UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones successfully defended his title, declassifying Anthony Smith in the main event of the UFC 235 show in Las Vegas.
The first round was not very eventful. Jones disturbed his opponent with various blows of his feet and in the clinch, and Smith threw only a high kick in the middle of the round. The champion began to build momentum in the second five-minute and more and more often landed hard, not allowing the opponent to do anything. Almost the entire third segment of the battle Jones exhausted his opponent in the clinch at the net, and then he transferred the fight to the ground without any problems, dominating there until the end of the round.
In the fourth five-minute Jones continued to destroy the weakened opponent, first exhausting him in the clinch, and then methodically breaking him in the pit. At the end of the round, Jones struck a forbidden knee kick. To Smith's credit, he recovered and continued the fight, but Jones was deducted two points. The champion decided to hold the remaining time of the meeting in the clinch, successfully bringing the fight to decision.
The judges unanimously gave the victory to Jones - 48-44, 48-44, 48-44 (two points were removed from John for the forbidden knee strike).
