• UFC 128

Shogun handed beating of his life by Jon Jones

Jon Jones battered Mauricio Shogun Rua at UFC 128 © Getty Images

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Annihilation. The only word that can possibly describe the total and utter demolition job that Jon Jones delivered against Mauricio Shogun Rua to become the youngest - and potentially best - UFC champion in the history of the organisation.

The 23-year-old eventually took three rounds to deliver a quite devastating TKO victory, but the fight was in his back pocket from the opening minute. Shogun, who barely landed anything all night, was reduced to an unwilling punch bag, too courageous to back down, but too helpless to fight back. Jones was a monster, the like of which we have not seen inside the Octagon before.

This was always Shogun's trademark. Ever since he won the Pride title at the age of 23, he has knocked out the likes of Chuck Liddell and Lyoto Machida, and broken the ribs of Rampage Jackson. He was always the bully, but against Jones he needed an escape route that simply did not exist. By the end the defending champion was bruised, bloodied, shattered and - in all honesty - completely outclassed.

"The strategy was to fight Jon Jones wherever the fight went, I have to congratulate him, he was better than me," confessed the Brazilian. "He was a very tough guy, he had great ground work and great Muay Thai. He's the man."

Jones had been seriously impressive in past outings against the likes of Brandon Vera and Ryan Bader, but Saturday's performance took not only his own level - but that of MMA as a whole - to an entirely different stratosphere. Fighting arguably the most lethal striker in the sport, Jones came out with flying knees, spinning back kicks, and then swept Shogun to the mat. By the time the end of the first round arrived, Shogun had been smashed with a knee to the body, tormented with front kicks to the face, and sent packing to his stool with barely enough energy to find his corner.

Victory was already inevitable, but Jones' repertoire was much less predictable. This time he landed that trademark spinning back elbow, teed off with more head kicks, and then dished out that savage ground and pound. Shogun, trying anything to halt the flow, threw out the leg kick that slowed Lyoto Machida's progress, but against Jones all it did was invite the American to take his foe to the mat.

Shogun could barely lift his arms for the start of the third, his legs moving off memory and his face largely unrecognisable. Jones put him on his back, drilled elbows into his face and then, when Rua curled into the foetal position, he slammed a knee into the champion's ribs. Shogun still had the courage to get back to his feet, but a shuddering body shot followed by a knee to the head finished the fight.

"Champion 2011?" asked Jones, in reference to the fact he had been signing his name that way before the fight. "Dreams can come true, and once you get there don't slow down. I know I have a huge target on my back, but when you guys come strike with me, I'll be ready to strike back."

After this exhibition, Jones may find he has few rivals willing to take up that challenge.

Urijah Faber delivered some serious ground-and-pound © Getty Images

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In the co-main event, the highly anticipated UFC debut of Urijah Faber ended successfully for the California Kid as he out-manoeuvred Eddie Wineland for a unanimous decision victory in the bantamweight division. The former WEC featherweight champion showed all sides of his game to keep Wineland guessing, eventually taking a 30-27 decision.

Wineland, known for his punching power after successive Knockout of the Night awards, deserves huge credit for his takedown defence, but he eventually lost out in all aspects of the fight. Faber's speed and imagination when striking was a joy to watch, and it helped him find multiple takedowns as the fight ended in one-sided fashion.

"He surprised me by clinching as much as he did," said Faber. "You don't know how fast or powerful someone is until you stand in front of them. I want to get that UFC belt, Dominick [Cruz, bantamweight champion], if you're out there, hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your belt. I'm coming for it."

Jim Miller produced arguably the most impressive performance of his career to make an unforgettable statement in the lightweight division, finishing Kamal Shalorus via TKO in the third round. Shalorus had not lost in any of his nine professional bouts, but he was left a bloodied mess by Miller who sparked the beginning of the end with a huge uppercut.

Both men went into the bout with huge wrestling credentials, so it was the technically superior striking of Miller making the difference, busting up Shalorus' left eye with a series of hooks. This was the most entertaining Miller seen inside the Octagon, with flying knees and big right hands setting up a second-round single-leg takedown that almost finished with a rear naked choke. In the end, it was an uppercut followed by a flying knee that finished the fight, leaving Miller to demand a title shot at the winner of Frankie Edgar v Gray Maynard.

"I hit him so hard that I may have cracked open my hand. That guy has a hard head!" said a jubilant Miller. "That's seven in a row in arguably the toughest division in the UFC, I'm ready for the title shot."

Nate Marquardt is back in the hunt for a middleweight title shot after out-striking Dan Miller for a unanimous decision victory. The win did not come without a couple of huge scares though, with the always-game Miller twice threatening with serious guillotine attempts. Miller had stepped in as a late replacement for Yoshihiro Akiyama, and he came with the aim of submitting his rival, but Marquardt's variety in setting up the right hand with fakes and kicks left Miller cut up as the judges rendered a 30-27 decision.

Brendan Schaub advanced his reputation in the heavyweight division with a shuddering third-round knockout of MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop. Schaub had earlier had a point deducted so, with the decision in the balance, Schaub ended things with little over a minute remaining in the fight.

The American had displayed improved wrestling to deliver plenty of ground-and-pound out of Cro Cop's guard, but he suffered in the second round, receiving a cut above the eye and a busted nose as Cro Cop fought back. A point deduction for a punch to the back of the head left Schaub in danger of defeat, or at least a draw, but he caught the Croatian on the temple with a big right hand for a huge knockout victory, his fourth win on the spin.

"It was my birthday yesterday so Knockout of the Night, Dana, think about it!" roared the TUF 10 finalist, who's appeal was later answered with the bonus cheque.

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