Wales’ Jones impresses in comeback stoppage

In the second round of their lightweight match at UFC Paris, Wales’ Mason Jones recovered from an early knockdown to stop Bolaji Oki.

After the initial scare, Jones, 30, took control of the match, dominating on the ground to eventually bring the contest to a close with a number of unanswered strikes.

After almost three years of being unemployed, Jones, who defeated Jeremy Stephens in May, made a triumphant return to the UFC.

“I started slowly, and I don’t believe I was hurt.” I put it on him, but it does happen. He slowed down, but I didn’t, Jones claimed.

He said, “The wrestling was plan B because I like to cause damage; I would have preferred to be standing for a little bit longer, but I showed him how to wrestle.”

After a brief spell in Cage Warriors, Jones returned more assured with two impressive victories. In his first fight, Jones lost two of his three.

At the start of the fight, Jones refused to touch gloves with Belgian Oki, and he was then struck by some massive punches before finding himself defending on the ground.

Before gaining control as Oki began to slow down, he recovered and avoided more damage.

Before engaging on the canvas and almost completing the match with a kimura, Jones nearly knocked the 29-year-old to death.

Oki fought back in the second round, but Jones could not hold him despite getting a takedown before striking the ground repeatedly.

Rhys McKee of Ballymena lost to France’s Axel Sola in the third round of the main card.

Before the referee stopped the match on the ground, Sola dropped McKee with a body shot in a back-and-forth match.

McKee initially objected to the stoppage, appearing to be recovering quickly, but the defeat leaves the 29-year-old with five UFC defeats to his name.

The welterweight, whose momentum has slowed once more since winning his first UFC fight against Daniel Frunza in April, dealt a bitter blow.

Sam Patterson, a British boxer, made it a strong start to his UFC career by stopping American Trey Waters in the opening round with a string of punches.

Patterson’s fourth consecutive first-round victory was the UFC’s longest streak to date.

However, fellow Briton Harry Hardwick was unable to continue after Kaue Fernandes hit him several times in the leg.

At only five days’ notice, Hardwick, the Cage Warriors featherweight champion, was taking the fight.