UFC 172: Jones Drags Teixeira Into His World
Jon Jones retained the UFC light heavyweight championship against Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 on April 26, 2014. Fighting at Baltimore Arena, Jones won a unanimous decision after five rounds and completed the seventh successful defense of his championship.
The champion wins every scorecard
All three judges returned scores of 50–45. Teixeira’s pressure did not produce the title change he sought, and Jones demonstrated that he could win an extended contest at close quarters as well as use his reach at distance. The result followed Jones’s much tighter defense against Alexander Gustafsson the previous September.
Anthony Johnson delivered the co-main event’s other major light heavyweight result. He defeated Phil Davis by unanimous decision across three rounds, adding an important victory against an established contender. His performance gave the division another significant development beneath the champion’s successful defense.
Johnson and Rockhold seize their opportunities
At middleweight, Luke Rockhold submitted Tim Boetsch at 2:08 of the first round. The early finish contrasted with the two light heavyweight contests, both of which required the judges to determine a winner after the scheduled distance.
The evening brought together several different routes to victory: Rockhold ended his assignment quickly, Johnson completed three rounds against Davis, and Jones controlled a championship contest over five. For Teixeira, the title opportunity ended in a clear points defeat. For Jones, Baltimore supplied another successful defense and a response to questions raised by his previous championship test. He left UFC 172 with the belt still firmly in his possession.
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UFC 172, UFC history, MMA
