News that Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier has been moved back three months reached former light heavyweight top contender Alexander Gustafsson, and boy, he is not happy about it. Reaching out to fans through Facebook, “The Mauler” posted the following:
I just heard the news that Jones is injured and the fight is rescheduled to January 3????
Until then, I will be more than ready, it was MY fight to begin with and I WANT the fight as the number 1 contender. End of story!!
For those who don’t remember, Gustafsson was set to face Jones in a rematch of the 2013 Fight of the Year at UFC 178, but was forced to pull out of the bout with a knee injury. He was immediately replaced by Daniel Cormier, and the resulting war of words (and hands) between the champion and the former Olympian has made the bout one of the most anticipated fights in MMA today. While Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 remains a tantalizing fight, the hype surrounding Jones vs. Cormier has seemingly trumped it.
Still, from a “fairness” perspective, the title shot should undeniably go to Gustafsson. The UFC reluctantly bowed to Jones’ refusal for an immediate rematch for the Swede, who preferred a matchup with Brazilian slugger Glover Teixeira. Gustafsson would wind up facing Jimi Manuwa in March, earning the win via second-round TKO.
Assuming Gustafsson is fully healed, the rematch should have been the go-to choice for the next light heavyweight title fight. Unfortunately, “fairness” carries little meaning in the UFC’s title picture, where Nick Diaz received a title shot coming off of a loss ahead of Johny Hendricks and Gina Carano was seemingly going to face Ronda Rousey after five years out of the sport.
Either way, fans can look forward to a matchup between Jones and Cormier in January at UFC 182. Stick with Bleacher Report for more news on Gustafsson as it becomes available.
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