Brad Penner — USA TODAY Sports
One of the most anticipated bouts of the year goes down at UFC 165 between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. Both fighters have been waiting for this moment for a while now.
Jones, one of the best fighters in the world today, will look to prove the doubters wrong who believe Gustafsson’s size and reach will play a factor in bout. Gustafsson finally gets the chance to defeat Jones and capture his dreams of being a champion. It’s been a long road for both fighters up to this point, and this bout has the makings to be an instant classic.
Jones has been one of the most dominated champions there has ever been in MMA. Ever since Jones entered the UFC, he has been able to defeat his opponents in a way that makes them look amateurish. To date, he has beat the who’s who of MMA, which includes Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen, Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.
No one has been able to solve his riddle, which is a credit to the heart and determination he has in being a champion. It also doesn’t hurt when you have an 84.5-inch reach, and are one of the best wrestlers in the UFC right now. Opponents have yet to test Jones, which is something Gustafsson will look to do.
Gustafsson has been on a tear as of late. Since losing to Phil Davis, he has been able to string together a six-fight win streak over the likes of James Te-Huna, Matt Hamill, Thiago Silva and Shogun Rua.
He is one of the best strikers in the division, and his wrestling has also come a long way, which is thanks to training alongside Phil Davis every week. A win over Jones would be a massive feather in his cap, and would finally give him the belt that he was been working to achieve ever since 2007.
It should be a great championship bout filled with exciting moments. So, who will Jones stay champion and build to his legacy, or we will see a massive upset and see a new light heavyweight champion in Gustafsson? Stay tuned!
