UFC 235 results – Jones vs. Smith, Woodley vs. Usman
UFC 235 takes place Saturday, March 2 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The highly anticipated fight card features two title fights.
In the main event, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defended his title against the surging “Lionheart” Anthony Smith. Jones dominated the fight over the underdog but it did not come without controversy. Jones knees a downed Smith, but instead of deciding that he cannot continue in the competition, Smith says that he is ok and decides not to get the easy win. The contest goes the full 25-minutes and Jones says that Smith was one of his toughest opponents to date. Despite the point deduction, Jones retains his title.
The evening’s co-main event featured welterweight champion Tyron Woodley defending his strap against number one contender Kamaru Usman. Usman has never looked better. He dominated the champion bell to bell to include a possible 10-8 round. Woodley’s coaches tell him that he needs to bite down on his mouthpiece and fight through it. In the fifth and final round they tell him that he has to KO Usman in order to get a win. It was not enough though. Usman continued to dominate. NO other words to describe it. 25-minutes in favor of the challenger who is now your new UFC welterweight champion. Usman is the first African-born champion in UFC history.
Former 170-pound champion Robbie Lawler welcomed former Bellator and ONE Championship star and title holder, Ben “Funky” Askren. Lawler absolutely destroyed Askren in the opening minutes of the fight, dropping him on this head and then battered and bloodied his opponent with elbows and punches. Askren miraculously survives and locks in a bulldog choke on Lawler. Lawler’s arm drops limp and referee Herb Dean calls an end to the fight. Some say it was an early stoppage but Lawler didn’t really seem to protest it much. Askren then questioned if that was Dana White’s best challenge.
Former Jungle Fights champion Polyana Viana landed more significant strikes in her three round affair with Hannah Cifers but it was Cifers that was able to edge out a split decision victory in the opening bout on the card. While Cifers pulled out the win, it did not come easy. She will be transported to an area hospital for an injury to her arm.
It didn’t take very long for Macy Chiasson to finish Gina Mazany. The fight between the two former Ultimate Fighter contestants lasted just 109-seconds.
Who Dat?!
⚜️ @Macy_Chiasson puts Mazany away in round 1! Wow! #UFC235 pic.twitter.com/6Z3w7300XJ
— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2019
Edmen Shahbazyan looked spectacular in his first round TKO victory over Charley Byrd. Shahbazyan lands an uppercut and as Byrd goes in for a takedown, Shahbazyan stops the forward momentum with a serious of elbows to the head. Byrd crumbles and Shahbazyan comes in with a series of strikes before the fight is waived off.
It only took SECONDS!!@EdmenShahbazyan knocks out Byrd in round 1 with some NASTY elbows! #UFC235 pic.twitter.com/MBiPStvlWp
— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2019
The original Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez picked up his first finish inside the octagon in almost 11 years. Sanchez made his victory over Mickey Gall look easy as he battered and controlled the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt for nearly two full rounds before finishing him with strikes. Big win for Sanchez.
Johnny Walker does it again…. big flying knee followed by strikes to finish Miska Cirkunov not only short notice, but in a short-lived fight. The contest lasts just seconds before waived off be referee Herb Dean. Unfortunately Walker celebrated a little too hard and hurt himself while flopping to the canvas. Walker says he believes his left shoulder has been dislocated.
What a three-round war between a very season UFC veteran in Jeremy Stephens and the fast-rising Zabit Magomedshariopov. A back and forth brawl with Magomedosharipov winning a unanimous decision.
How crazy was this fight between former UFC bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt and Pedro Munhoz? Unbelievable exchange. Just when you thought Garbrandt was about to finish Munhoz, the tide changed and Garbrandt KO’s the former champion with only eight-seconds left in the round.
Where did Weili Zhang come from? 18-fight winning streak but underpromoted within the UFC. Zhang comes in to earn a unanimous decision victory over the higher ranked Torres. Very impressive victory.
UFC 235 results below:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Jon Jones defeated Anthony Smith via unanimous decision (48-44, 48-44, 48-44) – for light heavyweight title
Kamaru Usman defeated Tyron Woodley via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) – for welterweight title
Ben Askren defeated Robbie Lawler via submission (bulldog choke) – Round 1, 3:20
Weili Zhang defeated Tecia Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Pedro Munhoz defeated Cody Garbrandt via KO – Round 1, 4:52
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Johnny Walker defeated Misha Cirkunov via TKO – Round 1, 0:36
Cody Stamann defeated Alejandro Perez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Diego Sanchez defeated Mickey Gall via TKO – Round 2, 4:13
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Charley Byrd via TKO – Round 1, 0:38
Macy Chiasson defeated Gina Mazany via TKO – Round 1, 1:49
Hannah Cifers defeated Polyana Viana via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
