UFC
UFC ON VERSUS RESULTS: Jon Jones lives up to the hype in first round defeat of Brandon Vera
Mar 22, 2010 - 8:04:01 AM UFC ON VERSUS RESULTS: Jon Jones lives up to the hype in first round defeat of Brandon Vera

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

IFast-rising light-heavyweight UFC fighter Jon Jones faced his toughest opponent to date last night in Brandon Vera. At 3:16 of the first round, Jones mounted and elbowed Vera in the right temple, causing Vera to turn his back and cover up until the ref stepped in and stopped the fight.

After a clinch, Jones immediately took Vera down with a hip throw. He quickly settled into the guard, but Vera kicked him off and stood back up seconds later. Jones, though, took him to the ground yet again.

Vera, in his only real offense of the night, landed an upkick. Since Jones was on one knee, it was illegal. Referee Herb Dean took a point away for the infraction.

After giving the rattled Jones time to recover, Dean gave Jones the option of restarting in the same position. Jones took that option. Vera nearly hit him with another illegal upkick, but Jones continued to fight through for a better position. It was here that he started unleashing short elbows, and finally connected on a big one right to the eye socket of Vera, who immediately curled up in pain with his hands over his eye.

Jones then finished him off in a flurry to force the stoppage at 3:19 of the first round.

Jones showed in this, his fifth UFC fight and first main event, that he is ready for a top level contender and maybe, quickly, a title shot. (It's self-evidence that his first main event is his "biggest stage" so no need to write it; another case of omitting needless words.)