UFC 140 Results: Big Takeaways from Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida

Well, he did it again. At UFC 140, Jon Jones overcame what was probably the most (or only) in-cage adversity of his career to choke out Lyoto Machida late in the second round and retain his light heavyweight title.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the fight.

What we'll remember about this fight

That Jones was tested like he has never been tested before, and passed with flying colors. In the first round, Machida found openings in Jones' stand-up and charged through them forcefully. The Dragon appeared to win the round. 

Jones regrouped in the second round, scoring a takedown and opening Machida's forehead with an elbow. Soon after, Jones locked in a standing guillotine choke. When he released the choke, Machida fell to the mat in a heap, and another one bit the dust.

What we learned about Lyoto Machida

He's still very much a relevant fighter. Using his signature stick-and-move karate, Machida pushed Jones farther than Jones had ever been pushed before. In so doing, Machida scored a moral victory of sorts. Those don't count in the record books, but perhaps it's something Machida can build on.

What we learned about Jon Jones

That he can rally. He had never been hit hard in the cage, and with apologies to Matt Hamill had never cleanly lost a round. All the uncertainty about how he would fare in the proverbial deep water can be considered resolved. At least to the point such a resolution is possible given that he choked out his opponent in the second round. 

What's next for Machida

It wouldn't seem that a great deal of soul-searching is in order. He is what he is. Tonight, against the best light heavyweight in the world, it didn't work well enough for him to win. As for Machida's next opponent, he might make an interesting welcome-back gift for Thiago Silva this spring.

What's next for Jones

If Rashad Evans can get past Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2 next month, he should be next in line. Dana White has indicated as much. Evans just might be the man to beat Jones at light heavyweight, if such a man should exist. If Evans loses to Davis, the next shot would likely go to a Mr. Dan Henderson. 

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.