“I made it back, man,” Jones, 30, said in the octagon after a 30-month absence from a title fight caused by self-induced damage that included a car crash and performance-enhancing drug use.

But after absorbing some heavy punches to the head by the 38-year-old fighter from San Jose — who had continually berated Jones for his personal slips — Jones answered by leaning on the universal skills that made him the youngest-ever UFC champion at age 23, who had successfully defended his belt for an eighth time by defeating Cormier by unanimous decision in January 2015.

The pose had dual meaning, part a celebration capping Justino’s ascension to UFC champion and a look of “what took you guys so long?” to give her a crack in a division that was only created less than a year ago.

In a sharp, punishing performance, “Cyborg” stopped Tonya Evinger by third-round technical knockout to win the UFC’s vacant featherweight belt at Honda Center.

In the second of three title fights on the card, welterweight champion Tyron Woodley relied on his few power punches and elusiveness to quell the plans of Brazilian submission specialist Demian Maia.