It takes three to tango.
And in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, former champion Jon Jones, current champion Daniel Cormier and top contender Alexander Gustafsson are dancing like a bunch of teenagers at prom.
But this isn’t a popularity contest. These 205-pound dynamos are playing a very violent game.
As three of the very best fighters in the world today, Jones, Cormier and Gustafsson represent an unparalleled top-heavy division.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson could even be thrown into the discussion, but his recent title loss to Cormier plants him short of this start line.
Because the relationship between Bones, DC and The Mauler is deeper than blood. Unforgiving and vengeful, but deeper nonetheless.
It all started with a close-knit victory by Jones over Gustafsson at UFC 165, a collision that is well-remembered as one of the best UFC championship fights of all time.
Then it led to Jones and Cormier‘s ignited feud that resulted in an unscripted press-conference brawl and a fairly one-sided title defense for Jones at UFC 182.
Now, these three men have been connected in an even more epic way.
From Jones being stripped of his belt on the heels of a felony hit-and-run this past April to Cormier defeating Rumble at UFC 187 to become the new 205-pound champ, things have started to boil over.
Pile on Dana White’s recent announcement, per UFC Tonight, that DC’s first title defense will come against Gustafsson and you have a triangle of treachery that may be better suited for a cage match with ladders and chairs.
Now while nobody can tell for sure how severe Jones’ punishment will be down the line, you better believe that he’ll be facing either one of these men if he returns to the cage.
But which rematch is the bigger fight?
Is it Jones’ challenging Gustafsson for a title that Gustafsson failed to take from Jones just two years ago?
Or is it Jones’ attempting to thwart the Olympic wrestling of Cormier one more time as DC yearns to avenge the only loss in his MMA career?
It’s simple.
Jones vs. Gustafsson was the better all-around fight and a rematch that needed to happen the second the first fight ended.
That’s not to say that Cormier isn’t a better fighter or superior champion because he does have the skill set to run the table, but his overall appeal and fighting style don’t equate to that of the towering Swede.
Despite his recent plod atop the division, Gustafsson still possesses the undeniable potency to debunk Jones’ greatness.
Not to mention the momentum and divisional validation he would bring with him should he get past Cormier in fashion.
So while the recent dominance of DC would fall wayside, it is a rematch between Jones and Gustafsson that we want to see. One that can mirror the combative resourcefulness displayed in the first fight.
Hopefully lightning strikes twice.
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