In 2013, at UFC 159, the stage was set for a wrestler vs wrestler showdown as Chael Sonnen took on the then Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones in Newark, New Jersey. While the packed crowd in the Prudential Center anticipated a war, the five-round bout was over in a jiffy in the very first round, with Jones handing Sonnen a TKO defeat. Recalling his experience, Chael Sonnen stated that he was glad that the bout was over. Sonnen also mentioned that he did not want to fight Jon Jones ever again.
With his ‘Good guy/ Bad guy’ partner DC going back in time for some ‘MMA history”, Sonnen shared his honest thoughts on the beat-down Jones gave him that day. He said,
“He pushed me across that octagon like a Volvo into a Mack truck and I started looking for a way out. That’s just the truth, that was being like locked in a cage with a bear. I’m glad its over, that’s the only fight I’ve ever lost or competition I’ve ever lost where I did not want a rematch.”
Sonnen stated that facing Jones was terrifying. He said that once Jones got his grip, Sonnen was looking for a way out. The 47-year-old even went on to term Jon Jones as a “bear” inside the cage. Well, with so much discussions about their fight, a closer look at the UFC 159 main event will make things more clear.
Throwback to UFC 159 when Jones demolished Chael Sonnen
UFC 159 had big names starting from Michael Bisping, Roy Nelson, and, of course, Jon Jones on the main card. The two fighters touched gloves, and the bell rang. Both of them immediately started gauging each other’s range.
Sonnen was at a disadvantage here, but quickly closed the distance and looked to counter the champion. Right after the 10-second mark, Jones took down Sonnen, but he popped right back up.
The fighters would then engage in some uppercuts and body shots. However, it did not faze Jones even one bit. In fact, the champion was waiting for his moment to pounce. And once he got his moment, Jones took Sonnen down again effortlessly.
While ‘The American Gangster’ was able to lock up a guillotine choke, it was futile as Jones got right out of it. Sonnen was, in fact, taken down multiple times in the very first round and Jones played out his strategy pretty well, tiring out the challenger before he started opening up. Towards the end of the round, Jones rained down some elbows and got in a few punches that stunned Sonnen.
‘Bones’ kept on the pace, pushing the challenger against the wall delivering a dozen unanswered punches. Finally, the referee had seen enough and stepped in to save Sonnen and called off the fight, handing Jones another victory.
