Awkward silence permeated on multiple occasions throughout the UFC 239 main event Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
One of the most striking instances came early in the third round when light heavyweight challenger Thiago Santos clocked Jon Jones with a combination in the middle of the octagon to send the champion retreating. Seeing the long-reigning Jones desperate to preserve himself instead of staying defiant and pressuring an opponent was such a new phenomenon that the crowd of 18,358 fans appeared unsure of how to process it.
“He’s the most powerful guy I’ve ever fought,” Jones said. “I blocked almost all of his face punches.