POLL: Would Alexander Gustafsson Have Beaten The Jon Jones We Saw At UFC 172?
Photo: Tommy Gilligan for USA TODAY Sports
Last night (Sat., April 26, 2014), UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones went a long way towards silencing all of his doubters who still believed he actually lost to Alexander Gustafsson in their UFC 165 classic last September.
Dismantling Glover Teixeira with precise striking over the course of five rounds in the UFC 172 main event from Baltimore, Maryland, Jones showed why he truly is the finest mixed martial artist on the planet today. His elbows were lethal as always, and his kicks were varied and effective as they kept Teixeira guessing at range (and Jones out of harm’s way).
“Bones” will now move on to face Gustafsson, who earned his next title shot by defeating British power striker Jimi Manuwa at UFC Fight Night 37 on March 8. Styles make fights, and it’s obvious that Gustafsson’s size and striking ability make him a tougher match-up for longtime titleholder Jones.
However, the champ looked arguably as impressive as he ever has at UFC 172, delivering on his promise that he was “in the best shape of his life.”
“Bones” may have said he only trained at 80 percent to face “The Mauler” the first time around, but would you pick Gustafsson to beat the version of Jones that showed up to Baltimore Arena last night?
