Jon Jones may have successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title on Saturday night in Las Vegas, but it wasn’t easy.
Jones beat Thiago Santos via split decision at UFC 239 at T-Mobile Arena. Two judges scored it three rounds to two for Jones, while the other had it three rounds to two for Santos.
Santos gave Jones everything he could handle, despite hurting his knee in the first round. Jones likewise was hurt in the fight and needed to be helped out of the cage after the win.
Jon Jones needed help leaving ring #ufc239 pic.twitter.com/Bpa5x95QIi
— Robert Littal (@BSO) July 7, 2019
Facing a Muay Thai kickboxing specialist in Santos was a tough stylistic matchup for Jones. He said he was proud of himself for standing with Santos throughout the fight.
"I'm proud of myself actually. I stood and fought with a guy that's been kickboxing way longer than me." – Jon Jones #UFC239
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) July 7, 2019
"He exploited a hole in my game, and that's something that won't be there next time." – Jon Jones #UFC239
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) July 7, 2019
Jones, 31, has now improved to 25-1 with 1 no contest in his career. His lone loss came in 2009 because of a disqualification due illegal elbows, meaning he has not been defeated in his professional MMA career.
