#3 The battle
The Octagon door slams shut, as Anthony Smith paces one from side to the other in his corner -- eagerly awaiting Bruce Buffer to be done with the announcements -- meanwhile, Jon Jones, with a look of supreme confidence on his face, soaks in the adulation from the fans in attendance for his defense of the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title.
The fight starts off with Smith utilizing good footwork, as he circles Jones; disallowing the latter from gauging the distance and getting the typical Bones rhythm going. Jones lands the better shots in Round 1 and seals it as a surefire 10-9 with a takedown in the end. Round 2 witnesses Jones throwing oblique kicks to the knee, as Smith finally starts finding his spots --tagging Jones with counter jabs, right straights and left hooks in response to the oblique kicks.
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Round 3 sees Jones throw a greater number of roundhouse kicks to the head and body, whereas Smith looks to close the distance and unleash his boxing combinations. With Jones up 3 rounds to none, Smith enters the championship rounds knowing he needs a stoppage win.
Smith gets a tad too aggressive on the feet, and pays for it, as Jones takes him down -- landing several elbows which leave the former bloody and battered on the mat. Jones stands up, and looks down upon his foe, demanding that the latter get up. This is when Lionheart catches an overconfident Jones with a step-in right elbow to the chin.
A badly rocked Jones holds on for dear life until the buzzer sounds, as the two combatants then head to the 5th and final round of the fight. Jones seems to have cleared the cobwebs, but Smith is relentless with his attack -- tagging the consensus pound-for-pound great with a volley of elbows from the clinch. A left-right elbow combination to the dome drops Jones -- as Smith becomes the first man to stop "Bones" by way of KO/TKO.
Nevertheless, although Lionheart may have won a battle, his win over Jones shall serve to ignite an all out war...