Tag: Mason Jones

UFC Fight Night 196 results: Mason Jones wears down David Onama for decision win

Mason Jones’ grappling was the difference in a unanimous decision win over newcomer David Onama at UFC Fight Night 196.

[autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] proved too well rounded for [autotag]David Onama[/autotag] en route to his first octagon victory Saturday at UFC Fight Night 196.

Jones (11-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) used striking and grappling pressure to wear down short-notice promotional newcomer Onama (7-1 MA, 0-1 UFC) for the unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28.

The lightweight bout was part of the UFC Fight Night 196 preliminary card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It streamed on ESPN+.

It was an action-packed first round as Jones and Onama went right after each other with heavy strikes. There were big strikes laned from both, but then Jones decided to change the narrative by taking it to the ground. He was able to keep Onama there for a portion of time, but eventually, they got back to the feet and started trading shots again.

They came out of the gate in Round 2 with the same type of energy. Jones and Onama tagged each other to the body and the head, but Jones’ pressure was more effective. He clinched Onama against the fence and secured a takedown, then took the back of his opponent. Onama somehow scrambled free to his feet, where he resumed the striking exchanges. Jones clinched his opponent against the fence and landed an accidental illegal knee while the hand was down, causing a warning from the referee.

Onama landed some hand punches once the action resumed in the second round. Jones retaliated by clinching and trying to force the action back to the mat. He grounded Onama late in the frame, but couldn’t be overly effective in scoring points down the stretch.

With a competitive fight handing in the balance going into the final round, Jones went back to his wrestling and got Onama down early in the round. He advanced to mount inside 90 seconds of the frame, and started to work toward a submission victory. Onama did well to stay composed and avoid getting put away, but Jones kept a firm grip on him and controlled positions until late in the round. Onama had a late flurry, but it wasn’t enough to steal the fight.

“I didn’t expect that,” Jones said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “My gas tank disappeared. I’ve never gassed in 13 fights and that was the first time I got tired. But it’s a learning experience.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 196 results include:

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David Onama, UFC’s first fighter from Uganda, set for Saturday debut vs. Mason Jones

Uganda is now represented in the UFC thanks to 27-year-old David Onama.

Uganda is now represented in the UFC thanks to lightweight [autotag]David Onama[/autotag].

A member of Glory MMA & Fitness under coach James Krause, Onama (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 196 when he steps in on short-notice to fight former Cage Warriors champion [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA DNA was first to report the booking.

Onama, 27, is the first Ugandan fighter in UFC history. He enters the fight unbeaten with seven finishes in eight fights including five TKOs and two submissions.

As for Jones, the Welsh fighter was originally scheduled to rematch Alan Patrick at UFC Fight Night 196. However, Patrick withdrew due to COVID-19-related matters. Jones  has competed twice in the UFC thus far, in a no contest against Patrick and a unanimous decision loss to Mike Davis.

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori
  • Grant Dawson vs. Ricky Glenn
  • Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards
  • Alex Caceres vs. Seungwoo Choi
  • Dwight Grant vs. Francisco Trinaldo
  • Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ike Villanueva

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET)

  • Jun Yong Park vs. Gregory Rodrigues
  • Maria Oliveira vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Jamie Pickett vs. Laureano Staropoli
  • Jai Herbert vs. Khama Worthy
  • Daniel Lacerda vs. Jeff Molina
  • Randa Markos vs. Livinha Souza
  • Mason Jones vs. David Onama

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UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions: Alan Patrick facing up to six months after eye poke

Alan Patrick could be looking at 180 days on the sidelines after getting poked in the eye at UFC Fight Night 189.

[autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] could be looking at 180 days on the sidelines after getting poked in the eye at UFC Fight Night 189.

Patrick’s lightweight fight with [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] at the UFC Apex was ruled a no contest after an accidental eye poke rendered him unable to continue. Patrick must have doctor clearance for his left eye peri-orbital laceration before getting cleared to compete again.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of the UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Also potentially facing six months on the shelf is [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] who claimed he suffered multiple arm fractures in his split decision win over [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]. Latifi needs doctor clearance for his left eye hyphema and must have an MRI of his left elbow.

The third fighter also potentially benched for a while is [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag], who edged out [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] in the prelims. Woodson needs an X-ray of his left hand and an MRI of his left knee before getting cleared.

The full list of UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions includes:

Sixers roster news: Team will waive two-way player Mason Jones

The Philadelphia 76ers will waive two-way player Mason Jones.

The Philadelphia 76ers still have six games left on the schedule before the playoffs begin on May 22 and they are still trying to work all of the kinks out as they get set for what they hope will be a deep postseason run. The Sixers are still trying to figure out their roster and who they will carry with them into the postseason.

In order to prepare for the final roster, the team announced on Thursday that they will waive two-way player Mason Jones. He only played in six games with the team and he averaged 2.7 points across those games. He mainly only played in garbage time situations when the game was already decided.

Jones did play 26 games earlier in the season for the Houston Rockets so he does have 32 games under his belt in the NBA. He also started a game in Houston so he can use that on his resume for his next stop on his basketball journey.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers convert Paul Reed to standard contract, sign two-way Mason Jones

The Philadelphia 76ers have converted Paul Reed and have signed Mason Jones to a two-way deal.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been happy with their rookie class in the 2020-21 season. Tyrese Maxey looks like he has potential as a backup point guard, Isaiah Joe looks like he can be a player on both ends, and Paul Reed won G League MVP and Rookie of the Year.

Reed was on a two-way deal all season and he will now be converted to a standard NBA contract. The team announced the news on Friday night after he had four points off the bench in the team’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Reed is averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in eight games with the Sixers. This comes after he averaged 22.3 points and 11.8 rebounds in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats in the Orlando bubble.

To replace Reed, the Sixers will sign Mason Jones to a two-way deal. Jones, a rookie out of Arkansas, played 26 games with the Houston Rockets in the 2020-21 season. He averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 35.9% from deep in Houston and he will join Rayjon Tucker as the two-way players.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Stephen Silas: ‘No excuses’ as Boston extends Rockets’ skid to 16

Victor Oladipo returned after a one-game absence and led Houston with 26 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough in a blowout loss to Boston.

After a one-game absence for planned maintenance on a back-to-back, Victor Oladipo returned and led the Houston Rockets with 26 points and 6 rebounds during Sunday night’s home game versus Boston.

It wasn’t nearly enough, however, to prevent the Rockets (11-26) from suffering a 16th straight loss. That’s now the longest losing streak since the franchise moved to Houston in 1971, and they’re within one game of tying the all-time franchise mark — set when the expansion San Diego Rockets lost 17 consecutive games in the 1967-68 NBA season.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in Sunday’s 134-107 victory (box score) with 24 and 23 points, respectively. Boston (20-18) has now won five of its last six games, overall.

Second-year guard Kevin Porter had 11 points and 7 assists, but he cooled off considerably from Friday’s strong showing, shooting just 3-of-12 (25.0%) from the field. Rookies KJ Martin and Mason Jones added 21 and 14 points, respectively, off the Houston bench, though lots of those came against backups and after the game had long been decided.

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The Rockets were again severely short-handed, with rotation regulars such as Christian Wood, John Wall, Danuel House Jr., Eric Gordon, and PJ Tucker all missing. They remain optimistic that the first three of that grouping could return by Tuesday’s matchup versus Atlanta, when Houston hopes to avoid losing a 17th straight game — which would tie the all-time franchise record for futility. The Rockets are now 0-16 since Wood’s Feb. 4 ankle sprain after going 7-1 in the prior eight games.

Here’s a sampling of Sunday’s highlights and postgame reaction.

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Report: Mason Jones to return to Rockets on 10-day contract

Just four days after waiving Jones, the Rockets will reportedly bring the rookie back on a 10-day contract.

On Friday, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that the Houston Rockets will be signing rookie Mason Jones to a 10-day contract just four days after waiving him.

The Rockets cut Jones, who was previously on a two-way contract, on Monday in order to sign Anthony Lamb from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Jones will now re-join the team on a 10-day contract to begin the second half of the season.

Jones averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22 games this season with the Rockets before his prior release. He posted a career-high 24 points in a loss versus the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 16.

The decision to sign Jones likely stemmed from depth issues within the backcourt with injuries to John Wall and Eric Gordon. Given his familiarity with the Rockets’ system, the team opted to bring him back to fill a need in the immediate short term.

The Rockets can sign Jones to one more 10-day contract before they will be forced to either cut him again or sign him for the rest of the season. Jones now figures to have a chance to solidify his place on the roster and earn another contract with the organization.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rockets bring back rookie guard Mason Jones on 10-day contract

Jones’ unexpected return appears to be correlated with sudden injuries to veteran guards John Wall and Eric Gordon.

Less than four days after his surprising release, rookie guard Mason Jones is already back with the Rockets. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Houston is signing Jones to a 10-day contract.

In effect, Jones is taking the roster spot of DeMarcus Cousins, who was released in late February. Jones was previously on a two-way contract, but the team gave that slot to fellow rookie Anthony Lamb.

Jones’ return to the Rockets appears to be less by design and more a function of necessity. Thanks to recent injuries to John Wall and Eric Gordon, Houston is severely short-handed in the backcourt — and Jones is a better fit than most free agents to immediately fill minutes, since he already knows the ins and outs of Stephen Silas’ system.

If Jones takes advantage of the opportunity and plays well, there would certainly seem to be a path for the 6-foot-4 guard to eventually have the deal converted to a standard contract. In limited playing time thus far, Jones is averaging 5.5 points (43.7% FG, 36.7% on 3-pointers) and 2.1 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game.

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Rockets sign Anthony Lamb to two-way contract, cut Mason Jones

Lamb, who was previously in the NBA G League, averaged 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

On Monday, the Houston Rockets announced that they have signed rookie Anthony Lamb to a two-way contract from their NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The team also waived Mason Jones, who was on a two-way contract.

Lamb, who went undrafted out of Vermont last year, appeared in six regular-season games with the Vipers, averaging 18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. He shot 41.9% from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game.

Meanwhile, Jones averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22 games this season with the Rockets. He posted a career-high 24 points in a loss versus the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 16.

With the Vipers losing on Monday in the G League playoffs, Lamb will join the Rockets ahead of the start of the second half of the season. The team will also have Kevin Porter Jr. and KJ Martin back to begin the second half of the season after successful stints in the G League.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rockets waiving Mason Jones, signing G League forward Anthony Lamb

The Rockets do have an open roster spot following the recent release of DeMarcus Cousins, which could be used for Jones or trade purposes.

The Rockets are releasing rookie guard Mason Jones from his two-way contract and signing rookie forward Anthony Lamb from Houston’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers. The news was first reported by Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Lamb went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft after playing in college at the University of Vermont. Since having his G League rights acquired by RGV in late February, Lamb starred in a larger role at the bubble — averaging 18.2 points (56.0% FG, 41.9% on 3-pointers), 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.8 minutes per game.

With Lamb as one of the group’s marquee players alongside Kevin Porter Jr., the Vipers won their last six games of the 2020-21 G League regular season to advance to the playoffs.

Jones has shown flashes as a rookie, but his production fell off after a hot start. In 12 games since the start of February, the 6-foot-4 guard is shooting just 28.2% from the field and 16.7% on 3-pointers.

The Rockets do have an open roster spot following the recent release of DeMarcus Cousins, which could theoretically be given to Jones. However, previous media reports have indicated that Houston may prefer to leave that roster spot open leading up to the March 25 trade deadline, in case it is needed to help facilitate a deal.

If that’s still the plan, Jones could potentially become an option to return at a later date — should he remain on the market.

Besides Lamb, Houston’s other two-way spot belongs to fourth-year big man Justin Patton. Given the recent health issues of starting center Christian Wood, Patton appears too important to let go at this time.

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