UFC 145 live results: Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones

UFC 145 takes place from Atlanta Saturday night, headlined by a grudge match for the UFC light heavyweight title between champion Jon Jones and challenger Rashad Evans. We’ll be providing ongoing coverage throughout the evening, beginning at around 4PM Pacific.

UFC light heavyweight title: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans

Jon Jones is universally considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. He has no real defeats (he was disqualified for illegal elbows in a fight that was basically finished in his favor before he threw them) and is coming off one of the all time best years in MMA history. Rashad Evans is a former UFC light heavyweight champion in his own right and has only suffered one loss while facing many of the best fighters in the world. Evans and Jones also have a well documented personal history. They were training partners and friends before their friendship fell apart over Jones saying he was willing to fight Evans. Since then they have gone separate ways and entered into a personal war of words.

Round 1. Evans stares right at Jones during the faceoff but Jones doesn’t look back. They both crouch down as the fight is called to start. Jones move in with a body punch early. He then lands a hard head kick. He connects with a big knee moments later. Evans lands a solid punch of his own and a couple leg kicks. Evans lands a pair of hooks from close range. Jones answers with another head kick. Jones tries another but Evans ducks under. Jones lands a strong left hook. Jones throws a superman punch that doesn’t land and then a pair of front kicks to the body that do. Evans lands a head kick that appears to stagger Jones a little. Evans moves in but Jones is fine. Close round but advantage was overall to Jones. 10-9 Jones.

Round 2. Jones lands a good overhand right that is the best early shot of the round. Evans lands one of his own moments later. Jones charges in with punches and Evans nonchalantly wipes his behind in response. Jones throws a spinning kick and Evans briefly thinks about going for a takedown after catching it. He instead lets Jones go. Jones lands a pair of nice elbows. He knocks Evans silly with a third but Evans does not go down. Evans clinches and looks to regain his senses. They separate and Jones throws three more of his straight elbows that are working so well. Evans lands a nice hook right to the chin but Jones is fine. Jones lands a flying knee and a pair of hooks at the close of the round. Big round for Jon Jones. 10-9 Jones.

Round 3. Evans connects with a heavy overhand right that makes a big sound on the chin of Jones. Jones’ chin is stout. Evans doesn’t follow aggressively. Jones throws a series of jabs. Most are avoided but one connects pretty well and sends Evans’ chin back. Jones lands a flying knee and an elbow that appears to stun Evans. They exchange punches from close distance. Evans shoots for a takedown with less than a minute left but Jones blocks it with no difficulty. Close round, a lot more like the first than the second. 10-9 Jones.

Round 4. Jones throws mostly straight punches at the start of the round. Evans is able to avoid any real damage but he isn’t answering back at all. Evans looks for a takedown two minutes in but doesn’t come close. It looks as if Evans is losing confidence. Jones continues peppering his jab. Evans looks for a takedown but Jones grabs his neck and throws a few knees before releasing Evans. They clinch towards the end of the round and Jones uses a serious of shoulder strikes. Jones is pulling away. 10-9 Jones.

Round 5. Jones confidently dances around and throws jabs. Evans is able to avoid the blunt of most, until Jones lands a strong right hand right to the chin around two minutes in. Jones throws a flying knee and the fighters clinch halfway through the round. They separate and Jones continues to work from distance. Jones throws Evans to the mat and lands a punch on the ground. Evans gets back up and they grapple for positioning with a minute remaining in the fight. Jones dives forward and Evans takes top position on the ground with a few punches as the fight comes to a close. Jones 10-9, Jones 50-45.

Jon Jones pulled off an impressive win against a very tough and motivated opponent in the prime of his career. Evans was game but he couldn’t deal with the unique difficulties that Jones presents: the diverse array of attacks, the reach and athleticism, and the wrestling base that allows him to fight on his terms. This was the night that Jon Jones established himself as not only the best light heavyweight fighter but the best fighter in the world.

Winner: Jon Jones, unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46).

Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage

Blanco is a world traveled MMA veteran who has fought for highly regarded international organizations such as Pancrase, World Victory Road and Strikeforce. He is also known for his wild style. This is his UFC debut. Brimage is an Ultimate Fighter veteran with very good striking and knockout power but a deficient ground game.

Round 1. Blanco opens with a head kick. Brimage moves forward with a few straight punch combinations. He connects solidly with a couple shots. As Brimage moves in, Blanco takes him down. Brimage gets right back up, although he does eat a few punches on the way back up. As the round winds down, a pattern develops of Brimage moving forward with punches and Blanco looking to counter. 10-9 Brimage.

Round 2. Blanco scores with a front kick and then follows with a leaping front kick that does not connect. Blanco throws another moments later and lands well with a knee in the process. With Blanco landing a few shots early, Brimage is more tentative this round and doesn’t press forward nearly as much. As Brimage moves in, he gets caught with a nice counter hook. As Brimage moves in again, Blanco knocks him down with a well placed leg kick. 10-9 Blanco.

Round 3. Roles reverse in the third round, with Blanco walking down Brimage some after spending most of the first two rounds countering. Neither man is able to land much and the crowd boos. Blanco goes for a takedown but has it stuffed. Brimage lands a nice pair of straight punches. Brimage becomes more aggressive late in the round, charging forward with the same combinations of punches he has used throughout. Blanco goes for a takedown with 30 seconds left but has it blocked and Brimage throws a few heavy punches in response. 10-9 Brimage, 29-28 Brimage.

After the round, the two fighters begin taunting each other for running. This leads to each man doing various flips and then a full scale gymnastics contest. This was as bizarre of a spectacle as you’re going to see in UFC.

Winner: Marcus Brimage, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).

Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements

Wisniewski has led an unusual MMA career. He fought in the UFC before the company took off in popularity, but then his career fell off significantly with a long series of losses. Wisniewski rebounded with a number of wins that earned him a return to the UFC after a six year absence. Clements is a Canadian striker who has never fought to a decision and is making his UFC debut.

Round 1. Clements connects with an overhand right early. Wisniewski clinches and looks for a takedown. Wisniewski takes Clements down. He works into mount position and then takes Clements’ back. He also cuts Clements open with an elbow. Clements works his way out of trouble and ends up with half guard on the bottom. Wisniewski continues dropping down hard elbows. Referee Fernando Yamasaki stands them up for no good reason. Clements quickly opens up with leg kicks and power punches. Clements lands a huge right hand and then drops Wisniewski. Clements goes to the ground and Wisniewski immediately looks for a takedown. Wisniewski is badly bleeding from the eye. Close round, thanks to terrible officiating. 10-9 Wisniewski, because he never should have lost his position on the ground.

Round 2. Wisniewski moves in and eats some big punches to get a takedown. Clements works his way up without taking any real damage. Clements then lands a spinning backfist and spinning back kick. He follows with a pair of overhand rights. Clements throws with so much more power than Wisniewski, but Wisniewski has a great chin. They clinch and Clements looks for a takedown that he cannot achieve. Wisniewski takes Clements down and mounts. He gets the back and looks for a rear naked choke. Wisniewski uses a body triangle and throws some punches to the head. Clements defends the choke well. Clements throws some hard elbows while defending from the back, appearing to daze Wisniewski a little. It’s an extreme rarity that someone does such damage from that position, a testament to Clements’ power. 10-9 Wisniewski.

Round 3. Clements throws big punches while Wisniewski moves in for a takedown. Clements defends and even unsuccessfully attempts a takedown of his own. Clements throws some leg kicks and then a pair of punches to the chin. Clements lands a stiff spinning back kick to the body then a spinning backfist to the head. Clements lands a huge 1-2 punch combination and it’s amazing that Wisniewski was able to withstand them given how hard Clements landed. Clements pushes Wisniewski against the cage with heavy punches and drops Wisniewski with a knee. Clements drops down punches as the round ends. 10-8 Clements, 28-28 draw. First two rounds were close, third round was a blowout.

Winner: Chris Clements, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero

This is a battle of former Ultimate Fighter winners who have struggled to find sustained success in the UFC since. Danzig has lost five of his last seven, albeit against consistently high level opposition. Escudero has lost three of his last four UFC fights.

Round 1. Danzig clinches at the start and looks for a takedown. They exchange knees from the clinch and both look for a takedown. Danzig uses a trip takedown but Escudero immediately looks for a heel hook. Danzig gets out and then jumps to take Escudero’s back. Escudero gets out of danger and stands back up. Those were some nice ground transitions. Danzig backs up Escudero near the cage and lands a series of straight punches. They don’t connect with a lot of power but are very accurate. They clinch, with each man trying for a takedown as the round comes to an end. 10-9 Danzig.

Round 2. Danzig presses the action but is caught with a couple quality counterpunches moving in. Danzig clinches and looks for a takedown. He can’t get it and they separate. They return to fighting from range, where Escudero is mostly just boxing while Danzig is mixing in leg kicks. They clinch and exchange knees. This has been a dull affair. 10-9 Danzig.

Round 3. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan pointed out at the start of the round that Danzig’s ankle is visibly damaged from the heel hook in the first round. Danzig lands a combination with a pair of punches and a low kick. They clinch and Danzig looks for a takedown. He throws a knee to the head and then backs off. After some fighting from distance, Danzig re-engages the clinch. The referee separates the fighters. Danzig continues peppering Escudero with leg kicks while they exchange punches. 10-9 Danzig, 30-27 Danzig.

Winner: Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).

John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani

This has all the makings of a very exciting fight. Makdessi is a high level Canadian kickboxer coming off his first UFC loss. Njokuani is an excellent Nigerian born kickboxer with a fan pleasing style.

Round 1. Njokuani has a clear length advantage. They both open with a series of kicks. Njokuani throws more, but Makdessi is able to block all but the occasional leg kick. Njokuani continues to throw from all directions, while Makdessi mostly walks forward and tries to find range. Njokuani appears to stagger Makdessi with a looping left punch. Njokuani looks to follow it up but Makdessi is able to regain his composure. Njokuani lands a leaping head kick. Makdessi keeps throwing side kicks but Njokuani just calmly moves out of the way. 10-9 Njokuani.

Round 2. Makdessi is aggressive in trying to close distance. He is able to land a few punches from inside, but Njokuani lands much more often from the outside with various kicks as Makdessi moves in. Makdessi looks for a takedown at the very end of the round but it comes way too later. Makdessi still can’t figure out Njokuani’s reach advantage. 10-9 Njokuani.

Round 3. Njokuani opens with a series of leg kicks. Makdessi keeps trying to move in but Njokuani will just back out and return to his kicks. Makdessi lands a spinning backfist and continues to push. His leg is really red from all the Njokuani kicks. They clinch very briefly and Njokuani connects with a punch on the separation. Njokuani does a lot of backing up in the second half of the final stanza. What a massive disappointment this fight was. 10-9 Njokuani, 30-27 Njokuani.

Winner: Anthony Njokuani, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Stephen Thompson vs. Matt Brown

Thompson is a unique MMA fighter, utilizing an unorthodox karate based style. He looked spectacular in his UFC debut, hushing some of the skepticism about how adaptable his style of fighting his. Brown is a rugged veteran who relies on grit, determination and punching power more than elite technique.

Round 1. Thompson throws a few kicks early and Brown charges in for a takedown. Brown catches a kick and looks for another takedown unsuccessfully. Brown goes for another and this time gets a trip takedown. Brown postures up and throws down some punches. Thompson uses the opportunity to return to his feet. Brown immediately looks to take him back down. Brown gets him down momentarily but Thompson stands back up. Brown pulls Thompson down again and throws a few punches. Brown looks for a calf slicer but can’t get it and they roll for position. Brown ends up on top. 10-9 Brown.

Round 2. Brown takes Thompson down. Thompson works his way back to his feet. Brown looks tired and Thompson aggressively looks to capitalize. He throws a series of spectacular looking kicks while mixing in straight punches. Brown takes Thompson down halfway through the round but Thompson gets right back up. Thompson lands a wheel kick. He throws a series of punches on the exhausted Brown. Thompson presses the action but gets dropped by a Brown counterpunch. Brown follows to the ground and throws heavy punches that bloody Thompson. Tough round to score. Brown looked like he had nothing left in the middle but he was doing heavy damage at the close. 10-9 Brown.

Round 3. Brown charges forward with punches and a knee. Thompson answers back with punches of his own. Thompson appears to rock Brown with punches but he can’t close and Brown takes Thompson down. Brown kicks out Thompson’s legs and takes top position. Brown immediately works into side control and looks for a crucifix. Brown gets that and then works into a mounted triangle. He throws down a series of punches to the cut of Thompson in the process. Thompson barely hangs on. 10-8 Brown, 30-26 Brown.

Winner: Matt Brown, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 30-27).

Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs

Browne is an undefeated heavyweight prospect who is getting very close to contender status. He’s got great natural size and an effective striking game. Griggs is an interesting story. He was just an unnotable fighter and opponent until upset wins over Bobby Lashley and Gian Villante and facial hair out of the Civil War brought him to the public consciousness. Now he gets an opportunity to fight on the sport’s biggest stage.

Round 1. Browne lands a huge leaping knee a minute into the fight. He follows with additional knees from the clinch and takes Griggs down. Browne applies an arm triangle choke and Griggs taps out.

Winner: Travis Browne, submission, round 1.

Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio

Bocek is a severely underrated Canadian submission ace, who has fought competitively with some of the best fighters in the deep lightweight division. Alessio is an accomplished veteran of the sport, returning to UFC competiton for the first time in many years.

Round 1. Bocek goes for a takedown early and secures it two minutes in. He immediately works his way into side control and then throws down elbows from half guard. Alessio gets Bocek into his full guard, where Bocek continues to throw elbows. Alessio turns his back and Bocek looks for a rear naked choke for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Bocek.

Round 2. The round starts with some tentative standup. Neither man lands anything of note. Bocek shoots for a takedown and gets it two minutes into the frame again. He works over Alessio with elbows until Alessio is able to get back up with 90 seconds remaining. They exchange for the remainder of the round, with neither man having an advantage. 10-9 Bocek.

Round 3. Bocek gets another takedown early. He quickly gets Alessio’s back and applies a body triangle. Alessio is forced to defend his back with another three full minutes remaining in the ground. Alessio nicely gets out and stands back up with two minutes left in the fight. Alessio looks reinvigorated and lands some nice punches and kicks. However, Bocek takes him right back down. Alessio gets up again and they clinch against the cage. As they separate, Alessio lands a few big punches. Alessio gets a very narrow nod for doing a lot more damage this round, in spite of Bocek controlling the positioning. Too little, too late, however. 10-9 Alessio, 29-28 Bocek.

Winner: Mark Bocek, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin

Hominick is a former UFC featherweight title contender, coming off a tough KO loss in his hometown. Hominick is an excellent striker with great speed and a solid submission game. Yagin is a longtime veteran of the sport.

Round 1. Hominick peppers Yagin with crisp punches while Yagin tries to counter with combinations of his own. Yagin is bleeding from the cheek, not a bad position at all. Yagin drops Hominick with an uppercut and looks to finish Hominick on the ground. Hominick has severe swelling near an eye and eats some big punches from Yagin. Hominick stands back up and returns to the same sort of fight he was fighting before getting floored. Yagin is landing heavy strikes on Hominick even as Hominick moves more fluidly. 10-9 Yagin.

Round 2. Hominick continues to throw more, but it’s mostly light jabs. Yagin throws power strikes. He connects with a solid hook to the chin and moments later drops Hominick with another. Yagin follows to the ground and throws some punches down while Hominick tries to regain his senses. Once he does, Hominick stands back up. Hominick’s face is a mess. It isn’t quite as bad as it was against Jose Aldo, but it looks ugly. Hominick returns to peppering Yagin with punches while Yagin answers back with power. Yagin is bleeding from the mouth and looks in bad shape himself. Hominick is mostly dodging Yagin’s home run punches but the ones that get through do big damage. Hominick really gets going as the round wears down. Tough round to score. Yagin landed the biggest blow of the round but Hominick was more effective on the whole. 10-9 Hominick.

Round 3. Hominick returns to the jab that was so effective late in the second round. He mixes in punches to the body while continuing to poke at Yagin’s chin. Yagin is throwing less and not landing much either. His chin keeps snapping back thanks to the Hominick jab. Hominick is beating up Yagin badly with straight punches and easily moving out of range of the vast majority of Yagin’s punches. Hominick sends Yagin staggering back twice in a matter of seconds. That was a brutal third round. 10-8 Hominick, 29-27 Hominick.

Winner: Eddie Yagin, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres

McDonald is one of the top prospects in the sport, a lethal and exciting young fighter with no holes in his game. Torres is the former kingpin of the 135 pound division and looking to work his way back into title contention. This is a very important fight.

Round 1. Torres looks to establish his jab early. McDonald pushes in with a big series of power punches, landing some good shots and backing up Torres against the cage. McDonald knocks Torres’ mouthpiece out with a punch and is generally getting the better of the exchanges. McDonald knocks Torres out with an uppercut and additional punches on the ground. Spectacular performance for McDonald, and it’s on to bigger things.

Winner: Michael McDonald, KO, round 1.

They’ve spotlighted Michael Irvin and rapper T.I. watching in the crowd.

Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell

Schaub is a prospect with excellent athleticism and KO power, coming off a huge setback against the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Brazil. He needs a win here to re-establish himself as a young fighter to watch. Rothwell was arguably the most successful fighter in the now defunct IFL and has fought some of the best fighters in the sport. He is also coming off a big setback, badly gassing and losing in Denver against Mark Hunt.

Round 1. Rothwell lands a big uppercut early. They trade big punches from close range and clinch. Rothwell throws a couple knees from the clinch. Schaub staggers Rothwell with a spinning back elbow and moves in to try to finish the fight. They both throw big bombs from close range. Schaub connects but Rothwell’s chin withstands it and a Rothwell hook knocks Schaub out. Very nice and redemptive win for Rothwell.

Winner: Ben Rothwell, TKO, round 1.

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills

MacDonald is one of the most highly regarded young fighters out there. He is thought to be the next great Canadian MMA star, arguably the top MMA market in the world. Mills is a midlevel British fighter.

Round 1. Mills throws a few hard leg kicks at the start. Mills moves in with a heavy hook to the chin and clinches. They break and MacDonald takes Mills down. MacDonald starts opening up with punches immediately. He throws down some heavy punches that cut Mills open and quickly passes guard. MacDonald works into crucifix position and throws uncontested punches to the head of Mills. Mills powers MacDonald up but MacDonald works his way back into dominant position. MacDonald grinds his forearm into Mills’ chin and then switches into mount. He drops some more punches and Mills rolls around trying to get out of danger. MacDonald has his back and looks for a choke at the close. 10-8 MacDonald.

Round 2. MacDonald takes Mills down at the start of the round and rapidly moves into side control. MacDonald then takes Mills’ back. Finally, MacDonald opens up again with quick punches and the referee mercifully stops the fight.

Winner: Rory MacDonald, TKO, round 2.

Follow along on Twitter at @toddmartinmma.