UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos — July 6, 2019, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. A card so stacked it produced three title fights, the fastest KO in UFC history at the time, and one of the most debated scorecards in LHW championship history. Jon Jones retained the UFC Light Heavyweight title by split decision over Thiago Santos in the most physically demanding fight of his career — a five-round war in which Santos fought on a surgically-reconstructed knee and still came within a judge’s scorecard of winning. Amanda Nunes made her second UFC Women’s Bantamweight title defence by stopping Holly Holm in round one. And Jorge Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren with a flying knee at five seconds of round one, the fastest finish in UFC history.
UFC 239 belongs in the conversation for the most stacked single events of 2019. For the full mid-2019 context see UFC 238.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: July 6, 2019
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ PPV
🏆 Main Event: Jones (c) vs. Santos — UFC LHW Championship
✅ Result: Jones def. Santos via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — R5 5:00
🥇 Champion: Jon Jones retained the UFC LHW Championship (2nd defence)
The Build-Up
Jones had made his first title defence against Anthony Smith at UFC 235 and was preparing to meet the most physically dangerous challenger he had faced since his disputed split decision over Alexander Gustafsson in 2013. Thiago Santos had embarked on a remarkable run of finishes through the LHW division, stopping five consecutive opponents including David Branch, Jimi Manuwa, and Jan Blachowicz. What the UFC and the public did not know until after the fight was that Santos had entered the octagon with five torn ligaments in his right knee, having sustained the injury in his final training camp. He competed anyway.
The co-main between Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm carried significant weight: Holm had famously ended Ronda Rousey’s reign, had remained elite, and represented Nunes’ most technically accomplished striking opponent. The Masvidal–Askren fight was built on a personal animosity that had been building on social media for months: Masvidal had been publicly dismissive of Askren’s controversial debut win at UFC 235, and Askren had responded with equal force.
Main Event — Jones vs. Santos
Jon Jones (c) vs. Thiago Santos — UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Santos brought left-hand power that no LHW had brought to Jones before, and the combination of his striking volume and his front-leg oblique kick neutralisation kept Jones from using his own oblique kicks effectively. Santos landed the cleaner shots in rounds two and three, and Jones was visibly hurt on multiple occasions. Round four and five saw Jones’ wrestling and clinch work re-enter the equation, as he used takedowns and cage pressure to control the rounds on the scorecards if not necessarily in the striking exchanges.
The split decision — 48-47, 48-47 for Jones, 47-48 for Santos — was one of the sport’s most debated scorecards in years. Many observers had Santos winning rounds two, three, and four, which would have given him a clear majority decision. Post-fight, Santos revealed the extent of his knee injury: five torn ligaments, including his ACL. He required surgical reconstruction on both knees and was unable to walk properly for months. The knowledge of the injury recontextualised the fight entirely — Santos had nearly taken the LHW title while unable to plant his lead leg properly, meaning Jones had narrowly survived his most dangerous challenge since Gustafsson.
Co-Main Event — Nunes vs. Holm
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Holly Holm — UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Nunes established her range immediately, cutting off the cage and preventing Holm from using her movement effectively. She landed a series of right hands and forced Holm against the fence, where she applied punching combinations until referee Jason Herzog stepped in to stop the contest at 2:36 of round one. Holm — the former champion who had ended Ronda Rousey’s era — had no answer for Nunes’ combination of power and technical diversity. The finish reinforced Nunes’ position as the most dominant women’s champion in the sport.
Masvidal vs. Askren — The 5-Second KO
Askren shot for a takedown the instant the fight started. Masvidal timed it perfectly, leaping into a flying knee that connected flush on Askren’s skull as he dropped his level. Askren was unconscious before his body reached the canvas. Referee Herb Dean stopped it at five seconds, the fastest finish in UFC history, surpassing the previous record by four seconds. Masvidal’s celebration — the championship belt mime, the direct address to Askren on the canvas — produced one of the sport’s most memorable post-finish images. The overnight social media reach of the clip was enormous. It launched Masvidal into superstardom and defined his UFC career trajectory.
Full Results
Main Card
Jones def. Santos — Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) | R5 5:00 | LHW Championship (Jones 2nd defence)
Nunes def. Holm — TKO (punches) | R1 2:36 | Women’s BW Championship
Masvidal def. Askren — KO (flying knee) | R1 0:05 | WW (fastest KO in UFC history)
Blachowicz def. Rockhold — KO (punches) | R2 1:14 | LHW
Chiesa def. Sanchez — Unanimous Decision | R3 | WW
Preliminary Card
Morono def. Ramos — TKO | R3 | WW
Gadelha def. Cooper — Unanimous Decision | R3 | Women’s SW
Bonuses & Awards
🏅 Performance of the Night ($50,000 each): Jorge Masvidal (5-second flying knee KO of Askren, UFC record), Amanda Nunes (R1 TKO of Holm), and Jan Blachowicz (R2 KO of Rockhold).
Records & Milestones
Masvidal’s 5-second KO of Askren was the fastest finish in UFC history. Santos’ performance — achieving a near-title-victory on five torn knee ligaments — is one of the sport’s great displays of physical toughness, and the fight is considered the most genuinely competitive title fight Jones survived in this phase of his career. Blachowicz’s second-round KO of Luke Rockhold continued the LHW contender ascent he had begun at UFC 232. Nunes’ finish of Holm extended her BW title run and reinforced her as the pound-for-pound best women’s fighter in the sport.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 239 is remembered as one of 2019’s richest single cards — three title fights, the fastest KO in UFC history, and a main event that will be debated indefinitely. The Jones–Santos scorecard controversy sits alongside the first Gustafsson fight as the most disputed result of Jones’ championship reign. Santos’ courage in competing on a destroyed knee, and the physical excellence he displayed despite it, earned him enormous respect and eventually the rematch he deserved.
Masvidal’s 5-second KO was the moment his career transformed. Within months he had the ‘BMF Title’ fight at MSG; within a year he was a UFC 251 co-main challenger. The five seconds that ended Askren set off a trajectory that no one had predicted. UFC 239 closed the first half of 2019 and handed off to what would become one of the most consequential second halves in the sport’s modern era.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the Jones vs. Santos decision at UFC 239 controversial?
Extremely. The split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47 for Jones) was disputed by many observers who scored Santos winning rounds two, three, and four. Post-fight, Santos revealed he had competed on five torn knee ligaments, making his near-upset one of the sport’s most astonishing physical feats.
How fast was Masvidal’s KO of Askren at UFC 239?
Five seconds. Askren shot for a takedown at the opening bell; Masvidal timed it with a running flying knee that landed clean as Askren dropped his level. Referee Herb Dean stopped the contest at 0:05 of round one — the fastest KO in UFC history, surpassing the previous record of nine seconds.
How did Nunes beat Holm at UFC 239?
Nunes cut off the cage, prevented Holm from using her movement, and landed a series of punching combinations against the fence. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the contest at 2:36 of round one.
What injury did Thiago Santos have at UFC 239?
Five torn ligaments in his right knee, including his ACL, revealed post-fight. Santos had sustained the injury in training camp and chose to compete anyway. He required surgical reconstruction on both knees and was unable to walk normally for several months after the fight.
Who received the UFC 239 post-fight bonuses?
Performance of the Night: Jorge Masvidal ($50,000, 5-sec KO of Askren), Amanda Nunes ($50,000, R1 TKO of Holm), Jan Blachowicz ($50,000, R2 KO of Rockhold).
References
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