UFC 140 Results: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida Analysis, Reaction and Recap

Jon Jones - Al Bello/Zuffa, LLC

Following an action packed night of fights from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the UFC handed out its traditional “of the Night” bonuses worth $75,000 each for four UFC 140 combatants.

Taking home the “Submission of the Night” award was heavyweight Frank Mir.  Despite being rocked by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mir recovered and applied a kimura that appeared to break the right arm of the Brazilian.

“Knockout of the Night” went to “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung for his seven-second TKO of Canadian Mark Hominick.  The quick finish tied the official UFC record (however Duane Ludwig defeated Jonathan Goulet in just four seconds at Ultimate Fight Night 3).

The “Fight of the Night” honors went to the light heavyweight title tilt between champion Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.  Machida scored big shots in the opening round, but Jones responded in the second round, opening a massive cut on the forehand of the Brazilian.  The champion then rocked Machida with a left hand and sunk in a fight-ending standing guillotine choke.  By the time referee John McCarthy stepped in to stop the fight, Machida was unconscious and crashed to the ground face first. 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Jon Jones - UFC.com

The night’s main event featured a light heavyweight title tile between champion Jon Jones and former champion Lyoto Machida.

Jones earned the belt in March at UFC 128, where he stepped in for former teammate Rashad Evans.  He took the belt from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the man who defeated Machida to take the gold.  Jones defended his title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in September at UFC 135.

The Brazilian Machida has always been one of the toughest tests in the 205-pound division.  The Karate practitioner has proved to be a stylistic nightmare for most fighters.  While just 1-2 over his last three contests, the former champion scored a highlight reel frontkick knockout over Randy Couture in Toronto at UFC 129.

Round One: Jones started the fight low to the ground.  Jones was the first to strike, but failed to connect.  A spinning back kick missed the mark from Jones.  Machida scored with a kick to the lead leg of Jones.  Jones answered with a kick of his own.  Machida looked to counter with a left hand but slipped.  Jones kicked and Machida flurried but missed with a number of strikes.  Machida landed with a kick to the body and followed with a left hand.  An overhand right from Jones missed and Machida pushed forward, clipping Jones with multiple shots to the head.  Machida landed a left kick to the body.  A head kick from Jones missed the mark at the end of the round.

Round Two: The two light heavyweights traded kicks to begin the round.  Both fighters fainted repeatedly, looking to solve one another.  Jones kicked to the body and Machida countered with two right hands.  The pair briefly clinched, but separated.  Jones landed a right hand, straight to the jawline of the Brazilian.  Jones scored with a huge takedown against the fence, quickly delivering a massive elbow to open a cut on Machida’s forehead.  Jones briefly looked for a choke attempt, but abandoned it.  The action was stopped to check the cut, but the doctor allowed the fight to continue.  A left hand from Jones sent Machida crashing toward the mat.  Jones pounced and applied a standing guillotine choke against the fence.  Machida refused to tap and John McCarthy was forced to intervene.  An unconscious Machida crashed to the mat.

“He didn’t have me hurt, but he wobbled me a bit.  He’s just smart and a very tough puzzle,” Jones said of his opponent. 

Official Result: Jon Jones def. Lyoto Machida by submission (guillotine choke). Round 2, 4:26 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Frank Mir - UFC.com

In a rematch of a UFC 92 interim heavyweight championship bout, Frank Mir again stepped in to battle MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Mir decisively won the first meeting by second round TKO.  The Las Vegas-based fighter has reeled off two straight wins over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Roy Nelson.

“Big Nog” resurrected his career in August by defeating Brendan Schaub by KO at UFC 134.  The former Pride superstar claimed a staph infection was to blame for his poor performance in the previous meeting and hoped to prove it was a fluke.

Round One: Nogueira aggressively opened the fight, quickly looking for a takedown.  Mir defended, but the Brazilian clinched and forced him against the cage.  Mir reversed the position.  Mir scored a trip takedown near the fence and landed in the half guard.  Nogueira quickly worked back to his feet.  Nogueira scored with a series of right elbows from the clinch.  Nogueira dropped Mir with a left hand.  Mir appeared to be unconscious.  Nogueira locked up a guillotine, but Mir rolled to the top position.  Mir locked up the right arm of Nogueira in a kimura, breaking the arm and forcing the BJJ black belt to tap.

“Not only am I the first person to knock him out, I’m the first person to submit him,” an excited Mir said following the fight.

Official Result: Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission (kimura). Round 1, 3:38

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - UFC.com

A battle of light heavyweight legends served as the swing bout for UFC 140, as former UFC champion Tito Ortiz met Pride veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Ortiz was headed for the promotional chopping block after not securing a win in nearly five years prior to UFC 132.  However, a resurgent Ortiz submitted Ryan Bader and then stepped in against Rashad Evans at UFC 133 to get back into the good graces of the UFC.

“Lil Nog” has dropped two straight bouts to the aforementioned Bader and rising contender Phil Davis.  Before that, the heavy-handed Brazilian had won his previous two outings.

Round One: Ortiz barreled forward with a flurry of strikes that seemed to surprise Nogueira.  Ortiz shot for a single leg takedown but Nogueira defended.  Ortiz pressed the fight against the fence and the pair traded from close quarters.  Nogueira scored with a left hand that hurt Ortiz.  Nogueira flurried.  A knee from Nogueira dropped Ortiz to the mat.  Nogueira looked to finish, but Ortiz recovered his full guard.  Nogueira hammered away from the top position.  Referee Yves Laving stepped in to stop the fight, ending the barrage of body shots from the Brazilian.

“I feel so great.  It’s like a dream come true.  Tito Ortiz is a legend of this sport,” Nogueria proclaimed after the victory.

"He hit me in the same spot as Rashad (Evans).  He hurt me," Ortiz explained after the fight.

Official Result: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Tito Ortiz by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 3:15 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Brian Ebersole - UFC.com

Originally slated to face rising Canadian welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald, grizzled veteran Brian Ebersole met MacDonald’s fellow countryman, Claude Patrick.

Ebersole had resorted to the Australian MMA circuit for the past few years, but when an injury left a void on the UFC 127 in February, the veteran jumped at the opportunity.  After two impressive wins over Chris Lytle and Dennis Hallman, the veteran looked to make it three straight in the promotion. 

Patrick also has been on a tear, winning 13 straight bouts, including the last three within the UFC.  The expert on the ground has scored submission wins in 9 of his 14 victories.

Round One: A brief feeling out process led to Ebersole shooting for a single leg takedown.  Patrick stuffed it and looked for a choke but quickly abandoned it.  Ebersole pushed the fight against the fence, but Patrick was able to reverse the position.  Patrick scored with knees to the body from the clinch position.  Ebersole got the takedown, but Patrick locked in a guillotine. Ebersole calmly escaped, but Patrick was able to stand.  Ebersole sent Patrick back into the fence with a combination.  Ebersole again looked to bring the fight to the ground, but Patrick was able to maintain his feet.  As the round came to a close, Patrick reversed the position and unloaded strikes.

Round Two: Ebersole connected with a jab to begin the second frame.  Patrick dove for a takedown, but Ebersole simply stepped aside.  From the clinch, Ebersole scored with elbows.  Ebersole looked for a takedown again, locking up a single leg, but Patrick prevented it yet again.  The pair continued to battle for position, drawing the ire of the crowd.  Patrick separated and unleashed a combination of punches that backed up Ebersole.  Ebersole missed with a kick and Patrick briefly moved to his back, but Ebersole spun into the clinch.  Patrick connected with a left hand late in the round that stunned Ebersole, but his takedown attempt was stuffed.

Round Three: Ebersole open the final round with a takedown.  Patrick sprawled, but eventually ended up on his back.  Ebersole could not pass the guard of the Canadian, and Patrick returned to his feet.  Ebersole slammed Patrick back to the mat.  Ebersole took Patrick’s back along the fence with one hook.  Patrick spun out and the pair again clinched.  Patrick looked to attack Ebersole’s right arm and gained the top position.  Patrick moved to a choke attempt, but Ebersole again escaped and the returned to standing.  Ebersole shot for final takedown and Patrick defended with a anaconda choke, but Ebersole escaped yet again as the fight ended.

“I was upset because I wasn’t able to do everything I wanted to do tonight,” Ebersole stated in his post-fight interview.

Official Result: Brian Ebersole def. Claude Patrick by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Chan Sung Jung - UFC.com

Opening the pay-per-view portion of the card was an intriguing featherweight fight between Canadian Mark Hominick and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.

Hominick fell short in his title conquest in April against divisional kingpin Jose Aldo.  The UFC 129 contest was also in Toronto.  The striking specialist hoped to work his way back up the ladder.

Known for his exciting style, Jung scored the first twister submission in UFC history in March against Leonard Garcia.  The Korean was picked up “of the night” bonuses in two of his last three bouts.

Round One: The two featherweights raced in and Hominick walked directly into a right hand from Jung.  Hominick crashed to the mat and Jung followed with a barrage of punches.  Herb Dean was forced to stop the fight.

The stoppage came just seven seconds into the bout, tying the fastest (official) finish in UFC history.  “I feel great,” Jung explained after the bout.  “I think I’m one of the best strikers in the world,” a confident Jung declared to Joe Rogan.  He then apologized to the crowd for upsetting the Canadian crowd.

“I have to give it up to him.  I came out too wild,” a disappointed Hominick said.

Official Result: Chan Sung Jung def. Mark Hominick by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 0:07

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Igor Pokrajac - UFC.com

Finishing off the undercard portion of the UFC 140 event was a light heavyweight collision between Croation Igor Pokrajac and Polish-Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski.  The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 131 in June, but an injury to Pokrajac forced him out of the bout.

Pokrajac stepped in the cage having won two of his past three fights, after dropping his first two with the promotion.  The well-rounded veteran has trained with Pride legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic for most of his career.

Ultimate Fighter alum Soszynski boasted a solid 6-2 record with the promotion heading into the contest.  The former professional wrestler has won two straight.

Round One: The pair exchanged immediately to start the bout.  Pokrajac rocked Soszynski right off the bat with a right hand.  Pokrajac flurried against the fence and Soszynski crashed to the mat.  Pokrajac hammered away until referee Yves Lavinge was forced to stop the bout.  Soszynski was completely out, face first on the canvas.

The quick finish for Pokrajac is sure to move him up the light heavyweight ladder, while the loss of Soszynski will put him back in the pack at 205 pounds.

Official Result: Igor Pokrajac def.. Krzysztof Soszynski by KO (strikes). Round 1, 0:35

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Constantinos Philippou - UFC.com

Rising middleweights Jared Hamman and Constantinos Philippou were matched up on the ION portion of the undercard.

The power-punching Hamman has scored a number of highlight reel knockouts, most recently defeating C.B. Dollaway.  The former light heavyweight looked to make his way into contention with another win.

Philippou fell short in his UFC debut against Nick Catone, but quickly rebounded with an impressive win over veteran Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 in August.  The East Coast-based fighter hoped to build on his last win with another strong performance.

Round One: Philippou the aggressor early, but Hamman starts pushing forward with some solid leg kicks. Hamman shoots for a takedown but Philippou stuffs it. Briefly against the cage, but not for long. Solid body kick lands for Hamman.  He lands it again but Philippou counters with a huge punch that drops Hamman.  Philippou follows Hamman to the gorund and grabs a choke. Hamman escapes and they’re back to their feet. Philippou drops him again. Philippou dropping bombs from the top, but somehow Hamman  gets back up. Philippou drops him for a third time with two more huge punches.  John McCarthy has seen enough and the fight is over.

“It was about time. This is who I am,” an ecstatic Philippou declared while speaking to Joe Rogan after the win.  “The best day of my life,” the fighter stated.

Official Result: Constantinos Philippou def. Jared Hamman by KO (strikes). Round 1, 3:11

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Kevin Sampson is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA.

Dennis Hallman - UFC.com

A classic striker versus grappler matchup took place in the lightweight division as Canadian kickboxing prospect John Makdessi locked horns with hard-nosed veteran Dennis Hallman.

Makdessi, a native Canadian, looked to keep his unblemished record in tact by defeating the veteran.  At UFC 129 in April, Makdessi scored an impressive spinning back fist knockout over another grappling expert in Kyle Watson.

This fight was supposed to be Hallman’s return to the 155-pound division, but the former welterweight was only able to cut to 158.5 pounds and was fined a portion of his purse.

Round One: Hallman immediately clinched and looked for a takedown along the fence.  Makdessi grabbed the fence to try to stay on his feet, but Hallman got him to the mat.  Hallman rained punches and locked in both hooks.  Hallman flattened out the Canadian and hammered away.  Makdessi turned over to his back and absorbed a series of elbows from Hallman.  Makdessi gave up his back again and Hallman locked in the fight-ending rear-naked choke.

Speaking with Joe Rogan afterward, “I didn’t want to stand up with that kid.  Luckily my gameplan worked,” Hallman proclaimed.  “I apologize to John for missing weight. I plan on staying at 155.”

Official Result: Dennis Hallman def. John Makdessi by submission(rear-naked choke). Round 1, 2:58

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Yves Jabouin - UFC.com

Bantamweights Yves Jabouin and Walel Watson matched up in the first bout of the ION televised portion of the event.

Canadian Jabouin competed at featherweight in the WEC and his first UFC bout, but after struggling with a size disadvantage, the powerful striker made the drop to the 135-pound division at UFC 134 in August.  Jabouin scored a decision win over Ian Loveland at the event.

Watson made his promotional debut in his last outing, finishing off Joseph Sandoval with a series of head kicks.  The lengthy fighter has demonstrated a lethal ground game in addition to his newfound striking arsenal.

Round One: Touch of gloves to start things off. They exchange kicks with neither fighter gaining the upper hand.  Jabouin going for leg kicks, Watson is aiming for the head and body. Most strikes are catching nothing but air so far. Yves lands a good punch. Watson is being the aggressor now. Walel and Yves continue to swing and miss. Yves lands a punch off a missed spinning backfist. Yves pushes Watson up against the cage and scored the takedown. Watson gets back to his feet but Yves isn’t giving up. Walel grabbing a kimura but it’s not there. Watson executes beautiful throw but doesn’t pursue it, happier to stand back up.  Fairly even round, but Jabouin probably takes it on the judges scorecards for taking Watson down and establishing top control.  Round 1 goes to Yves Jabouin 10-9.

Round Two: Jabouin the aggressor to start round two.  Yves catches a kick and tries for a takedown but Watson shakes it off. An excellent display of kicks by both fighters but neither is really dominating the striking.  Walel seems to be out-landing Yves now. Watson lands a nice uppercut.  Nut shot but Watson doesn’t ask for timeout and the fight keeps going.  Now Jabouin is starting to land and Watson keeps missing. Watson seems determined to throw the spinning backfist but it’s not working for him.  Jabouin keeps scoring leg kicks.  Jabouin is having a lot less trouble with the reach disadvantage than you’d expect. Another nice exchange with a knee to the body. Waston throws the spinning backfist again and Jabouin dodges and lands a solid punch to Watson’s face. Jabouin gets a takedown straight into a guillotine but there isn’t enough time to finish it. The takedown secures another round for Yves Jabouin 10-9.

Round Three: Busy exchange to start round three. Watson is throwing with urgency but still missing more than landing. Pace slows. Walel does realize he’s losing this fight, right? Watson lands a body kick then a leg kick. Watson landing to the body consistently. Jabouin lands a very loud leg kick and he keeps landing them. Jabouin gets another takedown but loses top position in the scramble. Walal in half guard dropping half-hearted elbows.  Watson was looking for the D’arce and he has ahold of it. Fighters return to their feet. One minute left and Watson needs to finish this thing if he wants to win. No sense of urgency though.  Jabouin finishes with a jumping spinning back kick.  Watson probably takes that round for controlling the action on the ground so 10-9 to Walel “The Gazelle” Watson, but I’m seeing the fight for Jabouin 29-28.

Two of the judges saw the bout in favor of the Canadian Jabouin.  “One of my dreams was to be interviewed by Joe Rogan,” exclaimed Jabouin.  “They keep giving me these tall guys,” the fighter joked about his lengthy opponent.  

Official Result: Yves Jabouin def. Walel Watson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Kevin Sampson is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA.

Mark Bocek - UFC.com

Showcasing the depth of the lightweight division, longtime UFC vets Mark Bocek and Nik Lentz were tabbed for the Facebook undercard portion of UFC 140.

Bocek once again was picked to fight on his home soil, but hoped for a better outcome than his UFC 129 bout against Benson Henderson.  The Canadian submission ace entered the bout having dropped two of his last three fights to Henderson and fellow contender Jim Miller.

Wrestling stalwart Lentz looked to erase the memory of a no contest in June with Charles Oliveira.  Lentz has yet to taste defeat in his seven Octagon appearances and against Bocek, hoped to make it eight.

Round One: Bocek opened aggressively with a clinch, delivering knees and uppercuts.  Lentz pressed the fight against the fence, but Bocek quickly reversed.  Bocek scored with a trip takedown just a minute into the fight.  Bocek worked to pass the guard, but Lentz locked in a guillotine attempt.  Bocek stood to escape the hold and then quickly looked to pass again.  Bocek moved to side control, but Lentz recovered half guard immediately and eventually his full guard.  Bocek rained punches from the top as the end closed.

Round Two: Lentz threw a head kick to start the second round.  Bocek dove for a takedown but Letnz easily stuffed it.  Bocek slipped on a kick attempt and Lentz looked for an inverted triangle.  Bocek transitioned and landed in the top position.  Lentz maintained his guard, but could not threaten Bocek from his back.  The Canadian pushed his head deep into Lentz’s armpit, looking for an arm triangle, but Lentz recognized the threat and scrambled.  Lentz again latched onto a guillotine with a minute left in the round and Bocek was forced to stand and defend.  Referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up due to inactivity at the end of the round.

Round Three: Bocek quickly shot for a takedown and scored it along the fence to begin the final stanza.  Bocek tried to posture up and attack, but Lentz tied him up from the bottom.  Lentz scrambled to his feet.  Lentz popped the head of Bocek back with an uppercut.  Bocek secured another takedown at the midway point of the round.  Bocek continued to struggle to mount offense from the top, but Lentz remained on his back.  The fight ended with the two fighters briefly trading on the feet.

All three judges rewarded Bocek for his performance, handing Lentz his first Octagon defeat.  “He’s incredibly tough, give him credit,” Bocek said in his post-fight interview.

Official Result: Mark Bocek def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Jake Hecht - UFC.com

Welterweights Rich Attonito and promotional newcomer Jake Hecht went to battle on the UFC 140 undercard.

Attonito competed on The Ultimate Fighter season 11 at middleweight.  The veteran dropped to the 170-pound weight class earlier this year and scored an impressive win over grappling ace Daniel Roberts.

Hecht was tabbed for his Octagon debut after Rory MacDonald was injured and Claude Patrick was moved from facing Attonito to facing Brian Ebersole.

Round One: No touch of gloves to start round one. Attonito controlling the center of the octagon, but Hecht is firing off kicks. Hecht lands a good punch but Attonito is still okay. Hecht throws a leg kick and Attonito grabs a takedown. Rich is working from half guard but Jake gets full guard. Attonito dropping punches as the fighters rotate repeated on the ground. Hecht is looking for a sub. Hecht lands a few elbows from the bottom. Hecht has been stuck on his back most of the round so far. Good top control from Attonito. More punches landed by Rich from the top. Attonito gets side control but intentionally puts himself back in half guard. Back to full guard again. Attonito is dropping shots all over Hecht. Round ends with Hecht still on his back. That's a clear 10-9 round for Rich Attonito.

“I’ve lost a fight like that myself,” Hecht explained.  “You have to learn from your losses.”

Official Result: Jake Hecht def. Rich Attonito by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 1:10

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Kevin Sampson is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA.

John Cholish - UFC.com

Kicking off the event was a lightweight matchup between promotional newcomers John Cholish and Mitch Clarke.  The two submission specialists quickly looked to make their mark on the 155-pound division.

Cholish entered the bout riding a seven-fight win streak.  The Strikeforce veteran wrestled at Cornell and has been under the tutelage of Renzo Gracie since the start of his MMA career.

The Canadian Clarke steps into the Octagon for the first time carrying an undefeated record.  Six of his nine wins have come by way of submission.

Cholish barreled in early and locked for a takedown.  Clarke stuffed it and briefly looked for a guillotine choke.  Clarke connected with a pair of uppercuts.  Cholish scored with a big leg kick.  A stiff jab from Cholish popped the head back of Clarke.  Cholish slipped and Clarke moved to take his back.  Cholish rolled for a kneebar and landed in the top position.  Clarke used the cage to try to stand, but Cholish put him on his back again.  Cholish let Clarke stand.  Cholish followed a left hook with an outside leg kick.  Clarke fired away, but failed to land a number of punches.  Clarke stuffed another takedown attempt from Cholish as the round concluded.

Cholish scored with a right hand to start the second round.  A sluggish Clarke ate more right hands before Cholish again worked to the take the fight to the mat but failed.  Another right hand from Cholish landed flush on the jaw of Clarke.  Clarke continued to reach for his punches and repeatedly took right hands from Cholish.  With two minutes remaining in the round, Cholish landed a double leg takedown.  The pair scrambled as Clarke tried to escape and Cholish took his back.  The slick transition gave Cholish the ability to rain punches and open up a big cut on Clarke.  Referee John McCarthy saw enough and waived off the bout.

Speaking with Joe Rogan after the bout, Cholish credited Clarke for being a tough opponent and thanked his coaches for the win.

Official Result: John Cholish def. Mitch Clarke by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:36

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. 

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.

Lyoto Machida - Al Bello/Zuffa, LLC

In their return to Canada after an uber-successful UFC 129 which saw 55,000 pack into the Rogers Centre, the UFC 140 card is filled with intriguing match-ups that could produce fireworks.  For the first time, the brothers Nogueria will be fighting on the same card.  The main event pits two styles that have been hard for the 205 division to crack in champion Jon Jones and former champ Lyoto Machida.

Featherweights Mark Hominick and Chan Sung Jung are the perfect way to start off the PPV card.  For the “Korean Zombie”, Jung is best known for his 2010 Fight of the Year with Leonard Garcia, a loss he avenged last March. Hominick is returning to his home country after losing his last fight, a title shot against Jose Aldo. In a possible fight of the year candidate, I expect this to be a kickboxing match with Jung’s inability to takedown Hominck as the deciding factor.  Hominick via split decision is my call.

Welterweights Claude Patrick and Brian Ebersole will do battle in their effort to climb the UFC ladder.  For Patrick, this will mark his fourth fight in the UFC.  Ebersole is in his 11th year of MMA action with victories over Chris Lytle and Dennis Hallman in his first two UFC fights.  The long-limbed Ebersole had been a veteran of the Australian MMA scene before signing with the UFC earlier this year.  I expect Ebersole to dictate the fight wherever he wants to go, ending the fight via TKO in the second round.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz will try and prove his resurgence is for real against former Pride star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.  For Ortiz, he is looking to show his win over Ryan Bader in July was not a fluke.  This fight will be his record setting 26th fight in the UFC with a record of 1-5-1 over the last five years.  “Lil Nog” is coming off a pair of losses after winning his first two fights in the Octagon including a loss to Bader in September of 2010.  Nogueira possesses some of the best boxing in MMA.  Sadly, neither fighter is near their peak with Nogueira’s takedown defense being the difference in a mildly-entertaining unanimous decision win for “Lil Nog”.

UFC 140’s co-main event is a rematch of a hotly debated fight from 2008 which saw former heavyweight champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight for the UFC interim title.  Their first fight was dominated by Mir with “Big Nog” later revealing that he had a staph infection that kept him in the hospital for a week during training.  Mir is coming off back-to-back wins over “Cro Cop” and “Big Country” with neither of them coming in impressive fashion. Pride veteran Rodrigo Nogueria has been altering wins and losses in his last four fights with several knee injuries limiting him to only one fight in the past 22 months.  His emotional victory in his home country of Brazil over Brendan Schaub this past August was huge.  However, I fully expect Mir to dominate the fight just like the first match-up, winning via a third round TKO with “Big Nog” retiring after the bout.

Finally, the UFC light heavyweight title will be on the line as Jon Jones will take on Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.  Machida responded from the first two losses in his career by knocking out UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture into retirement with a highlight reel frontkick.  Many have questioned (justifiably) how Machida earned the shot at the belt after going just 1-2 in his last three fights.  However, no one can counter that Machida’s Karate-based style has always been tough to figure out, creating a very entertaining fight. Current champion Jon Jones will be entering the Octagon for the fourth time in 2011 with his last two fights being for the UFC belt. Jones has yet to be truly challenged, stopping his last seven opponents, four with striking and three with a submission.  His wrestling base and long limbs have been huge obstacles for his opponents with some even questioning if he can ever be stopped.  On this night Jones will prove just how other-worldly he can be, dominating Machida in every area of the fight before ending it via a TKO in the second round. 

Christopher Huerta is a contributor to Bleacher Report MMA.

Krzysztof Soszynski (R) - Donald Miralle/Zuffa, LLC

For the first time in several months, the UFC has decided to broadcast four of their prelim fights on ION Television in an effort to make their fighters more visible.  Though ION has a limited broadcasting audience, it provided the eight fighters with a chance to broaden their fan base.  Four different weight classes with a mix of veteran fighters will be showcased, including a pair of hometown Canadian fighters.

The first fight on ION will be a bantamweight battle between UFC and WEC veteran Yves Jabouin and up-and-comer Walel Watson.  Watson (9-2) hails from Texas with his prowess in BJJ and Muay Thai leading him to win nine of his last 10 fights.  This match-up will be his fourth fight of 2011.  For Jaboiun (16-7), this will be his third fight with the UFC after three with the WEC.  He has a 2-3 record over his last five fights though he won his bantamweight debut in his last outing.  I expect the pro-Jaboiun crowd to try and lead him to victory, but in the end I expect newcomer Watson to take the fight via a split decision.

Undefeated Canadian lightweight John Makdessi is scheduled to fight MMA veteran Dennis Hallman in the second fight on ION.  Hallman (50-14-2, 1 NC) has been around the MMA scene since the early years, while being best known for beating UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes twice in a combined 37 seconds.  Makdessi (9-0) will enter the Octagon for the third time Saturday with each of his fights taking place in Canada.  Despite being 10 years older than Makdessi, I expect Hallman to use his wrestling to negate Makdessi’s high-level kickboxing en route to a unanimous decision win.

Middleweights Jared Hamman and Constantinos Phillppou will each enter the Octagon looking to get there second UFC win at 185.  For former NCAA football player Jared Hamman (13-3), who has alternated wins and losses over his last four fights, he needs to show that his impressive middleweight debut win over C.B. Dollaway was not a fluke.  Philippou (8-2, 1 NC) is coming off a closely fought split decision win over UFC veteran Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 and has been to decision in his last three contests.  In this battle to take the next step in the 185 division, I expect Philippou to show off his high-level striking on his way to another unanimous decision.

Croatian Igor Pokrajac and Polish-Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski will do battle in the final ION fight in a fight that was originally scheduled for UFC 131 in June.  In this battle at 205, Pokrajac (23-8) has only been up and down in the UFC with a record of 2-3.  He is coming off a first round TKO in his last fight, though he has been off since March.  Former TUF star Soszynski (26-11-1) will carry a solid 6-2 record into the fight Saturday with wins over Stephan Bonnar and Brian Stann over that time.  Both have a loss to Bonnar on their record with Pokrajac’s loss coming via decision.  This fight could go either way but I expect a war with Pokrajac wearing out Soszynski and winning via KO in the third and final round.

Christopher Huerta is a contributor to Bleacher Report MMA.