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ufc 140

UFC fighters Jon Jones (left) and Lyoto Machida (right) pose for a photo following their weigh in in Toronto on Friday, December 9, 2011. The two UFC fighters will battle for the UFC Light Heavyweight champion belt Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Pawel DwulitPawel Dwulit/The Canadian Press

Jon (Bones) Jones is the hottest thing in mixed martial arts: the youngest world champion in UFC history at 24 with a highly marketable mix of natural charisma and freakish athleticism, he has been called both the present and the future of the sport. It wasn't all that long ago that Lyoto (the Dragon) Machida found himself described in the same lofty terms.

The two meet in the main event at UFC 140 in Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Saturday night with Jones defending his light-heavyweight title against former champ Machida in a clash of two of the most cerebral fighters in MMA. Jones is more gazelle than bull, blessed with long limbs, lethal elbows and an ability to blend fighting styles. Machida's game is rooted in his extensive karate background and a unique counter-striking style that has mystified opponents.

"I love this fight. Both guys have very flashy, interesting styles," UFC president Dana White said at the official fight news conference Thursday. "I expect fireworks."

Jones is hoping to put the cap on a banner year in which he has progressed from intriguing prospect to title holder with three impressive wins. In February he submitted Ryan Bader in the second round with a guillotine choke. Just six weeks later he capitalized on an opportunity created by an injury to former training partner Rashad Evans, scoring a TKO win over Mauricio Rua as a replacement. A hand injury kept Jones on the shelf until late September, when he returned to defend his title with an impressive submission win over Quinton (Rampage) Jackson.

"There's no other place on the planet that I was meant to be," Jones said Thursday when asked about his thoughts before stepping into the octagon. "I think people sometimes have a hard time finding what their true purpose is on this planet. I think it's the highest blessing to know what you're meant to do in this world. I believe I was meant to be a mixed martial artist."

Machida, who beat Evans for the light heavyweight title in May of 2009 then lost it a year later to Rua, was last seen in the octagon front-kicking UFC legend Randy Couture into retirement at April's UFC 129 in the Rogers Centre. He sees Saturday night as his opportunity to reclaim his spot atop the UFC's most competitive weight division.

"I've changed a lot," Machida said when asked how he's evolved since he lost the title. "At the time, you don't understand why you have to go through it and you feel like it's going to last forever. Looking back, I learned a lot from losing and it made me more mature as a fighter."

Jones enters the bout as the favourite, but swears he's staying grounded amid the overwhelming hype. While White praised him as 'the real deal" during Thursday's presser, the champion said he has no problem staying hungry and focused. He also hinted that he feels as if he's only scratched the surface of his talent.

"I'm four years into my MMA career and there's so much that I don't know," he said. "I have teammates that are so much farther ahead at different disciplines and that's what really keeps me aware of the fact that I don't really know anything."

Six Canadians will be in action at UFC 140, including featherweight Mark (the Machine) Hominick and welterweight Claude Patrick on the pay-per-view card. Lightweights Mitch Clarke, Mark Bocek and John Makdessi and bantamweight Yves Jabouin are in action in preliminary bouts.

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