Jones came into the fight as the heavy favorite and he dominated most of the fight. Jones did nearly get caught in an armbar in the early going, but escaped and controlled the fight from there. Jones used his grappling and elbows to bloody up Belfort, and in the fourth round, caught the challenger in an Americana for the victory.

Belfort deserves credit for his effort and taking the fight on short notice in a bigger weight class, but Jones is just the better man.

With Dan Henderson dealing with his injury, there is no clear contender for Jones in the 205-pound division. That champion is becoming as dominant in his class as Anderson Silva is at 185 pounds.

In the co-main event, Demetrious Johnson won the first ever UFC Flyweight Championship with a decision victory over Joseph Benavidez.

The fight had a fast pace and was very competitive, as expected. The difference in the bout was the array of leg kicks that Johnson landed on Benavidez. The kicks slowly wore down Benavidez and allowed Johnson to control the pace. Benavidez still did enough to earn the victory on one of the scorecards, but Johnson was the victor on the other two cards, and in the eyes of most of the fans.

Johnson now is the first 125-pound champion in the UFC. It will be interesting to see how this division grows in the near future with a thin roster of talent in the weight class.

In another big bout, middleweight Michael Bisping defeated Brian Stann by decision to improve his ranking in the 185-pound class.

Bisping was able to out-point Stann with his technical striking and wrestling ability. Bisping actually utilized some nice takedowns in the latter stages of the fight to neutralize Stann.

Looking at Bisping, his resume is pretty strong and it appears he deserves a title shot. He has never been given a crack at the gold but has steadily been near the top of the division for years.

Check out the full results after the jump.

UFC 152 Results (Courtesy of MMAMania.com)

Air Canada Centre – Toronto, Canada

Saturday, September 22, 2012

205 lbs.: Jon Jones def. Vitor Belfort via submission (Americana) at 0:54 of round four to retain the light heavyweight championship

125 lbs.: Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via split dec. for first-ever flyweight championship

185 lbs.: Michael Bisping def. Brian Stann via unanimous decision

205 lbs.: Matt Hamill def. Roger Hollett via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Cub Swanson def. Charles Oliveira via knockout at 2:40 of round one

205 lbs.: Vinny Magalhaes def. Igor Pokrajac via submission (armbar) at 1:14 of round two

155 lbs.: T.J. Grant def. Evan Dunham via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Sean Pierson def. Lance Benoist via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Marcus Brimage def. Jim Hettes via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Seth Baczynski def. Simeon Thoresen via KO at 4:10 of round one

135 lbs.: Mitch Gagnon def. Walel Watson via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:09 of round one

170 lbs.: Kyle Noke def. Charlie Brenneman via TKO (strikes) at 0:45 of round one

So, here is a look at what we learned this week.

– Nate Diaz may be an unsolvable problem for 155 pounders – Nate Diaz looked more than impressive against Jim Miller in the UFC on FOX 3 main event on Saturday. Miller had the kind of style that I expected to give Diaz some trouble, but he ran right through him. Diaz’ long reach has really been a problem for his opponents and he seems to be a vastly improved fighter since moving back from welterweight to lightweight. Miller was one of the top fighters in the division and Diaz made him look like a first timer. Diaz could legitimately become the UFC champion as I don’t know that a Benson Henderson or Frankie Edgar will be able to outwork him or deal with his jabs.

– Where does Josh Koscheck go from here? – Certainly it would be hard to say that Josh Koscheck was dominated by Johny Hendricks and you could maybe make the argument that he beat Hendricks on Saturday. Regardless, Koscheck certainly didn’t dominate Hendricks either. Koscheck seems to have become a fighter that refuses to go back to his roots when needed. He is one of the top wrestlers, and perhaps most explosive wrestler, in the 170 pound division. Koscheck is relying on his big swings and limited striking to try and win fights, even when it is clear he is not winning. Koscheck has only been out-wrestled one time in his career, and that was by Georges St. Pierre. In a fight like Saturday’s, I would have liked to see him take Hendricks down and work his ground striking as opposed to hoping for a knockout punch. Now Koscheck is lost in the welterweight division and not capable, in my mind, to make a run at middleweight. He needs to reinvent himself if he hopes to ever win UFC gold.

– Where would Alan Belcher be if he never got injures? – Belcher had about as good of a performance as Diaz, as he stopped Rousimar Palhares in the first round with some vicious ground and pound. Belcher was on a nice run in the UFC prior to an eye injury that nearly ended his career and sidelined him for over a year. Since his return, Belcher has first round finishes of Jason MacDonald and Palhares and he has won four straight overall. The middleweight division has quickly become very competitive with the addition of Hector Lombard. With Chael Sonnen, Brian Stann, Mark Munoz, and Michael Bisping all in the mix, Belcher should be right there with them.

Anderson Silva maintained his top spot in my top 10 middleweight rankings with his win on Saturday and it seems he has only one man that can truly pose a threat to his championship.

Here is a look at the top 10 in the 185-pound division in my eyes.

1. Anderson Silva (31-4) – Silva made Yushin Okami look like an amateur last Saturday and he has cemented himself as the best middleweight in UFC history. Next up for Silva will likely be a rematch of some kind, with either Chael Sonnen or Dan Henderson.

2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen hasn’t competed since pushing Silva to the limit last fall, but he is scheduled to face Brian Stann at UFC 136 in early October. Sonnen appears to be the lone hope to dethrone Silva someday, but the champion still managed to submit Sonnen despite an injured rib and 20 minutes of pummeling.

3. Vitor Belfort (20-9) – Belfort showed his explosive ability in his quick knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. He still may have the fastest hands in the division, but he missed his opportunity when he faced Silva back in February. A few more wins for Belfort may get him another crack at the title.

4. Yushin Okami (26-6) – Okami also had his chance, but couldn’t find a way to make his fight with Silva a grappling one. He seemed to passive and allowed Silva to get comfortable on his feet, and that is always a losing combination. Okami has to go back to the drawing board, and will likely need a long winning streak to get another title fight.

5. Michael Bisping (21-3) – Bisping is going to face off with Mayhem Miller later this year for a chance to propel himself into title contention. Bisping is still looking for a marquee win in his career and he hasn’t been terribly impressive since his TKO win over Denis Kang back at UFC 105 in 2009. Bisping needs an emphatic victory over Miller to really be considered a title contender.

6. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2) – The Strikeforce Middleweight Champion is set to return to action next week against Luke Rockhold, who is good competition in the Strikeforce organization, but not a great opponent on the world stage. Someday, with Strikeforce slowly merging into the UFC, I would expect Souza to compete in the elite organization someday.

7. Brian Stann (11-3) – Stann faces his toughest test to date when he squares off with Chael Sonnen at UFC 136. Stann has established himself as a feared striker in the division with respectable grappling skills. In this fight, he will need to have tremendous takedown defense to keep the relentless Sonnen from getting top position.

8. Mark Munoz (11-2) – Munoz will take on Chris Leben at UFC 138 in the highest-profile fight of his career. Munoz is a grinder that has some big punching power without the technique. His strength is his wrestling, but he will mix it up with anyone. He should probably stick to the wrestling in his bout with Leben.

9. Chris Leben (22-7) – Leben breaks into my top 10 list after his impressive KO of Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132. Leben clearly has the striking power to beat anyone on this list, but lacks the grappling skills and pure boxing technique to really become a top 5 contender. His bout with Munoz will test how far his grappling has come and show if he is ready to make a serious run at the title.

10. Alan Belcher (16-6) – Alan Belcher will make his return to action in a couple weeks after an eye injury sidelined him for more than a year. Belcher was on his way to becoming a title contender before getting hurt. When he returns on Sept. 17, he will face off with Jason MacDonald, another UFC veteran. The long layoff will be something Belcher has to overcome, but a win over the submission specialist will be a nice start for his return.

Sonnen sat down with MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani prior to UFC 132 and he was in classic form. The full 19-minute interview is below.

Sonnen throws bombs at nearly everyone from Brazil, especially Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva. Despite his attacks toward Team Blackhouse, it appears that Sonnen will make his return to the UFC against rising middleweight, Brian Stann.

I don’t know that Sonnen will be able to insult an American hero and make people laugh, but we will have to wait and see.

The 185-pound weight class had some interesting developments over the last few months as Chael Sonnen has had his return to the UFC pushed back and one of the top fighters, Nate Marquardt, is moving down to 170 pounds.

Nonetheless, here is what the top 10 in this weight class looks like.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is not only No. 1 on this list, but also on my pound-for-pound list. I think he has a tough test ahead of him in Yushin Okami at UFC 134, as Silva has shown a weakness against big wrestlers. Still, many of Silva’s opponents show him too much respect, which plays right into his hands.

2. Yushin Okami (26-5) – I am moving Okami up to number two because Sonnen’s future is in question and he seems to be losing steam with each passing day. Okami has beaten many of the best in the UFC, but he now has a chance to face the very best in Silva. Okami is a grinder, and that is what will be the most dangerous opponent for Silva to face.

3. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen has a good skill set, but his mouth and his poor choices have caused him to have a questionable future. Despite the fact that he pushed Silva to his limit, Sonnen still was unable to come through with a win. Sonnen has a clear weakness against submission specialists, but he has easily handled some of the top fighters in this division.

4. Vitor Belfort (19-9) – Still with some of the very fastest hands in all of MMA, Belfort is dangerous for anyone. He looks to rebound from his KO loss to Silva by taking on Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. An impressive win over Akiyama could put Belfort on the fast track to another title fight.

5. Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) – The Axe Murderer ends his long layoff by taking on Chris Leben at UFC 132. Silva is still a fan favorite and a big favorite of UFC President Dana White. His willingness to get into wars in the cage makes him dangerous for any opponent, but it has also led to him having a weak chin over recent fights. He will need a strong chin against Leben in order to win.

6. Michael Bisping (21-3) – Bisping will once again be in the spotlight when he makes his second coaching appearance on The Ultimate Fighter for season 14 opposite Jason Miller. Bisping can move into the top 5 in the division if he is victorious when the two meet in the live season finale.

7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2) – The Strikeforce Middleweight Champion is set to return to action in September, but it will be against Luke Rockhold, a relative unknown in the MMA world. Souza looks to have the skills to compete with the best in the world, but hasn’t had to opportunity to show it as of yet. Perhaps he will be next in line to make the jump to the UFC.

8. Brian Stann (11-3) – Brian Stann makes his first appearance on this list thanks to his KO of Jorge Santiago last month. Stann is proving that he can go toe-to-toe with almost anyone in the division and come out on top. It will be interesting to see what is next for Stann, who deserves a chance to get into the top-5 picture of the UFC.

9. Mark Munoz (11-2) – Munoz also makes his first appearance on my rankings list as he is coming off a win over former top-10 middleweight, Demian Maia. While the decision was somewhat disputed, Munoz certainly didn’t disappoint in his effort. He has great heart and a tremendous wrestling base. He struggled at times with his striking against Maia, but he still overcame that to pull out a tough win.

10. Alan Belcher (16-6) – Alan Belcher will make his return to action this fall in the Bayou, which will be a nice shot in the arm for the UFC middleweight division, which is in need of some new contenders. Belcher was climbing his way up the 185-pound ladder before suffering a near career-ending eye injury. Hopefully Belcher get back to where he left off when he takes on Jason MacDonald.

The PPV was a little uneventful but still had plenty of intriguing storylines emerge. Here are some thoughts I took away from Saturday’s event.

– Rampage had a solid performance despite what the fans thought – The main event might have had a number of boos surround it, but I thought that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had a solid performance against Matt Hamill. You have to consider a few things. First, Rampage had a fractured hand coming into the bout and still peppered Hamill with some big punches that didn’t manage to send him down. Second, Rampage stuffed each and every takedown attempt Hamill had with ease. To me, Rampage looked about as good as I have ever seen him and I think a healthy Rampage that shows that kind of takedown defense could pose a real threat to Jon Jones, if he is indeed the next in line for a title fight.

– Roy Nelson really needs to do something with himself – In the co-main event, Frank Mir had little difficulty winning a decision over Roy Nelson. Mir simply had to survive the opening five minutes and then Nelson could barely breathe for the final two rounds. Nelson has the talent to be a real impressive fighter. He has the ground skills and the punching power to contend with anyone, but his lack of conditioning and his desire to stick with his obese physique is hampering his career. I would like to see Nelson commit to losing weight and see where that takes him. Maybe he fights as a smaller heavyweight, or maybe he can even cut down to light heavyweight. The window for him to succeed is closing, and the blueprint for beating him is out there. It is only a matter of time before his UFC run ends because he fails to commit to change.

– Travis Browne is another KO artists in the heavyweight division – Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, Junior dos Santos, and now, Travis Browne. The heavyweight division is filled with some impressive knockout artists and Travis Browne is clearly part of that list following his first round KO of Stefan Struve at UFC 130. Of his 11 wins, 7 have come by first round knockout and he has some brutal finishes to his credit. Browne should now get a top-10 opponent in the division as he continues to work his way to a title fight.

– Rick Story, Brian Stann step up in their divisions – Rick Story and Brian Stan both picked up big victories and are now clearly in the top 10 of the welterweight and middleweight divisions, respectively. Story had a decision win over Thiago Alves, but finished slow, while Stann had a second round TKO win over Jorge Santiago. Story showed that his style and persistence, along with his chin, can contend with anyone in the 170-pound division while Stann showed that his striking is up to par with some of the best in the 185-pound class. Story and Stann should be both contending for a top-5 spot in their divisions for their next fight.

– Torres unjustly handed a loss to Johnson – In prelim action, Miguel Torres lost by decision to Demetrious Johnson in a key bantamweight contest. All three judges scored the contest 29-28 for Johnson, but I felt that Torres should have been the winner. While Johnson did spend more time on top of Torres, it was Torres that was staying active and really more on the offensive, as he continued to work for sweeps and submissions. The only time the fight nearly ended was when Torres had attempted and triangle choke in the second round and a guillotine choke in the third. Torres also mounted Johnson on two separate occasions while Johnson never got into a dominant position. Saturday’s decision shows that judges still deem being “on top” as winning. They don’t seem to truly grasp the concept that a fighter can be on his back and winning. I mean, look at Royce Gracie. He spent most of his time in the UFC on his back, working for submissions. That turned out alright for him, right? I know that poor judging takes place in a lot of fights, but it would be nice to see judges not just look at a fighter on top as winning and truly consider how much damage has been done and which fighter is more active.

– In the main event, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8) def. Matt Hamill (10-3) by unanimous decision in a light heavyweight contest. Hamill came into the fight expecting to be able to score takedowns, but Jackson showed impressive defense by stuffing every shot Hamill had. Jackson landed some big punches and knees, but never could do enough to put Hamill down. Jackson’s defense and superior striking were enough to earn him a unanimous decision after 15 minutes of fighting.

– Frank Mir (15-5) made his case to still be considered a top 5 heavyweight with a decision win over Roy Nelson (15-6). Neither fighter was that impressive, but Mir showed more conditioning and better grappling against a fatigued Nelson. Joe Rogan often pointed out how Nelson’s fat shape is affecting his MMA career. Will “Big Country” make any changes, or will he stick with his gimmick?

– Travis Browne (11-0-1) made a big statement in the heavyweight division with his brutal KO of Stefan Struve (21-5) in the first round. The two traded heavy kicks early in the bout but Struve attempted a kick late in the first round and Browne land a big straight punch that sent Struve crashing. Browne added two hammer fists, but Struve was already out. The fight ended at 4:11 of the first round.

– Rick Story (13-3) showed that he is a legit title contender in the welterweight division by beating Thiago Alves (18-8) by unanimous decision. Story was able to get Alves to the ground often in the opening two rounds and then took a number of big punches in the third round but was never knocked to the ground. Story did enough to win the bout 29-28 on all three scorecards.

-“The All American” Brian Stann (11-3) picked up another big KO victory, as he disposed of Jorge Santiago (23-9) in the second round of their middleweight contest. Stann flattened Santiago with a big left hook in the first round and then continued to land big shots before closing out the fight in the second round with another big punch and a furious follow up. The fight concluded at 4:29 in the second round. Stann is now 3-0 since moving down to the middleweight division.

Check out the quick results after the jump.

UFC 130 Results

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson def. Matt Hamill by unanimous decision

Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson by unanimous decision

Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve by first round KO (4:11)

Rick Story def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision

Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago by second round TKO (4:29)

Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres by unanimous decision

Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove by unanimous decision

Gleison Tibau def. Rafaello Oliveira by rear-naked choke in the second round (3:28)

Michael McDonald def. Chris Cariaso by split decision

Renan Barao def. Cole Escovedo by unanimous decision

Here are my full picks for the five bouts on the main card for Saturday night’s event, which airs live on PPV at 9PM ET. Check back tonight for complete results from the show.

UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8) vs. Matt Hamill (10-2) – I think this will be a very tough fight for Jackson if Hamill is in the right mindset. Hamill has the ability to get Jackson on his back, and that has been Jackson’s weakness as of late. Still, I think Hamill will get caught up in the moment of his first PPV main event and show Jackson too much respect, which will allow Rampage to win by decision by being the more aggressive fighter.

UFC Heavyweight Bout – Frank Mir (14-5) vs. Roy Nelson (15-5) – This should be a good scrap, but Mir’s desire to trade strikes in recent bouts will be his downfall tonight. I see Nelson getting an opportunity to land a clean punch, and that will lead to the end of the fight. Look for it in the second round.

UFC Middleweight Bout – Brian Stann (10-3) vs. Jorge Santiago (23-8) – In this clash of strikers, I see Stann coming out on top. He has crisper boxing and is the stronger fighter. Santiago has the ability to land a big kick or a big knee, but I see him trying for something flashy and leaving himself open to a big counter punch from Stann that will lead to a second round TKO.

UFC Welterweight Bout – Thiago Alves (18-7) vs. Rick Story (12-3) – There should be some fireworks here as Story will bring the fight to Alves. Story has the right style to pull off the upset, but I think he lacks that explosion in his takedowns to really get Alves on his back. I see “The Pitbull” using his punches and kicks to slowly tire Story before getting a TKO finish in the third round.

UFC Heavyweight Bout – Travis Browne (10-0-1) vs. Stefan Struve (21-4) – This is a classic grappler vs. striker contest and I see the striker winning. Struve has struggled with powerful strikers in the past and I look for Browne to come out quickly and win by first round TKO.

Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago are both on the rise in the middleweight division. But, at UFC 130, one fighter will continue to make the climb up the ladder, while the other will fall back.

Here is a look at both fighters heading into this key contest for Saturday’s PPV.

Brian Stann (10-3) – Not much was known or expected of Brian Stann when it was announced that he was moving from light heavyweight to middleweight after a loss to Phil Davis at UFC 109. But, Stann has won his first two bouts at 185 pounds, both by finish. He really broke onto the scene with his first round KO of Chris Leben at UFC 125 and is now being considered a legitimate threat in the division. Stann has big power in his hands and is under rated on the ground. As a former member of the Naval Academy and Marine Corps, Stann is a fighter that won’t panic, as he has faced much greater danger in his life than being inside the octagon. Stann is still developing his style in MMA and has not really faced a fighter with the muay thai ability that Santiago has. Stann’s grappling and clinch game will be very important in this contest if he hopes to win.

Jorge Santiago (23-8) – Santiago had a stint in the UFC back in 2006, but he went 1-2 with losses to Leben and Alan Belcher, both by KO. Since that time he has went 11-0 with five knockouts and five submissions. Santiago is slick on the ground as he is a great jiu-jitsu fighter, but he also has a lot of power with his hands, knees, and kicks. Santiago likes to throw some crazy knees and has the ability to be very explosive. Where Santiago will have to be careful is to not sit in the pocket and trade punches with Stann. It is things like that that caused him to go 1-2 in the UFC before. Santiago will also have to keep Stann from putting his weight on him and slowing him down.

Who Will Win: I like Stann in this fight. Santiago is a skilled and exciting fighter, but I like the poise and focus that Stann has. I look for Stann to weather an early storm from Santiago before hitting a big right hand in the second round that will lead to a TKO finish for the “All American”.

I will get back to some follow up thoughts on Saturday’s event later today, but for now, I thought I would post some tweets from last night on fighter’s reactions to the President’s announcement.

@BrianStann (Brian Stann) – Bin Laden is dead, I hope this continues the movement towards more freedoms for the people in the middle east and an end to ops for our forces

@danhardymma (Dan Hardy) – One less murdering lunatic in the world. Always good news.

@aaronsimpson (Aaron Simpson) – Go F yourself Osama.

@TimKennedyMMA (Tim Kennedy) – I find myself kind of sad that Osama Bin Ladin is dead. I have fantasized about killing him almost as much as zombies… I will have to find a replacement.

@NateRockQuarry (Nathan Quarry) – This just in: Steven Seagal kicks Osama Bin Laden with front kick

@ryanbader (Ryan Bader) – Steven Seagal finally found Osama! #deathbyfrontkicktochin.

@Jonnybones (Jon Jones) – Im sorry I’ve been off twitter I’ve been on a top secret super hero mission for past few days. Sure u heard about it by now. Lol

@kennyflorian – (Kenny Florian) – This is the greatest small team military operation of all time imo. Rest assured the highest skilled warriors were involved. #RealBlackOps

@ANTHONYRUMBLE (Anthony Johnson) – This actually gives me chills thinking about all the hurt that Bin Laden has done to the world. Mixed emotions right now.

@DanielGracie (Daniel Gracie) – I am so proud to be here in the US and I support the troops and families who keep us all free. Thank you for your service and commitment.

@CarlosCondit (Carlos Condit) – Cheers, to our special forces for taking care of business and to bin ladens rotting corpse, may he burn in hell

@vitorbelfort (Vitor Belfort) – Tonight Ben liden is burning in he’ll. Remember one thing the best in not the beginning or even during, but how u end your life congrats all

@MiguelTorresMMA (Miguel Torres) – The first rule of Project Mayhem is…