Jones (left) beats Marreta (right). Photo: Reproduction / Facebook @ufc
Who bet on a dominant victory of Jon Jones about Thiago Marreta, you were wrong. Considered by the vast majority as an underdog, the Brazilian sold his fight for the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg) at a high price in the UFC 239, this Saturday (6). After five very even rounds with the possibility of a knockout for both sides, 'Bones' was declared the winner in a split decision by the judges (48-47, 47-48, 48-47).
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Marreta, who was close to victory, still suffered a serious knee injury at the beginning of the first round, but, even so, managed to fight a balanced duel from beginning to end. Throughout the fight, the athlete from Cidade de Deus (RJ) contradicted the expectations of many critics and, in addition to managing to perform during all the rounds without showing signs of exhaustion, he surprised the MMA legend on a few occasions.
Jon Jones He entered the fight with the strategy of pressing the Brazilian against the bars so he could deliver his hard-hitting blows. However, Marreta proved to everyone that he studied the North American's game and managed, as much as possible, to stay away from 'Bones' powerful attacks.
After the triumph, Jones will continue his dream of defending his belt 20 times, as declared in the week before the fight. This was Jones' second victory after regaining his title by beating Alexander Gustafson in December last year.
After having gone through personal problems and within MMA, the champion seems, in fact, to have rediscovered his focus to remain at the top of the sport and continues a hegemony that has lasted almost 10 years.
The fight
Right at the beginning of the fight, Jones tried to land a front kick on the Brazilian, which he caught with a graze. Then, Marreta also kicked Jones, which knocked the American off balance. Little by little, the champion began trying to pressure the Brazilian against the bars. Thiago's coaches shouted insistently for the Cidade de Deus athlete not to get cornered. Marreta continued to bet on the low kick, but it didn't seem to have any effect on 'Bones'. With high kicks, Jones tried to break the Brazilian's guard block. Concentrated, Jon seemed to be waiting for the best moment to land the best blow. Suddenly, Marreta attacked the American with a series of punches, which ended up ripping off the champion's mouthguard. The carioca's blows began to hit Jones' face, which began to change his appearance. As expected, Marreta found it difficult to find the distance to reach the champion, who always made his greater reach count. At the end of the stage, Jon managed to connect a good shot on Thiago, but there was no more time.
In the second stage, Jones continued trying to corner the Brazilian against the bars. In a kick, Marreta kicked with his right leg, but ended up feeling the blow. Jon noticed and went after Thiago, but was almost surprised by a combination of punches. The North American, realizing the danger, retreated. The Brazilian's kicks were no longer hitting Jones with as much power and the fighter was already finding it difficult to walk around the Octagon. 'Bones' remained surrounding Thiago, but showed respect for the Brazilian's knockout power. Just under four minutes into the fight, Marreta managed to connect with a good high kick that hit Jones' head, but the champion was unfazed. The fight became increasingly tense as the minutes passed. The round, however, ended.
The clash returned with Thiago risking low kicks. Right at the beginning, the Brazilian again hit the North American's head with a kick, but didn't hit the target. After defending a kick from Jones, Marreta connected with a great sequence of punches, but the champion showed a lot of resistance to absorb the blows. Little by little, 'Bones' began to loosen up in the clash, but remained respectful towards his opponent. After a low kick, for the first time Thiago made Jones show pain, however, in response, Jon managed to connect with his famous elbow, which opened a cut on the Brazilian's head. Marreta acknowledged the blow and began to slow down. More relaxed in the fight, the North American began to show all his talent and started a bad moment for the Brazilian in the dispute. Even though he was injured, Thiago continued to move well around the Octagon, but without the same aggression as he did at the beginning.
In the penultimate round, Marreta once again threatened Jones early on. With another sequence of blows, the Brazilian made the North American run to avoid being hit. Jon's efficiency in connecting his blows increased as the timer ran. Even though he was hit, it was common to see 'Bones' always walking forward, trying to pin Thiago to the bars. As the clash progressed, the athletes showed that they studied each other a lot. Athletes often dodged attacks, seeming to predict what would be done next. With less than a minute remaining, Jones almost surprised the Brazilian with a 'Superman punch'. The North American provoked the Rio native, trying to induce the fighter to make a mistake.
The final round began with the athletes doing 'all or nothing'. In the opening seconds, Thiago surprised Jones with a great kick to the American's waistline and soon followed up with a series of punches. Jon still didn't back down, but visibly showed respect for the Brazilian. After two minutes, Jones finally appeared to have felt a punch from Muppet. The champion continued to make use of his impressive wingspan to keep his distance from the Brazilian and manage to connect his blows with precision. Marreta showed discomfort in his right knee. The North American then began trying to reach the region on many occasions. Thiago was still very aggressive in the final minute. The athlete still risked his sequence of blows, which, at one point, even cornered the champion. In the end, the two athletes didn't show much action and studied each other until the fight was over.
UFC 239 results
MAIN CARD
Light heavyweight (up to 93kg): Jon Jones derrotou Thiago Marreta in the judges' split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Amanda nunes derrotou Holly holm by knockout at 4m10s of R1
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Jorge masvidal defeated Ben Askren by knockout at 5s of R1
Light heavyweight (up to 93kg): Jan Blachowicz derrotou Luke Rockhold by knockout at 1m39s of R2
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Michael chiesa derrotou Diego Sanchez in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Featherweight (up to 65,7kg): arnold allen defeated Gilbert Melendez via unanimous judges' decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Marlon Vera defeated Nohelin Hernandez via submission 3m25s into R2
Straw weight (up to 52,1kg): Claudia Gadelha derrotou Randa markos in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): song yadong derrotou Alejandro Perez by knockout at 2m04s of R1
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Edmen shahbazyan defeated Jack Marshman via submission 1m12s into R1
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Chance Rencountre defeated Ismail Naurdiev via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Julia Avila derrotou Pannie kianzad in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
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