UFC 235 Post-Mortem: To Win the Title, Not Steal It

Jon Jones entered the Octagon for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout for the 13th time at UFC 235 on Saturday in Las Vegas, and for the 12th time -- his UFC 214 rematch with Daniel Cormier resulted in a no-contest -- he left the cage victorious. Jones retained his light heavyweight crown against Anthony Smith, besting the challenger in a lopsided unanimous decision.

Jones battered the Factory X product for five rounds, with many of the strikes landing inside the clinch. He admitted afterward that it was not his best performance but reminded him of the brutal close-quarters game hall of famer Randy Couture employed in so many of his victories. Despite outclassing Smith in every aspect of the game, Jones should tip his cap to the challenger. During the fourth round of their main event, Jones illegally kneed Smith in the head while “Lionheart” was a downed opponent. Smith had the opportunity to not continue and record a disqualification win over Jones, but instead, he decided to fight on.

During a post-fight interview with ESPN’s Megan Olivi, Smith indicated that he “wanted to win the title, not steal it.” Smith’s classy move led to newfound respect with many fans, media members, celebrities and fellow athletes. One of more significant endorsements came from NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who praised Smith’s actions on Twitter: “Big ups to @Lionheart for the MAN he just displayed to me.” Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor shared Irvin’s sentiments: “You have the heart of a Lion, Anthony. An amazing show of courage and bravery that entire fight. Incredible. Thank you.”

Jones was asked about his future and whether or not a move to heavyweight was on the horizon. He remained on the fence about the subject but once again expressed his desire to face former UFC heavyweight champion and current World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Brock Lesnar. UFC President Dana White engaged in a brief debate with Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin Iole over who Jones should battle next. Iole expressed his preference to watch Jones and Lesnar fight, while White believes the next test for Jones should come in the form of Brazilian slugger Thiago Santos.

On to the Next Hurdle

Kamaru Usman put on the most impressive performance of the entire event, as he dominated long-reigning welterweight champion Tyron Woodley from the opening second of the co-headliner to the final bell. During his masterpiece, Usman outlanded Woodley 141-34 in the significant strikes department and became the first African-born champion in UFC history.

Instead of celebrating his amazing feat, Usman shifted his focus to perhaps the most-hated fighter in the organization: Colby Covington. They have been on a collision course for some time, their rivalry stretching all the way back to a UFC 223 press conference in which Usman confronted Covington. Since the altercation, the two have barked back and forth on social media. Covington did his best impression of the Degeneration X invasion of WCW Monday Nitro when he crashed Usman’s open workout prior to UFC 235 and taunted “The Nigerian Nightmare” through a megaphone. The two then had to be separated immediately following Usman’s rout of Woodley. Usman’s animosity for Covington boiled over at the post-fight press conference.

“I want to [expletive] that guy up so bad,” Usman said. “I can’t be in a room with that guy. I can’t wait to be healed up and really put my hands on him. That is when I will really enjoy brutalizing him.”

Funky Time

Former Bellator MMA and One Championship titleholder Ben Askren made his UFC debut and defeated Robbie Lawler by submission, though the win did not come without controversy.

Askren survived an early onslaught from Lawler, as he was rocked several times. The two-time NCAA wrestling champion took down Lawler midway through the first round and forced a scramble, during which he locked in a rare bulldog choke. While Askren squeezed the submission on Lawler, referee Herb Dean jumped in to stop the contest, believing the American Top Team star had lost consciousness. However, as soon as Askren released the choke, Lawler popped up and protested the stoppage.

White indicated during the post-fight press conference that he wanted an Askren-Lawler rematch, but the undefeated welterweight had other plans. Askren informed reporters that he intended to fly to London to sit cageside for UFC Fight Night 147 on March 16 and put forth his desire to be paired with the winner of the Darren Till-Jorge Masvidal main event. Till and Askren continue to engage in an ongoing feud via social media.

Etc.

Fresh off Zabit Magomedsharipov’s decision win over Jeremy Stephens, he took to Twitter asking his followers if he should fight Jose Aldo or Alexander Volkanovski next … Johnny Walker’s epic takeover of the UFC light heavyweight division continued on the prelims, as he scored another quick knockout, this time against Misha Cirkunov. Walker’s flying knee and follow-up ground-and-pound has fans seeing him as violence personified. However, the Brazilian will probably find himself on SportsCenter’s Not Top 10 list, as he appeared to injure his left shoulder while attempting to do the worm in celebration … On the heels of his rear-naked choke submission of George Sullivan, Mickey Gall called for a fight with Diego Sanchez. As the saying goes, be careful what you ask for. Sanchez annihilated the Miller Brothers representative and picked up a second-round technical knockout, his first stoppage in nearly 11 years. Gall’s situation grew more tenuous in the aftermath, when Sanchez posted a photo on his Instagram showing what appears to be a bite mark on his chest. He also accused Gall of gouging his eyes during their clash. Gall has not responded to the accusations but stated he gassed during the contest because of a difficult weight cut.