UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones. March 19, 2011. Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. Jon Jones won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship by TKO at 2:37 of round three, becoming the youngest UFC champion in history at 23 years and 8 months.
Jones had accepted the fight four weeks earlier on short notice, replacing Rashad Evans who had suffered a knee injury. He opened round one with a flying knee, dominated three rounds with his reach advantage and unorthodox striking, and finished Shogun Rua with punches and a knee in the clinch. Jones was the first fighter to stop Rua via strikes. Hours before the fight, Jones had subdued a suspected thief in a Paterson, New Jersey park using a figure-four leglock. ‘Great pre-fight warmup,’ he told TMZ.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: March 19, 2011
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA (originally planned for Abu Dhabi)
Attendance: 12,619; Gate: $2,140,000
Main Event: Mauricio Rua (c) vs. Jon Jones — UFC LHW Championship
Result: Jon Jones def. Rua — TKO (Punches/Knee) — R3, 2:37 — YOUNGEST UFC CHAMPION IN HISTORY (23 years, 8 months)
Notable: Jones foiled robbery pre-fight; Evans calls out Jones post-fight; Faber UFC debut; Schaub KOs Cro Cop; $70k bonuses
The Build-Up
Rashad Evans was the scheduled challenger. He suffered a knee injury in training and was forced out. Jon Jones had just submitted Ryan Bader at UFC 126. The UFC offered Jones the title fight on four weeks’ notice in the post-fight interview. He accepted immediately. Quinton Jackson had been offered the fight before Jones; he declined, citing insufficient preparation time.
Hours before UFC 128 began, Jones was en route to Great Falls Historic Park in Paterson, New Jersey, when his party observed a woman reporting that a man had smashed her car window and stolen her GPS. Jones and his coaches gave chase, tripped the suspect, and held him down until police arrived. His post-fight comment: ‘Great pre-fight warmup for me.’
Main Event
Mauricio Rua (c) vs. Jon Jones — UFC LHW Championship
Round one: Jones launched a flying knee at the opening bell. He controlled the striking exchanges with a significant reach advantage, throwing unorthodox combinations. He took Rua down and worked from the top position. Rua survived the round but was visibly affected.
Round two: Jones continued with the same pattern. A spinning back elbow. Ground and pound. Rua was taking significant punishment to the head. He came out for round three clearly hurt.
Round three: Rua shot for a leg lock and failed. Jones escaped, advanced, and landed a series of punches. He drove Rua against the cage and landed a knee to the head in the clinch. Rua went to his knees. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 2:37. Jon Jones was the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was 23 years and 8 months old.
Rashad Evans, Jones’ former training partner at Jackson-Wink MMA, entered the octagon and called out the new champion. The Jones-Evans rivalry was announced in the moment of Jones’ first championship.
Co-Main Event
Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland — Bantamweight (Faber’s UFC Debut)
Urijah Faber, the former WEC Bantamweight Champion, made his UFC debut after the WEC was absorbed into the UFC. He defeated Wineland by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) using his wrestling and combinations. Faber earned a subsequent title shot against UFC BW Champion Dominick Cruz.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
Luiz Cane def. Eliot Marshall — TKO — R1 — LHW
Gleison Tibau def. Kurt Pellegrino — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — LW
Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Almeida — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Edson Barboza def. Anthony Njokuani — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW; Fight of the Night ($70k each)
Main Card
Erik Koch def. Cub Swanson — TKO — R2 — FW; KO Night ($70k to Koch)
Jim Miller def. Kamal Shalorus — TKO — R3, 2:15 — LW
Nate Marquardt def. Dan Miller — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — MW
Brendan Schaub def. Mirko Cro Cop — TKO — R3, 3:44 — HW; KO Night ($70k to Schaub)
Urijah Faber def. Eddie Wineland — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (29-28 x3) — BW; Co-Main; Faber UFC debut
UFC LHW Championship — Main Event
Jon Jones def. Mauricio Rua — TKO (Punches/Knee) — R3, 2:37 — LHW Championship; Jones youngest UFC champion (23 years, 8 months); first to stop Rua via strikes
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani — $70,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night (x2): Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Cro Cop — $70,000 to Schaub; Erik Koch vs. Cub Swanson — $70,000 to Koch.
Records & Milestones
Jon Jones — youngest UFC champion in history at 23 years, 8 months; record stood for over a decade.
First fighter to stop Mauricio Rua via strikes — Jones’ TKO of Shogun was the first time Rua had been finished by striking in professional MMA.
Jones accepted the fight on four weeks’ notice — replacing Rashad Evans at short notice and winning the title; the fastest championship acquisition after short-notice acceptance in modern UFC history at the time.
Urijah Faber UFC debut — moved from WEC following the promotion’s absorption into the UFC; immediate contender status at bantamweight.
Legacy & Impact
Jon Jones at UFC 128 is one of the sport’s most complete debut performances for a title winner. He did not scramble or survive; he dominated from the opening bell against a champion who had just defeated Lyoto Machida in their rematch. The reach advantage, the footwork, the spinning elbows, the ground control — Shogun had no answer for any of it. Three rounds of complete LHW dominance. At 23 years and 8 months.
The post-fight Rashad Evans confrontation opened one of the sport’s most contentious personal rivalries. Evans had been Jones’ teammate at Jackson-Wink MMA. The title shot that Evans had been scheduled for before his knee injury now belonged to Jones. When Evans challenged Jones to defend against him, the friendship was effectively over. The Evans-Jones fight at UFC 135 in September 2011 was built on genuine animosity.
FAQ
How old was Jon Jones when he became UFC champion at UFC 128?
Jones was 23 years and 8 months old when he defeated Mauricio Rua at UFC 128, becoming the youngest champion in UFC history at that time.
Did Jones fight Shogun at UFC 128 on short notice?
Yes. Jones accepted the fight on approximately four weeks' notice after Rashad Evans suffered a knee injury in training. Jones had submitted Ryan Bader just weeks earlier at UFC 126.
What happened with Jones and the robbery before UFC 128?
Hours before UFC 128, Jones observed a woman reporting that a man had smashed her car window and stolen her GPS. Jones and his coaches chased, tripped, and restrained the suspect until police arrived. Jones told TMZ: 'Great pre-fight warmup for me.'
What was notable about the post-fight confrontation at UFC 128?
Rashad Evans, Jones' former training partner at Jackson-Wink MMA, entered the octagon and called out the new champion. Evans had been the scheduled challenger before his knee injury. The challenge began one of MMA's most personally bitter rivalries; they fought at UFC 135 in September 2011.
Was UFC 128 originally meant to be in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. UFC 128 was originally planned as the UFC's first return to the UAE since UFC 112 in April 2010. The event was moved to Newark after a suitable outdoor venue could not be finalized in time.
References
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