UFC 128: Macdonald [vs] Jones

-----------------------March 18th, 2011-----------------------

Dana White
Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for coming to tonight's UFC Expo event. As you all know, this is the moment we've all been waiting for. The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony. As you all know, we're going to have one man come up and induct this year's inductee, and then that inductee will make his speech. So, without further delay, we have the one and only, Randy The Natural Couture, here to induct.

The crowd claps as Randy Couture steps onto the stage, wearing a nice suit. He walks up to the microphone and shakes Dana's hand.

Randy Couture
Nine years ago, I was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. I was only thirty eight years old. Which is still nearly ten years older than the man I'm inducting today, but that's beside the point. I'm only glad that I got in this hall of fame before he did. Anyways, back when I was champion, I remember watching this one kid tear through the undercards of the Light Heavyweight division. At the time, there was me, there was Chuck, there was Tito, and even Vitor, we were the top guys. We all saw this kid tear through the entire roster below us. He won by submission, by knock out, and they weren't even close. At first we just thought he was a flash in the pan. But we watched as he easily handled Forrest Griffin, the first Ultimate Fighter winner. Dana decided to give him a number one contender fight, against Tito. I talked to Chuck and Tito about it. They all thought it would be a joke. Here comes another new cocky guy, who thinks that he can just jump in here. That's how we were back then. We didn't like new guys coming in like that. But we dealt with it. Tito promised to mop the cage with him, and we believed him. So we went and watched the fight. And three rounds later, this man's hand was being raised, after a fight that was not even close. I talked to Tito about it, and he said that this kid was for real. I didn't believe it, he must have just gotten lucky. I talked to Chuck for a while about it. We both figured that Chuck could knock some sense into him. So I attended that night. We all watched as Chuck beat the living hell out of this guy, but he would not go down. He fought, and fought, and fought. And then, he won. Out of nowhere, won by submission. I couldn't believe it. A twenty five year old champion, who looked like he had just been hit by a truck. Who was this kid? Where did he come from? How was he so good? All the questions in my mind. I watched him beat countless others, including Chuck again, Rampage, Lyoto, Shogun, Rashad. People came up, and he sent them back down. And he got better and better. And I got to know him a bit. The Chuck right really changed him. He lost the cockiness, and just became an all around respectful guy. He was nice, down to earth, and funny. Even with our nearly twenty years of age difference, we got along great. We hung out a bit, watched fights together, worked out together sometimes. We got pretty close as friends. And then came the time for me to fight him. And I like to think that I gave him the biggest challenge of his career. He beat me, knocked me out with only seconds left, in what was going to be a controversial decision, no matter the way. But he won, and I finally knew. I understood what I had been told so many times before. This kid was for real. There was no overhyping him. He was as good as everyone said he was. He had no weaknesses, no flaws. He was talented at everything he did. And then he retired. Well, let me tell you all, I was just like you. I didn't believe it. And sure enough, months later, he came knocking at my door, asking me to train him for a fight. And I did, because I owed him one. So I trained him, and we finally got back to our friendship. He won that fight, and we've trained together since. When I was told that he was going to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, I thought, about time. I mean, sure he's young, but all that he's done, it just speaks for itself. No one can top this man's accomplishments in the UFC. He is the all time greatest. He helped make MMA what it is today. It is with great, great honour, that I officially induct my friend, and the greatest fighter of all time, Brandon Macdonald, to the UFC Hall of Fame. Welcome Brandon. Welcome.

The crowd cheers as Brandon Macdonald walks from backstage, and onto the outdoor stage that is set up. He waves at the crowd, and walks over to Randy, and hugs him, before stepping up to the podium.

Brandon Macdonald
Wow. Never had to speak in front of this many people before. Crazy, I know. And never in a million years did I think I'd be getting inducted this early. I'm only twenty nine for christ's sake. I'm still in my prime! Randy got inducted when he was fourty two, what does that say? Maybe I look older, I don't know. Point is, I'm rambling, because I don't know what to say. I'm totally honoured to be inducted tonight. Who wouldn't be? When I drove to Greg Jackson's gym nine years ago, this is not what I had in mind. But yet, here we are. Look, even though I always get all this praise, I'm not superman. I win fights because of the people I work with. My coaches, my trainers, my partners. They all help me get ready for my fights, and that's why I do so well. So I have to give them some credit. They did it all for me. I just did what I was told. I guess it worked out pretty well. But I'd also like to thank god, because without him, I wouldn't be here. I'd like to thank Dana, Lorenzo, Joe, for giving me this chance. You guys gave me the ball, and let me run with it. And I ran pretty far, I'd have to say. But thank you for letting me into your business. And finally, I have to thank you guys. Seriously, you're probably all tired of hearing it, but if it weren't for your support, I wouldn't be here today. Literally. It's no secret that I had a shitty life in the UFC. I was suicidal, and almost did end it many times. But the fan mail, the cheering, the love I got from you guys, that's what kept me alive. I couldn't let any of you down, because you had never let me down before. So I didn't. And, in the last seven months, my life has completely turned around. I'm married, I'm doing something, well, two things that I genuinely love. Life is great. And it's all thanks to you. So thank you. This induction is for all of you. Not just me.

Brandon Macdonald waves as the crowd cheers for him. He steps off of the podium, and shakes Randy's hand again, before shaking Dana White's hand, who hands him a small plaque, with an official recognition of a UFC Hall of Fame engraving on it. He smiles as cameras flash all around. He holds up the plaque as the crowd cheers loudly


-----------------------March 19th, 2011-----------------------


Goldberg - Ladies and gentlemen, it's main event time! Brandon Macdonald, the champion. Jon Bones Jones, the challenger.

Rogan - This is going to be a good fight Mike. Jones reminds me a lot of Brandon when he was making his way to the top. Can he overthrow one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen?

God Gave Me Style starts to play over the loudspeakers as Jon Jones enters the arena. He jumps around as the fans cheer for him, and high five him. He walks over to the cutman, and gets checked out, before running into the octagon, and hopping around.

Rogan - Jon Jones is one scary dude

Goldberg - He has an eighty four and a half inch reach. That's the largest in UFC history.

Rogan - And he can do everything. We've seen him knock people out, and tap people out. But, he's never had to fight anyone even close to as good as Brandon Macdonald.

Goldberg - I don't even know if there is anyone in the UFC who is even close to Macdonald's level

Rogan - I guess we'll see if Jon Jones is tonight

Joker and the Thief begins to play across the arena. The crowd erupts into cheers. Brandon Macdonald enters the walkway, and begins to quickly walk towards the cage. After taking off his headband and gi, he quickly hurries into the ring, and shuffles around, saluting Jones, and then returning to his corner.

Goldberg - Our tale of the tape, for this, our main event, brought to you by the only motorcycles worthy of being in the octagon, Harley Davidson. The champion, is twenty eight, the challenger, twenty-three. Jones stands four inches taller, and will enjoy a monumental nine inch reach advantage. With the official introductions, here, is Bruce Buffer

Bruce Buffer - Ladies and gentlemen, two UFC light heavyweight warriors have now entered the worlds ultimate proving ground for fighters, but tonight, only one will leave the champion...as this is! The Maaaaaiiiinnn Evveennnnt...of..the Evening! Presented by Affliction, sactioned by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, chairman Tony Allondo, counsellor Francisco Aguiler, and member Raymond Avansino. Our three judges scoring the bout from ringside are Douglas Crosby, Carlos Urso, and Dave Terrelli. And when the action begins, our referee in charge of the octagon, is Herb Dean. This fight is sponsored by Bud Light, Here We Go! Affliction, Live fast, at Affliction clothing.com, and Tequila Casadores, the official spirit sponsor of the UFC. And now, the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here. Live, from the sold out Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey! Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii....It's....TIIIIIIMMMMEEEE!
Five rounds! For the Undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Championship of the World! Introducing first...FIGHTING out of the Blue Corner! This man is a mixed martial artist, holding a professional record of twelve wins, one loss. He stands six feet four inches tall. Weighing in at two hundred and five pounds. Fighting out of Endicott, New York, Ladies and gentlemen, presenting, the challenger! JON BONES JONES!

Jon Jones steps forward and waves to the crowd. There's a mixture of boos and cheers throughout the arena, as he smiles.

Bruce Buffer - Introducing next...FIGHTING out of the Red Corner! This man is a gaidojutsu and kyokushin fighter, holding a professional record of twenty one wins, zero losses! He stands six feet tall, and weighed in at two hundred five pounds. Fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Ladies and gentlemen. The newest member of the UFC Hall of Fame, in his final UFC Fight of his career. Presenting, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of the World. Brandon...The Shockwave!....Macdonald!

Brandon Macdonald salutes the crowd, and then bows for them, as they cheer like crazy. He waves at them, and walks towards the center of the octagon.

Herb Dean - Alright gentlemen. We've gone over the instructions backstage. Defend yourself at all times. Follow my commands. We're gonna have ourselves a clean fight. Touch gloves, let's make this official.

Brandon Macdonald holds out both gloves, and Jon Jones pounds them down, and then extends his hand. Brandon Macdonald takes it, and shakes it, before returning to his corner.

Goldberg - Brandon Macdonald! Bones Jones! The UFC Light Heavyweight title is on the line. Here we go!


ROUND 1


[05:00]


Herb Dean - You ready? Ready? Lets go!

Brandon Macdonald and Jon Jones shuffle forward to the middle of the octagon. Jones extends a glove, and Brandon smacks it, before both men begin to size each other up.

Goldberg - Some respect for each other here

Rogan - Yeah, neither men are one's for trash talking. They are just here to fight, pure and simple.

Brandon Macdonald immediately attempts a head kick, which Jones quickly blocks. He shoots for a quick double leg takedown, but Macdonald sprawls and both men stand back up.

Goldberg - Jones shoots for a takedown early, but it is easily stuffed by Macdonald

Rogan - Yeah, Brandon is so good at every aspect of the sport, but if you had to pick a strong point, I'd say it is his wrestling. He can sprawl better than anyone

Both men circle each other, putting fists out, throwing small punches. Jones throws a leg kick, which is checked by Macdonald.

Goldberg - Jones looks to be the aggressor thus far in the fight

Rogan - Yeah, and he's really going to have to use that massive reach advantage. In and out.

Brandon Macdonald throws a three punch combo, backing Jones up to the fence. He starts to throw body punches, before Jones grabs him in the clinch, and throws a knee to the head of Macdonald, who gets his hands in the way just in time.

Goldberg - Great combo by Macdonald, but Jones gets a big knee

Rogan - Macdonald just got his hands up for that one. He's lucky

Macdonald charges for a takedown, but Jones sprawls out and blocks it. On the way to their feet, Jones throws an overhand right, which catches Macdonald on the top of the head.

Goldberg - Takedown attempt stuffed by Jones. He saw that coming.

Rogan - Indeed he did. Bones Jones is no slouch, he can hang with Brandon. But for how long?

Goldberg - He just hit a nice punch on the way back up there.

Jones runs at Macdonald, and jumps, bringing his knee forward. Brandon Macdonald just manages to move out of the way as Jones lands and turns around.

Goldberg - Huge flying knee by Jones!

Rogan - Macdonald just got out of the way of that one. He's lucky. Jones has a very unorthodox style. But so does Brandon.

Jon Jones throws a leg kick, which catches Macdonald. He throws a punch at Macdonald's head. Brandon Macdonald ducks under the punch, and shoots for a takedown, taking Jon Jones to the ground.

Goldberg - And there's the first takedown of the night

Rogan - Not surprising, Brandon has taken down the best wrestlers in the business, and outwrestled them. It was only a matter of time.

Jones closes his legs around Macdonald, keeping him locked in his guard. Macdonald begins dropping elbows to the head of Jones.

Goldberg - Good work by Jon Jones to keep Brandon inside his guard. He won't do as much damage from there

Rogan - Yeah, but those are vicious elbows that he's dropping onto Jones.

Brandon Macdonald begins to try and pass out of the guard of Jon Jones. As he gets one leg over, Jones hops up and over top of Macdonald's back, and stands up to his feet

Goldberg - And Jones breaks out from under Macdonald, and gets back to his feet.

Rogan - Yeah, he jumped over Macdonald, very unorthodox, but very effective

Jon Jones throws a two punch combo that connects with the body of Macdonald. He moves back as Jones presses forward, throwing punch after punch.

Goldberg - Punch after punch after punch by Jones here, he's got Brandon backing up

Rogan - Yeah, he looks good right now. His reach is really helping him out

Brandon Macdonald throws a right hook that misses the head of Jones. He tries to block the punches, as Jones backs him up into the cage, and grabs a hold of him. Jones begins to hit knees to the thighs of Macdonald.

Goldberg - And both men are against the cage now. Jones has Macdonald up against it, and he's throwing knees to the legs of Macdonald now

Rogan - Those hurt Mike, especially as this match continues on

Macdonald spins around and presses Jones up against the cage. He begins to use knee strikes to Jones. He drops down and tries to take Jones to the ground.

Goldberg - Now Macdonald has him up against it. Throwing knees, and now he drops down, looking for another takedown.

Rogan - Yeah, but Jones has good position, I can't see this happening.

Jones begins punching the side of Macdonald's head, and he stands back up. Jones spins out and throws Macdonald off of him. Both men circle each other in the center of the octagon.

Goldberg - Jones with some nice punches to the head, and he spins himself free. Good work to get out of that one.

Rogan - He wasn't going to let Brandon take him down. He had good position, and he showed that he knew how to use it

Jon Jones quickly spins and throws his fist out. Brandon Macdonald ducks under it, and throws his own spinning back fist, which Jones dodges. Both men turn around to face each other.

Goldberg - A spinning back fist by Jones, ducked by Macdonald! And now a spinning back fist by Macdonald, which is dodged by Jones. Wow!

Rogan - Both men showing their quick styles here

Macdonald runs at Jones, and hits a nice two punch combo, the second punch catching Jones on the side of the head. Jones stumbles into the cage as the horn sounds.


[00:00]


Goldberg - That was quite a round.

Rogan - I would hate to be scoring this fight, if it keeps up like this.

Goldberg - Both men were very equal out there. I saw no clear advantage in that round.

Rogan - I think Brandon will take that round based on the fact that he got one takedown.

Goldberg - That's the only thing that separates these these two right now


ROUND 2


[05:00]


Brandon Macdonald and Jon Jones shuffle to the center of the octagon. They quickly pound fists, before circling each other. Jones runs and superman punches Macdonald, who gets his hands up and blocks it. He turns and throws a left jab, which is brushed off by Jones.

Goldberg - A big superman punch by Jones, which is blocked by Macdonald. Now he throws a jab, but that's blocked too

Rogan - To nobody's surprise, they pick up right where they left off

Brandon Macdonald throws a leg kick, which is partially blocked by Jones. He throws another kick, which is caught by Jones.

Goldberg - Jones catches Macdonald's leg kick. Impressive timing there

Rogan - Look for a takedown right now

Jon Jones pushes forward, and manages to twist Macdonald to the ground. Jones tries to free himself as Macdonald wraps him up inside his guard.

Goldberg - A successful takedown by Bones.

Jon Jones begins throwing hammer fists and elbows to the head of Brandon Macdonald, who still has Jones wrapped up in his guard. He begins to throw punches to the body, then moves back to the head.

Goldberg - Jones is really pressuring Macdonald here, he's raining down punches

Rogan - He's also using those dangerous elbows, those can knock you out in seconds if you're not careful.

Brandon Macdonald grabs Jones and pulls him towards his chest. He grabs a hold of Jones's leg, and begins to pull on it. Jones quickly shifts his weight to his leg.

Goldberg - Brandon grabs Jones's leg, he's looking for something.

Rogan - Looks like he's going for some sort of leg lock, but Jones won't let it happen.

Jones bends down and Macdonald grabs his head, and begins to move his arm around Jon Jone's neck. Jones pushes off the ground and flips over Macdonald, and grabs onto him in side control.

Goldberg - Macdonald goes for a choke, he's almost got it. But Jones jumps over him, and lands on the other side

Rogan - And now he's got Brandon in side control.

Jones grabs the arm of Brandon Macdonald. He twists his own arm underneath, and grabs a hold of his other wrist. He bends his arm upwards, twisting Brandon Macdonald's shoulder joint.

Goldberg - Going for a kimura lock is Jones

Rogan - His submissions are very underrated, but remember, Macdonald has an incredible submission defence.

Macdonald rolls over, sending Jones over top of him, and rolling off to the side, releasing the hold. Both men get back to their feet.

Goldberg - Macdonald escapes that one by rolling over top of Jones

Rogan - And now both men are back to their feet.

Brandon Macdonald throws a three punch combo, which is blocked by Jon Jones. Jones throws a head kick, which is blocked by Macdonald

Goldberg - Punches by Macdonald, head kick by Jones, back and forth, back and forth!

Rogan - Neither man is slowing down, or even giving signs that they soon might.

Jones spins around and kicks, catching Macdonald in the stomach, knocking him back into the cage. Macdonald bounces off the cage and punches a charging Jones, connecting with his head

Goldberg - Jones with a big spinning kick that connects with Macdonald's stomach

Rogan - But how smart is Macdonald. Bouncing off the cage and hitting a punch. Impressive.

Jon Jones stumbles backwards as Brandon Macdonald charges at him. He ducks under a punch from Macdonald and tackles him to the ground.

Goldberg - Even more impressive, Jones manages to take Brandon down yet again.

Rogan - We're not used to seeing this from Macdonald, Jones just tackled him down right there

Macdonald wraps his legs around the back of Jones, preventing him from moving around. Jon Jones begins to punch Macdonald in the head from the guard.

Goldberg - Huge punches from the guard by Jones

Rogan - Jones is all over Macdonald this round. He's not letting him get anything in, and he's doing all the damage.

Brandon Macdonald begins to punch the body and head of Jon Jones from the bottom, while Jones continues to punch the head of Macdonald

Goldberg - Both men exchanging punches from top to bottom

Rogan - But Jones has the high ground, he's at the advantage here.

Brandon Macdonald bucks his hips and brings his legs in front of Jones. He kicks off his chest, and rolls back to his feet. Jones stands back up, and the charges at Macdonald.

Goldberg - Macdonald quickly escapes and rolls to his feet, but Jones charges at him immediately

Rogan - He's not giving Brandon a second to rest, he's taking it to him

Jones backs Brandon Macdonald into the cage, and begins to knee him in the thigh. Macdonald moves around, throwing his own knees. The horn sounds with Jones still pressing Macdonald up against the cage.


[00:00]


Goldberg - Another amazing round, but I think the winner there was clearer.

Rogan - Absolutely. Jon Jones clearly showed that knows what he's doing in there. He's taking the fight to Brandon now.

Goldberg - In what could be Brandon's last fight, could he also lose his first fight ever?

Rogan - I honestly can't see it happening. Streaks are meant to be broken, but this one? I don't know. It'd be crazy.

Goldberg - Jones is putting up one hell of a fight though


ROUND 3


[05:00]


Jon Jones immediately comes out swinging, trying to catch Brandon Macdonald on the chin. Macdonald uses his head motion to dodge the punches. He jabs Jones in the chin three times.

Goldberg - Macdonald with three straight jabs to the chin of Jones.

Rogan - There's the Brandon Macdonald that we've seen in the past.

Jones steps back, and slowly circles with Macdonald. He throws a right overhand, which connects with Macdonald's head. He dodges some punches thrown by Macdonald.

Goldberg - And just as quickly, Jones strikes back, and dodges Macdonald

Rogan - Both men are laying it all out there, in a very evenly contested fight.

Jones leans in and hits a three punch combination to the body of Macdonald. He leans out as Macdonald throws a right hook, which misses. He throws a leg kick, and then leans in and hits a left hook to the head of Macdonald.

Goldberg - Jones with a combo, then a kick, then a punch, all while Brandon is swinging and missing

Rogan - And there's that reach advantage coming into play. Jones can strike from a distance that Brandon can't reach.

Macdonald throws a superman punch, but Jones dodges it and hits a flying knee, that send Brandon backwards into the cage. Jones grabs Macdonald and presses him against the cage.

Goldberg - Jones is just all over Macdonald so far!

Rogan - This is really surprising Mike, he looks to be one step ahead of Macdonald at every turn.

Macdonald throws knees to the thighs of Jones while against the cage, and tries to get his arms underneath Jones's. He throws a punch to the side of Jones's head.

Goldberg - Brandon tries to fight back with some knees and a punch

Rogan - It's not doing much damage though.

Jon Jones drops to the waist of Macdonald, and picks him up and slams him down to the ground. He is pulled into the guard of Macdonald, and begins to punch him in the head.

Goldberg - Another huge takedown by Jon Jones.

Rogan - Brandon is getting manhandled out there. Jon Jones just picked him up and slammed him back down.

Goldberg - I've never seen Brandon get taken down like that.

Macdonald pulls Jones down, and moves his legs up, and locks them in around the neck of Jon Jones. He tightens his leg around his knee, and pulls tightly, choking Jon Jones.

Goldberg - Macdonald locks in a triangle choke.

Rogan - He's so dangerous, from any position, no matter the situation

Jon Jones gets to both his feet, and steps over Brandon Macdonald with both feet, forcing Macdonald to release the hold, and slide underneath Jones. He quickly rolls back up to his feet, and is met with a spinning back elbow to the face by Jones.

Goldberg - Excellent work by Jones to step over that choke and escape.

Rogan - Not only that, but he just rocked him with that spinning back elbow!

Macdonald falls to the mat as Jones goes down with him. He stands over Macdonald, delivering punch after to punch to his face. Macdonald has a cut over his right eyebrow. He grabs the leg of Jones and pulls, forcing him to the ground.

Goldberg - Brandon Macdonald drops to the mat after that elbow. And Jones is teeing off on his head!

Rogan - This one could be over soon if Brandon doesn't do something. He's cut open, bleeding everywhere.

He holds Jones tightly against his body, and works his feet around. He quickly pops up, and rolls over, so that he is on top of Jones. He begins to drop elbows onto the forehead of Jones, who has his arms up to block them.

Goldberg - What a reversal by Macdonald. He's getting it down from the top now

Rogan - Jones is blocking most of them, but they'll still hurt

Jon Jones bucks his hips, and manages to get Macdonald locked in his guard. He grabs the head of Macdonald and uses his arms to wrap under his neck, and pulls, trying to choke him.

Goldberg - And now Jones has a choke around the neck of Macdonald

Rogan - It's like we're watching clones fight. Both men can get submissions out of nowhere.

Macdonald slowly gets to his feet, and picks Jones up, which causes Jones to release his hold and jump back to his feet. Brandon Macdonald swings his left fist and connects with the side of Jones's head.

Goldberg - Excellent escape by Brandon, and then a huge left hook!

Rogan - Brandon needs to do something to fight back here, he is getting destroyed this round

Macdonald throws a head kick, which is ducked under by Jones, who throws his own head kick. Macdonald ducks under that and moves forward, throwing punches at Jones.

Goldberg - Both men dodge each other's head kicks, and Macdonald tries throwing some punches in there

Rogan - He's trying to take the fight to Jones now. Not sure how smart that will be

Jones dodges the punches, and throws a big right hook, which is blocked by Macdonald. He throws a leg kick, which is checked by Macdonald.

Goldberg - Brandon blocks both of those moves by Jones.

Rogan - He needs to do something big here, otherwise he's down a round.

Jones throws a body kick, and then a punch, which connects with Macdonald's head. He moves back as Macdonald goes for a spinning back kick, which just misses.

Goldberg - Jones connects with a punch to the head, then dodges that spinning back kick by Macdonald. Impressive display

Rogan - Jones continues to impress me this fight.

Jones charges Macdonald, and pushes him up against the cage. He starts dropping knees, as the horn sounds, ending the round.


[00:00]


Goldberg - Jon Jones put on a show in that round.

Rogan - Oh yeah, he easily won that one. It wasn't 10-8, but it was easily a win for Jones. He's up at least two rounds to one now.

Goldberg - I can't remember the last time I've seen Brandon down like this

Rogan - Yeah, I can't remember the last time I've seen someone dominate Brandon Macdonald like Jon Jones just did in that round

Goldberg - You'd have to go all the way back to the Chuck Liddell fight, the first one I think

Rogan - Yeah, I'd agree with that


ROUND 4


[05:00]


Brandon Macdonald and Jon Jones approach each other in the center of the octagon. Macdonald holds out his fist, and Jones bumps it. They begin to circle each other.

Goldberg - And we're into the championship rounds now. Lets see if Jones can finish what he started

Jones throws a right hook, which misses Macdonald. He throws a head kick, which is blocked. Macdonald charges forward with a two punch combo, that connects.

Goldberg - Macdonald starts off strong again, with that two punch combo

Rogan - This happened last round, and Jones dominated the remainder of that one

Jones circles again, and rushes at Macdonald, shooting for a takedown. Macdonald sprawls, and wraps his arms around the neck of Jones. He tries to lock in a guillotine choke, but Jones manages to stand back up.

Goldberg - Nice sprawl and guillotine attempt by Brandon there.

Rogan - But it concerns me that Jones is able to escape so easily. Brandon usually has those chokes locked in, all the time.

Brandon Macdonald swings as he stands back to his feet, just missing the head of Jon Jones. He moves back, and moves in to strike again, but is caught with a jab by Jones.

Goldberg - Macdonald gets caught with that jab as he moves in for a strike.

Rogan - Jon Jones is moving well, and Macdonald, well, he's not moving well enough.

Jones spins around and kicks Macdonald in the stomach, sending him back into the cage. Jones runs and spins, elbowing Macdonald in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Goldberg - Jones with a spinning back kick, followed by a spinning back elbow that rocks Macdonald!

Rogan - He just sent Brandon to the ground. He's hurt, badly.

Jones jumps down on top of Macdonald, and begins raining down punches as Macdonald covers his face with his hands. He tries to roll over, but Jones blocks it, and continues to rain down punches.

Goldberg - Jones is just raining down punches to the head of Macdonald

Rogan - Brandon's got to do something, or Herb Dean is going to stop this

Macdonald kicks the leg of Jones, knocking him to his knees. He quickly moves his feet and locks him in guard. Jones continues to punch the bloody face of Macdonald.

Goldberg - Brandon gets him into guard, which will prevent Herb from stopping this, at least for now.

Rogan - Yeah, but Jones is not letting up, he's still hammering away at Macdonald's face

Macdonald tries to kick away from Jones, and does so, rolling backwards, and back up to his feet. He takes a deep breath. Jones stands up, and runs at Macdonald, superman punching him right in the jaw, and knocking him to the ground.

Goldberg - He rocked him again with that superman punch!

Rogan - Another collapsing punch by Jon Jones. Brandon is in huge trouble!

Macdonald gets his hands up and blocks the punches by Jones. He quickly kicks up, and rolls back away from Jones and stands up. The two fighters circle each other.

Goldberg - Somehow, Brandon is back to his feet.

Rogan - He's the champion for a reason. But he looks like he's on wobbly legs. I think those punches hurt him badly.

Brandon Macdonald throws a left hook, which doesn't reach Jones. He tries again with the right, but misses again. Jones leans in, and jabs Macdonald in the chin. He leans in and throws a right hook, which knocks Macdonald to the mat.

Goldberg - Brandon can't hit Jones, and Jones can't miss. He rocked him yet another time!

Rogan - Brandon can't hit him because he's too far away. The reach advantage is just too much

Jones jumps on top of Macdonald and begins punching his head. Macdonald gets his hands up, blocking a few of the punches. Jones drops down and delivers a big elbow to Macdonald.

Goldberg - Huge punches and giant elbows by Jon Jones! He's destroying Macdonald

Rogan - I can't believe what I'm seeing right now

Jones throws a hammerfist that connects on Macdonald jaw. His hands drop and Jones continues to hammer away, until Herb Dean waves his hands and throws Jones off of Macdonald.


[00:48]


Goldberg - It is all over!

Rogan - Are you kidding me?!

Goldberg - Joe, I think we've just seen the official end of an era.

Jon Jones gets up and holds his arms in the air and screams. He runs over to his coaches, and high fives them over the cage wall. He turns back to Brandon Macdonald, who is slowly being helped to his feet.

Rogan - And I think we've seen the beginning of a new one. Jon Jones becomes the youngest UFC Champion ever!

Goldberg - And he beat perhaps the greatest UFC fighter of all time!

Rogan - That may have been one of the closest not close fights I've ever seen, if that makes sense. Jones seemed to dominate a lot of it, but Brandon was never far out of it either, and you always sensed that he could strike at any time.

Jones walks over to Macdonald, and helps him to his feet. Macdonald extends his hand. Jones takes it, and then embraces Macdonald, who hugs him back.

Goldberg - What a class act Jon Jones is.

Rogan - That's what this sport is all about. This fight was one of those kind of fights. Very limited trash talk. Two guys who just came here to fight.

Goldberg - Ladies and gentlemen, Jon Bones Jones defeats Brandon Macdonald here at UFC 128. With our official decision, here, is Bruce Buffer.

Bruce Buffer - Ladies and gentlemen, referee Herb Dean has called a stop to this match at four minutes, twelve seconds of the fourth round, declaring the winner, by TKO, and now, the NEW UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD....JON....BONES...JONES!!!!

Dana White straps the belt around the waist of Jones, who has his hand raised in the air by Herb Dean. He takes off the belt, and walks in front of Macdonald. He gets to his knees, and bows in front of him. Macdonald claps, and slaps him on the back, pulling him to his feet. Jones grabs his hand and raises it in the air, causing the crowd to erupt with cheers.

Goldberg - Joe Rogan is standing by with the champion, Jon Jones!

Rogan - Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here with the new champion, Jon Jones. Jon, first off, congratulations, what a spectacular fight. How are you feeling right now?

Jon Jones
Oh man, Joe, it feels incredible. First off, I can't believe that I got to step in the same ring with Brandon Macdonald. That's just crazy. And then I beat him? Let me tell you, that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. He's everything that he's been hyped as. Man, I'm just exhausted.

Rogan - Well he's in the Hall of Fame for a reason. What was your gameplan going into this fight? You seemed to be doing a bit of everything in there.

Jon Jones
That was the gameplan. The thing is, Brandon has literally no weaknesses. He's strong in all aspects of the sport. And sure, he might not be the greatest at anything, but he's good at everything. If you train only in striking, yeah, sure, you might be better than him standing up. But he can figure that out within thirty seconds. And he'll take you down, and submit you. If you train your wrestling, he'll just knock you out on your feet. So I had to train in everything.

Rogan - Do you think that your reach advantage helped you at all?

Jon Jones
Well, yeah, I mean, obviously, I was able to strike from a greater distance than he was, but even if he had longer arms, I feel that, with the way I trained, that I still would have won. We trained for everything man. And I mean, Brandon put up a great fight. A huge fight, I couldn't believe I beat him.

Rogan - Jon, you've beaten the best there is. In his last fight. How do you feel, knowing that not only were you the first to ever beat him, but you did it in his final fight, and broke his record, for the youngest champion ever?

Jon Jones
I can't believe it. I mean, I grew up watching Brandon. I was fourteen when he first fought in the UFC. He was who inspired me to become a fighter. And now, to actually fight him, and then to beat him, well, that's crazy. I always thought that his streak would live forever. But man, I'm just ecstatic. I'm ready to be champion for a long time.

Rogan - Well Jon, you made a pretty good case for that tonight. We look forward to many, many more title defenses. Ladies and gentlemen, the champion, Jon Bones Jones!

Jon Jones waves at the crowd, and walks off to the side of the octagon, but doesn't leave. Joe Rogan walks over to Brandon Macdonald.

Rogan - Alright, I'm here with the Hall-of-famer, Brandon Macdonald. Brandon, your thoughts on the fight?

Brandon Macdonald
Man, wow. Jon Jones is for real. You all thought I was good, wait til you see this kid as he matures. He's going to be the best in the world, mark my words. He kicked my ass tonight. I got some lucky shots here and there, but he was all over me. He saw what I was going to do, and I had no answer for most of what he did. Just wow.

Rogan - Did you feel you were ready for the fight? I mean, you're only a month removed from a gunshot wound surgery. Did you feel that perhaps Jon beat you when you weren't 100%?

Brandon Macdonald
Absolutely I felt I was ready for the fight. If I wasn't ready, I would have told Dana that I couldn't do it. But I got back into shape, thanks to the help from Randy and my team. We had a good camp, you know? I knew Jon was going to put up a fight. I tried my best, and he got me. He deserves the win, and he deserves to be champion.

Rogan - Did you feel that Herb Dean called that fight a bit early? Maybe you could've kept fighting?

Brandon Macdonald
No, I don't believe for a second that Herb called that fight early. I don't think I've ever seen Herb make a call that I didn't agree with. If he thought that that fight was over, then it was over. I didn't know where I was, one of his punches really rocked me, and that's where he stopped it. I'm glad he did, I didn't want to have a broken face.

Rogan - When you retired before, you still had the belt, and no one really believed that you were going to stay away for long. And they were right. But now, two more fights later, do you feel like you're officially done?

Brandon Macdonald
Absolutely. I have no more fights left on my contract, I'm not the champion anymore, I have no obligation to stay. And while I love the UFC with all of my heart, it's time to move on. I'm helping run the Insurgency Wrestling Federation, as well as wrestling there full-time. I need to focus on that. I was thinking of opening a gym though, to train fighters. But we'll see if that happens. Right now, I just want to focus on my family, and my wrestling. The UFC will always have a special place in my heart, and while you may not see me in the octagon again, I guarantee that you'll see me around.

Rogan - And we look forward to it. Brandon, thank you for so much fun in this octagon. I know a few of us want to say some words to you, before you go for the last time, myself included. I just wanted to say thank you. You gave us so many memories, in the announcer area. We had a blast calling your matches, you always blew our minds. You were one hell of a fighter, and a great fucking guy. We'll miss you buddy.

Joe Rogan holds out his hand, and Brandon shakes it, as other people walk into the octagon. They all circle around Brandon, who has tears in his eyes.

Bruce Buffer
Brandon....The Shockwave....Macdonald! I can't tell you how much fun I had saying that, all those times. Along with...And STILL...UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. Thank you Brandon, for all of the memories you brought us. As a big fan of the sport, you gave me goosebumps every time I watched you fight. It was always running through my mind, you know, 'oh, what's he going to do this time? A spinning back kick to the head?'. And with you, it always happened. You delivered electric performances every time you stepped in here. So thank you so much.

Bruce Buffer walks forward and shakes Brandon's hand, and bows before him. Brandon hugs him, before he moves over and hands the mic to Herb Dean.

Herb Dean
Brandon. I refereed sixteen of your twenty two professional fights. And I've gotta say this now, I've never seen a fighter as clean, as respectful, and as graceful as you. You rarely got into trash talking battles, except maybe your first championship match. I've never had to stop you because of an illegal move, that actually happened, of course. You always had nice things to say about your opponents. And best of all, I never had to tackle you off of a guy. If he was on the ground, and I yelled stop, you'd be off of him in a second. You made my job easy, and fun, because I got to watch a true master in the ring. It was stupendous, and I thank you so much.

Herb Dean walks over to Macdonald, and embraces him quickly. Greg Jackson steps up and grabs the microphone, as the crowd goes silent. Brandon Macdonald looks at him, as he puts the microphone to his mouth.

Greg Jackson
Brandon Macdonald. I remember when I first saw you come to my gym. A guy with no professional fight training whatsoever. You just showed up on my front step. And I was in a good mood, so I gave you a sparring match against Nate Marquardt. And you lost. But you had heavy hands, and refused to tap. You showed a lot of promise, and I decided to keep you. And look what happened next. You became the greatest fighter that I have ever seen. You took down opponent after opponent, beating anyone who came your way. All while living in a room above my gym. You were incredible, a real piece of talent, and I let that get to my head. When you retired, I got angry. I was upset that you didn't want to keep going, because I knew you still had some left in you. I knew that you could still go. It was obvious that you were being bugged by something, and your life wasn't as good as I thought it was. But I still didn't take that into account. So yeah, I got mad. And I held that, for a while, until I realized that it was stupid. So, what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry Brandon. For everything. You were the greatest student that I ever had, and I love you to death. Thank you for letting me teach you. You're welcome in Jackson's Gym any time.

Greg Jackson dropped the mic and walked over to Brandon Macdonald, and hugged him tightly. He whispered in his ear, and Macdonald whispered back, before breaking the hug, patting each other on the shoulder, and walking away.

Dana White
Brandon, I feel like I said enough last night, but I just want to say a quick few words. To be perfectly honest, I thought you were going to win tonight. You've done it so many times before, I figured you'd just vacate the title. But when you lost, I wasn't sure what would happen. You're so not used to losing, that perhaps you'd take it badly. But let me tell you, the way you handled it, didn't surprise me at all. You were graceful, as always, had no regrets, as always, and had no excuses. Jon Jones was the better man tonight, and you agreed. Thank you Brandon, for making this easy for me. You're always welcome back here, for anything you want. I need an Ultimate Fighter trainer for next season still.

Brandon Macdonald
We'll see Dana. We'll see.

Dana White
We'll talk more about that later. Right now, I'm going to let Bruce take over, and give the final goodbye for all of the fans that you've pleased for nine years in this business. We all love you Brandon, and we all thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. You helped shaped UFC, and MMA as a whole, into what it is today.

Brandon Macdonald wiped tears from his eyes, as Anna Macdonald walked into the ring. He hugged and kissed her, as the crowd cheered. She grabbed his hand, and they began to walk out of the ring, Brandon waving to the crowd, as they chanted "Thank you Mac!" over and over

Bruce Buffer
Ladies and gentlemen. This man retires with a record of twenty one wins, one loss. He is quite possibly one of the greatest fighters to ever step foot on this earth. He had a world record fourteen straight title defenses, and twenty one straight wins. He fought with class, with honour, with respect. Ladies and gentlemen. The UFC Hall of Famer. Brandon.....The Shockwave.....Macdonald!!!

The crowd erupted in cheers as Brandon waved for them. He took off his gloves, and placed them in the middle of the ring. He waved and wiped tears from his eyes, while holding Anna's hand. He bowed for them, as he stepped on the ring steps. He looked back at the ring, and at the crowd. He looked again. The crowd began cheering, as Brandon pumped his hands in the air. He kissed Anna and ran back into the cage. He got to one knee in the center of the octagon. He raised his arm and pointed to the sky, as the crowd erupted in cheers. He spun around on his head a few times, and landed on his back, before kicking up to his feet, and pumping his fist in the air. He laughed, and again wiped tears from his eyes. He walked back and grabbed Anna's hand, and together they walked down the walkway, high fiving and fist pounding the screaming fans, before exiting into the backstage area for the final time in his UFC career.