UFC Fight Breakdown: Did Thiago Santos Beat Jon Jones?

UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Teixeira is around the corner and will decide the number one contender. Thiago Santos is favored to win the fight, much in part due to his efforts against Jon Jones in his last outing. ‘Marreta’ put forth one of the hardest tests of Jones’ career and left some to believe that he had won.

Let’s take a look at Santos’ star-making performance that unfolded in the main event for UFC 239 in Las Vegas.

UFC 239: Jon Jones vs Thiago Santos

The first-round went to the challenger, who worked the legs of Jones from the very outset of their meeting. He also knocked out Jones’ mouthpiece, thus displaying his power early in the contest. Jon was happy to let the first-round slip by and worked on his distance management.

As the fight progressed, it seemed like ‘Marreta’ was twitching his knee rather uncomfortably. Jon Jones decided to capitalize on his declining forward pressure and began ramping up his aggression. Despite the clear difficulty in planting his leg, Thiago wasn’t afraid to unexpectedly explode into Jones’ range. He continued throwing heavy artillery with his legs, but it was clear he couldn’t effectively stick his landing.

It was later revealed that he suffered a torn ACL, MCL, PCL, and Meniscus mid-way through his bout against ‘Bones’. This went a long way in magnifying his performance, as it was clear that he was struggling to stand upright. Some fans believe that Jon had missed a step, and he wasn’t able to capitalize on a compromised opponent.

The general fan consensus is that Jon Jones did just enough to squeak out a win on the scorecards. Chiefly, it was Santos’ early barrage, overall intensity and the heart he displayed that made fans believe he won. Jon Jones did just enough to ensure that he had outpointed an aggressive opponent and never chased the finish.

Moreover, UFC President Dana White reaffirmed this narrative when he spoke out after UFC 239 had wrapped up. White went so far as to say that Thiago Santos was ‘completely dominated’ by the champion.