Jones, Rampage Cleared for UFC 135 Title Clash

Champion stood before challenger, muscles tensed, eyes locked. The scene has become as familiar as the Octagon itself.

Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tipped the scales at 204 pounds for his first title defense against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (204) in the UFC 135 main event on Saturday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The eight other men booked for main card duty, including co-headliners Matt Hughes (170) and Josh Koscheck (170.5), also met their contracted weight requirements at Friday’s official weigh-in.

Jones became the youngest champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship history at UFC 128 in March, when he throttled Mauricio “Shogun” Rua en route to a third-round technical knockout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The 24-year-old Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative has rattled off four consecutive wins since his series of illegal 12-to-6 elbows on Matt Hamill ended in his disqualification two years ago. It remains the lone blemish on an otherwise spotless record. Jones has secured 11 of his 13 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, six of them inside one round. Wins over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar, former International Fight League light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner Ryan Bader buoy his resume. A decorated amateur wrestler, he won a junior college national championship at Iowa Central Community College. Jones will enter the cage with a three-inch height and 11.5-inch reach advantage.

In Jackson, he faces a seasoned veteran and a proven commodity on center stage. A finalist in the 2003 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix, the 33-year-old Memphis, Tenn., native stands as one of the most accomplished 205-pound fighters in MMA history. Jackson owns noteworthy victories over former two-division Pride champion Dan Henderson, Brazilian icon Wanderlei Silva, onetime UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland, former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante and ex-UFC heavyweight titleholder Kevin Randleman. He remains the only man to defeat UFC hall of famer Chuck Liddell twice. Jackson last appeared at UFC 130 in May, when he outpointed Hamill en route to a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In nearly 12 years as a professional, he has never lost two fights in a row.

UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage” -- which airs live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT -- will also feature a heavyweight duel pairing the undefeated Travis Browne (255) against British import Rob Broughton (261), a lightweight bout pitting “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz (156) against former Pride champion Takanori Gomi (155) and a heavyweight tilt matching Ben Rothwell (263) with Mark Hunt (261). An hour prior, Spike TV will carry a pair of preliminary fights, as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 winner Tony Ferguson (155) meets Aaron Riley (156) and Tim Boetsch (186) squares off with the unbeaten Nick Ring (185).

Meanwhile, the three remaining undercard matchups on the UFC’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT: Junior Assuncao (145) vs. Eddie Yagin (145), Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Cole Escovedo (135) and James Te Huna (205) vs. Ricardo Romero (205).

UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage”
Saturday, Sept. 24
Pepsi Center
Denver

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones (204) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (204)

Matt Hughes (170) vs. Josh Koscheck (170.5)
Travis Browne (255) vs. Rob Broughton (261)
Nate Diaz (156) vs. Takanori Gomi (155)
Ben Rothwell (263) vs. Mark Hunt (261)
Tony Ferguson (155) vs. Aaron Riley (156)
Tim Boetsch (186) vs. Nick Ring (185)
Junior Assuncao (145) vs. Eddie Yagin (145)
Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Cole Escovedo (135)
James Te Huna (205) vs. Ricardo Romero (205)