Jon Jones Expects to Cross Paths with Alexander Gustafsson Again in the Future
Jon Jones may hold two wins over Alexander Gustafsson already but that doesn’t mean he’s done with him forever.
This past Saturday night at UFC 232, Jones showcased a strong striking attack and a devastating ground game as he finished Gustafsson by TKO in the third round after their first fight was declared an instant classic back in 2013.
Unfortunately things didn’t go nearly as well for Gustafsson the second time around as Jones put on a stellar performance before wrapping up the finish in the third round.
In most cases, two wins over any opponent means it’s unlikely there would be a third but Jones and Gustafsson agreed in the cage at UFC 232 that this wasn’t the last they had seen of each other.
“Alex said ‘man you are really good and really strong’ and I said ‘thank you Alex, thank you for being such a great opponent’ and I said ‘we’re both only 31, you know we’re going to be fighting again’ and he said ‘yeah, we’re going to be fighting again’ and I said ‘darn it’,” Jones said with a laugh when revealing what he said to Gustafsson inside the Octagon at UFC 232.
The light heavyweight division isn’t exactly flush with new talent or many rising stars, although there are a few solid contenders who have never faced Jones before.
Still it’s tough to imagine a scenario where Gustafsson doesn’t work his way back up the ladder into title contention considering his only losses in recent years have come to Jones, former champion Daniel Cormier and former top contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, who is now retired.
Jones agrees that Gustafsson will probably earn a third shot at him somewhere down the road and he doesn’t sound opposed to the matchup even with two previous wins against him.
“We’re going to be fighting many, many times,” Jones said. “He’s going to keep me on my game and I’m going to keep him continuing to strive to get better. I believe Alexander will beat most guys in the division but I’m here to stay.
“I believe this is my era and I’m going to own it for many years to come.”
Jones has already said he hopes to fight three times in 2019 so obviously the reigning light heavyweight champion intends on keeping busy with title defenses in the near future.
