Apparently, greatness was, in fact, within reach—it materialized in the aftermath of UFC 165.
Make no mistake about it: The effort put on display by Alexander Gustafsson, and accordingly thwarted by Jon Jones, is the stuff of legend. The morning after, all in the collective MMA community are likely still trying to catch their breath as they ponder the consequences of Saturday night’s main event.
Given Jones’ aim to break the light heavyweight title defense record, maintain his unbeaten streak and Gustafsson‘s attempt to stop a fighter perceived as unstoppable, this was an iconic fight in every sense of the term. The end result left writers such as myself breathing frantically and questioning if we’d be able to deliver thoughts in an impassioned yet impartial manner—both men are worthy of copious praise.
Factor in the incredible performance by Renan Barao in his co-main event title defense, and you’ve got an evening that ensured no fight fan was left with a resting heart rate.
Now that we’ve all had a chance to wind down—even if only partially—let’s take a moment to examine just how stock rose and fell in the hours after UFC 165.