee, then a spinning back kick to the gut, as Saint Preux circled to avoid additional punishment. Jones landed another kick to the knee that momentarily knocked Saint Preux off balance. Jones landed a hard side kick to the body that knocked Saint Preux back. Jones tried to land another spinning kick, but Saint Preux stopped and drilled him with a left hook from behind.
With two minutes to go, Jones slowed his roll, perhaps planning his next dynamic move, which was a knee to Saint Preux's forehead. Saint Preux tried to get in with an uppercut, but Jones just muscled him away. With 30 seconds remaining, Jones landed another spinning back kick to the belly. Saint Preux landed a jab, but Jones made him pay with a sweep and knee to the body as the round came to a close.
For complete UFC 197: "Jones vs. Saint Preux" results, including play-by-play updates and much more, click here and here.
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