When the best fighter in the world steps into the cage, people take notice. In his last three bouts, Jones has finally lived up to his box-office potential, averaging more than 500,000 pay-per-view buys an outing.
Can that hot streak continue against relatively unknown Swedish striker Alexander Gustafsson? If so, then it’s safe to say Jones can draw against anyone. Gustafsson, though the UFC’s top contender in the division, hasn’t beaten any of the other fighters currently joining him in the top 10.
Of course, the real action takes place in the cage, not at the box office. But when a fighter is an overwhelming favorite the way Jones is, there’s little to discuss. At this point, you watch Jones to see excellence on display. It’s not just Gustafsson—it would be hard to take any fighter seriously against “Bones.”
In the co-main event, bantamweight sensation Renan Barao defends his interim title against Eddie Wineland. There’s additional action up and down the main card with implications on the official UFC rankings. It’s, overall, an interesting and well-booked card.
Let’s take an early look and explore each main card fight. Disagree with any of my contentions? Let me know in the comments.