Jon Jones Unveils His Light Heavyweight Top Five
UFC on FOX 14 went down last weekend (January 24, 2015) and had major title implications for the light heavyweight division. The main event featured a pivotal bout between Swedish superstar Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson and surging knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Many were expecting “The Mauler” to take out Johnson and finally earn his long awaited rematch with reigning light heavyweight king Jon Jones. However, “Rumble” came out firing and shocked the world, knocking out Gustafsson in the first round from Stockholm, Sweden.
Not only did this fight have major title implications, but it will also shake up the 205 pound rankings. Johnson will obviously become the No. 1-contender and face off with “Bones” next, but what happens to top contenders like Daniel Cormier and Gustafsson who are coming off devastating losses? Well, it seems like the champion has his own opinions, issuing his list of top five light heavyweights via his official Twitter page:
Myself 1.AJ 2.Evans 3.DC 4.Gus
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) January 26, 2015
What’s most interesting is that the champion has Rashad Evans ranked No. 2, ahead of both “DC” and Gus. This is rather odd because although he is riding a two-fight win streak, Evans has been out with a knee injury for over a year now. It’s not surprising that Jones has “The Mauler” dropping down multiple spots, as the champion controversially tweeted that he wasn’t impressed with Gustafsson’s UFC on FOX 14 performance before quickly deleting it. Prior to last weekend’s fights, the official UFC rankings had Gustafsson ranked as the No. 1- contender, with Cormier, Evans, and Johnson following him. It’s no question that the Swedish superstar will take the biggest blow in the divisional standings, as he already had his rematch with Jones lined up for UFC 178 last September before suffering a knee injury. Being a 3-1 favorite over “Rumble,” Gustafsson was expected to earn the next shot, but the champion will now have a new and very interesting challenge in front of him. Of course, just like with any new challenger, fans are saying that Johnson is the man to beat Jones and that the champ has never faced anyone like “Rumble.” It’s hard to say that this will be “Bones’” toughest challenge, but one thing is for sure, Johnson may possess the most brutal and pure power that Jones has ever had to deal with. That being said, it seems as if the Jackson-Winkeljohn product is not too worried:
Not the first time I’ve heard that “@jmyfry1: @JonnyBones @ufc he’s got too much power for you”
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) January 26, 2015
Will “Rumble” Johnson be the man to dethrone the king, or will Jones continue his reign atop the 205-pound division?
