Twitter Reacts to Jones’ Return, “Mighty Mouse” KO at UFC 197
The outcomes most people expected were switched.
UFC 197 went down from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas on pay-per-view tonight (April 23, 2016), headlined by a light heavyweight interim championship bout between pound-for-pound stalwart Jon Jones and late replacement top ten 205er Ovince St. Preux. Jones failed to impress in his return to the Octagon.
Despite pitching a shutout on the judges’ scorecards, the dominant performance and stoppage that many predicted failed to materialize for “Bones”. Outside of a few big slam takedowns and elbow-laden ground and pound in the fourth, Jones’ most common weapon was his trademark oblique kicks.
The co-main event saw the other top-two pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, retain his flyweight title for the eighth straight time, cruising to a first round TKO over Olympic gold-medalist Henry Cejudo. Cejudo was able to score an early takedown, but Johnson chewed him up with elbows and knees in the clinch, wobbling him with a knee to the head and dropping him with a knee to the body. See how Twitter reacted to these pivotal bouts:
Fight goes the distance. Ends with some boos. Lots of fans already leaving. Jones will win 5-0 but most ordinary he’s looked in a while.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 24, 2016
Jones hands the interim title back and says “I don’t want that, it’s not the real one.” #UFC197
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 24, 2016
You didn’t live up 2 my expectations tonight! It should’ve been the way *I* envisioned,not the fluid & unpredictable circumstance of combat!
— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) April 24, 2016
“If you fight me in that way you can’t win.” – @dc_mma on Jon Jones’ performance at #UFC197 https://t.co/4RegcRvp4P
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 24, 2016
Jon Jones flipping Daniel Cormier the bird exiting the cage #UFC197 pic.twitter.com/okoJbE6NnB
— Mike Dyce (@mikedyce) April 24, 2016
DC, a man who does’t need help with confidence, must definitely feel confident after this fight tonight, whether unfounded or not. #UFC197
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) April 24, 2016
DC Still be like #UFC197 pic.twitter.com/WQFSHrgauT
— ZombieProphet (@ZProphet_MMA) April 24, 2016
@arielhelwani I’ll take that belt if he doesn’t want it
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) April 24, 2016
Even Jon Jones post fight speech was “meh.” #UFC197
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 24, 2016
That was the real @JonnyBones On the mic tonight- Welcome back Amigo @ufc #UFC197 Great job @003_OSP in the 5 Rnd Battle
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 24, 2016
Man, @003_OSP is the epitome of class and a guy whose priorities are definitely in the right order. #Magnanimous #UFC197
— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) April 24, 2016
RESPECT to OSP #UFC197
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 24, 2016
I think Cormier would have won this fight, but if Jones was fighting Cormier, he wouldn’t have fought this fight.
Deep.
— Suzanne Davis (@SoozieCuzie) April 24, 2016
Much respect to @JonnyBones and @003_OSP
— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) April 24, 2016
How mad is Daniel Cormier that he didn’t get to fight this rusty Jones? #UFC197
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) April 24, 2016
JBJ is fighting like me in EA UFC. Just spamming kicks. #UFC197
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) April 24, 2016
OSP lead leg is damaged which is why he standing orthodox. It’s been that way since 1st rd. Def the difference in the fight. #UFC197
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) April 24, 2016
@ufc @MightyMouseUFC#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill#AndStill
It never gets old. ????— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 24, 2016
First round TKO win for DJ. Wow. Brilliant performance.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 24, 2016
Might Mouse is the goatiest GOAT!! ???????????? #UFC197
— Yellow Power Ranger (@Sugarhigh5me) April 24, 2016
Ate him alive!!! #UFC197
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) April 24, 2016
Too easy. Demetrious Johnson def. Henry Cejudo by first-round TKO. Knees to the body the primary weapon of choice. Eight straight defenses!
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) April 24, 2016
That was a beautiful performance.
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 24, 2016
Dat boy good!!! Congrats @MightyMouseUFC
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) April 24, 2016
I get tired just watching @MightyMouseUFC. He hardly broke a sweat.
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) April 24, 2016
Damn, @MightyMouseUFC making @joerogan look like @SHAQ
— Sean McCorkle (@BigSexyMcCorkle) April 24, 2016
Johnson aka mighty muse = Goat #UFC197
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 24, 2016
He’s no joke!! Finishing people every which way!! #UFC197 #P4Pnumber1
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) April 24, 2016
Damn I’m gutted 4Henry but we are all the 1%ers at this level its just who got the edge on fight night & DJ has this science down! #ufc197
— Anthony Birchak (@abirchakMMA) April 24, 2016
In other main card action, Yair Rodriguez continued to impress. Pantera” scored his fourth straight UFC victory and earned his first stoppage with a jumping switch kick knockout of Andre Fili 2:15 into round two. MMA Twitter exploded. Check out the video and the reaction here:
Ladies and gentlemen, Yair Rodriguez… #UFC197 pic.twitter.com/ZckhXDWnzs
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionAus) April 24, 2016
Dead.
— Suzanne Davis (@SoozieCuzie) April 24, 2016
Yair Rodriguez just killed Andre Fili with a jumping kick to the grill. That was NASTY.
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 24, 2016
Fuck what you heard that’s KO of the year. #UFC197
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) April 24, 2016
Sweet mother what a KO by Yair Rodriguez. Wow. That was something else.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 24, 2016
OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! @panteraufc #UFC197
— #UFC197 (@ufc) April 24, 2016
He’s dead y’all. Cut Rodriguez that check. #UFC197
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 24, 2016
That was some straight up Bloodsport shit. #UFC197
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) April 24, 2016
Nighty night. Scratch that man a performance of the night check son. #UFC197
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) April 24, 2016
HOLY SHIT, Yair Rodriguez KO!! #UFC197 pic.twitter.com/72bPOQnEYm
— Yellow Power Ranger (@Sugarhigh5me) April 24, 2016
That was nasty!! ???? Head up Fili#UFC197
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) April 24, 2016
???????????????? that KO!!!! #UFC197
— Mark Ingram II (@MarkIngram22) April 24, 2016
MUCH NINJA!!! SUCH WOW!!!! #UFC197
— Naya Rae Rodriguez (@NooberNaya) April 24, 2016
“Jumping roundhouse kick to the face!” –@joerogan — Yair Rodriguez got game. What a way to start the PPV. #UFC197
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) April 24, 2016
Go outside to burn one and comeback missing that KO FLM
— ZombieProphet (@ZProphet_MMA) April 24, 2016
Damn. Still thinking about that knockout like #UFC197 pic.twitter.com/7KGuysEc0R
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) April 24, 2016