Tom Szczerbowski USA TODAY Sports
Fans have been waiting in anticipation for UFC 165, which showcased a light heavyweight title fight between pound-for-pound great Jon Jones and the rising star Alexander Gustafsson. Both fighters were about the same in terms of height and reach, which was a lead selling point for this main event.
Early in the fight, both fighters were content to trade on the feet. Gustafsson even took Jones down in the first, proving anything can happen in the sport of MMA. All of the rounds were razor close. Gustafsson hurt Jones with many shots, opening a cut below his eye. Jones responded with his own shots, landing some devastating head kicks. This bout had Fight Of The Night written all over it, and both Gustafsson and Jones came out the winner in this bout.
At the end of the day, the judges awarded Jones the decision, and he is still the best light heavyweight in the world. This fight was fantastic, and it was incredible to see Gustafsson defend Jones’s takedowns time and time again. This was the story of the fight, and really showed how much Gustafsson has improved in terms of his takedown defense. Credit this to his training partners such as Phil Davis, who is one of the better wrestlers in the UFC.
Congrats to both fighters for putting on a brilliant war from start to finish, and hopefully the UFC and company will give Gustafsson another crack at the belt. If not an immediate rematch, then hopefully after a win over a solid opponent.
