Alexander Gustafsson Picks Jones To Win, But Warns The Champion
Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson is most famous for his fight with reigning light heavyweight king Jon “Bones” Jones back in 2013. He battled the champion for five-rounds and came closer than anyone to dethroning Jones, but came up short.
He had a golden opportunity in front of him to earn his long-awaited rematch when he met the surging Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at January’s UFC on FOX 14, but he was shockingly knocked out in front of his native Sweden.
This was a shocking loss for Gustafsson and a fight that gave the title shot to Johnson, who will challenge Jones at May’s UFC 187. Speaking on a recent edition of the MMA Hour, “The Mauler” talked about what Johnson is most known for: his power. The Swede acknowledged that “Rumble” definitely hits harder than the champion, and warned Jones about Johnson’s pressure:
“Oh, he hits harder than Jones, yeah,” Gustafsson said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “Rumble, when he connects, you feel it. That’s what Jones has to be careful of, his power. When he comes with the pressure, he has really good pressure. He’s really dangerous as a light heavyweight.”
Many fans believe that “Rumble” has a serious chance in his upcoming fight, and they know how dangerous he is as Gustafsson noted. However, just like I believe many will, Gustafsson predicted that the pound-for-pound king will once again defend his title:
“It’s a tough call,” Gustafsson said. “I think Jones will win the fight, because he has more leverage and he has a little bit more, he mixes things up, as everyone knows. So I think he will win this fight. But that said, Rumble is a great fighter, and a great person and he’s heavy handed. So, you know, anything can happen in a fight. You have to keep your chin down and your hands up. I’m very excited for that fight.”
“Rumble” undoubtedly has the pure power to end a fight with one shot, and he could be a huge test for Jones. However, it’s hard to go against the best in the world which “Bones” most certainly is.
Who are you picking come May?
