One of the casualties of Jon Jones having to postpone his light heavyweight title defense against Daniel Cormier until January was Alexander Gustafsson, the original No. 1 contender. The Swede Gustafsson was forced out of his fight with Jones due to a meniscus tear, and was replaced with Cormier, who put his own knee troubles aside to get the shot with Jones. Then, just as UFC 178 blew up with the press conference brawl between Jones and Cormier, Jones was forced to delay the fight with a leg injury.
That caused some problems. Gustafsson went on record saying that, if the fight was postponed, he should then be given back his title shot against Jones at UFC 182 on Jan. 3. But the UFC was now resolved to keep Cormier-Jones.
The question since then is whether or not the disgruntled Gustafsson, who came closer than any fighter to date of defeating Jones at UFC 165, would wait out Cormier-Jones for his title shot, or if he’d take another fight in-between. Another light heavyweight contender who has emerged of late, Anthony Johnson, would seem to be an ideal pairing for a No. 1 contender’s fight.
UFC president Dana White has expressed interest in booking “Rumble” Johnson and Gustafsson — and Johnson himself has lobbied for it on Twitter — but until now Gustafsson has been reluctant.
According to a report on UFC Tonight, though, Gustafsson might be warming up to the idea.
Gustafsson’s manager Manos Terzitaine told Ariel Helwani that it no longer matters to them if he waits for the winner of Jones-Cormier or fights again beforehand. When presented with that information, Johnson’s manager Glenn Robinson said that’s the fight they really want. With both sides willing, and White in favor of that matchmaking, it would appear that Gustafsson-Johnson is being looked at.
Robinson said that though they’ve made it known that they’d accept a bout with Gustafsson that no offer has been officially made.