Jon Jones employed a guillotine choke to submit Ciryl Gane in the first round of the UFC 285 main event on Saturday night in Las Vegas, claiming the vacant heavyweight title.
Jones becomes the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in two divisions.
Also, Alexa Grasso submitted Valentina Shevchenko in the fourth round in a stunning upset to become the new women's flyweight champion.
Jones, who vacated the 205-pound title to move up to heavyweight, submitted Gane at 2.04 of the opening round for his first submission in 11 years.
"I've been working for this for a long time," Jones said afterward. "A lot of people thought I wasn't coming back. I've been faithful to my goal. I've been faithful to the mission. There were days I didn't want to train and I was always there."
Jones had not fought since February 2020.
Grasso submitted Shevchenko at 4.34 of the fourth round with a rear naked choke. Shevchenko had successfully defended her title seven times.
"Please punch me, I feel like I'm dreaming," Grasso said. "I've been dreaming for this moment for so long."
Carlos Alcaraz will miss the Madrid Open for the second consecutive year after withdrawing on Friday with a wrist injury, dealing another blow to the world number two's clay court preparations ahead of his French Open title defence.
Novak Djokovic is still working through the injury problems that forced him to miss recent tournaments in Miami and Monte Carlo and said on Friday that he will not feature at next week's Madrid Open, one of the last stops before the French Open.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has defended Jasprit Bumrah after the struggling pace spearhead went a fifth Indian Premier League match without a wicket in Thursday's seven-wicket defeat by Punjab Kings.
Iranian women's football players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh thanked the Australian government on Friday for offering a "safe haven" and said they wished to resume their sporting careers after rebuilding their lives.
Ollie Watkins still has hope of making England's World Cup squad despite being dropped for last month's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, with the Aston Villa forward saying all he can do in the last few weeks of the season is score goals.
Dubai Police, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Interior, have arrested an Irish fugitive accused of involvement in an organised criminal group linked to international crimes in his home country.
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, to discuss national priorities and the country’s continued development.