Seventeen months, one unsuccessful drug test and a storm of adverse headlines later, Jon Jones is still the UFC light heavyweight ruler.
Jones (23-1, 1 NC) was able to hunk
out all of the talk about his drug history to finish Alexander Gustafsson via
third-round TKO in a rematch of their thrilling 2013 title classic. Jones appealed
the vacant 205-pound title that was relinquished Thursday by heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
The 31-year-old Jones, who was
heavily disapproved for the UFC's decision to move Saturday's UFC 232 card on
just six days' notice from Las Vegas to The Forum in Inglewood next an
irregularly in his Dec. 9 drug test, directly called out his most heated rival
after the fight.
"I know there's a guy who
has been calling himself 'Champ Champ,'" Jones said. "I mean, what
guy just gives up his belt when somebody other is home. Daddy is home, DC. Come
show to the man that you are the 'Champ Champ.' I'm here. Come get your belt
back. I'm here."
Jones seized the light
heavyweight title for the fourth time (he also briefly held the interim title
in 2016) after being exposed of the 205-pound crown a record three times due to
corrective and drug interruptions.
In his first match since knocking
out Cormier in their July 2017 rematch, only for the fight to be ruled a no
contest after Jones failed a test for a disqualified steroid, Jones largely evaded
the slugfest that was his choice win over Gustafsson in their first conference.
In a round that was much additional
tactical, Jones worked long-sufferingly from the outside to switch distance
while chipping missing at Gustafsson with leg kicks and body shots to exposed
up takedown efforts.
"This is great, this is a great feeling," Jones said.
"The main difference is that I was aware of how far away I was at all
times. He landed very few punches in my face tonight. I really believe my team
is the most dangerous team, especially when we get a rematch."
Gustafsson (18-5) pay back from a
19-month layoff of his own and did well in the early going by being the invader
and padding Jones' takedown tries. But Jones would breakdown through in a big
way with a takedown in Round 3 that took an end to the match in a while after.
Jones long-sufferingly worked his enchanted on the milled and finally
took Gustafsson's back before reining down a series of brutal punches and short
elbows from behindhand on his knees until referee Mike Beltran kept the Swedish
fighter at 3:01 of Round 3.
"Alexander Gustafsson, he's
the type of guy where if he can get up quick, he does well," Jones said.
"But if you can hold him down for more than 30 seconds, you are more than
likely going to keep him down. We knew that and the idea was to get back to
wrestling and get back to riding time and everything worked out."
Gustafsson came up vacant in his
third shot at the light heavyweight title and hurt his first overthrow since a
split-decision title loss to Cormier in 2015.
Cormier, who lost his first
meeting with Jones by choice in 2015, has
been publicly critical of Jones, UFC and USADA for their handling
of Jones, which included giving him a title shot in his first fight back after
his suspension was reduced to 15 months from a possible 2-4 years in October.
A sequence bout between Jones and
Cormier leftovers one of the main fights to make in the sport and the
continuation of the most penetrating rivalry in UFC history. In July, Cormier
moved up in weight to knock out Stipe Miocic and become just the sixth warrior
to hold titles in two partitions and the another to do so concurrently (Amanda
Nunes later joined that club in Saturday's co-main event).
UFC 232 Highlights/Results
- Jon Jones (c) def. Alexander Gustafsson via third-round TKO (punches)
- Amanda Nunes (c) def. Cris Cyborg via first-round TKO (punches)
- Michael Chiesa def. Carlos Condit via second-round submission (Kimura)
- Corey Anderson def. Ilir Latifi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Alexander Volkanovski def. Chad Mendes via second-round TKO (punches)
- Walt Harris def. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Megan Anderson def. Cat Zingano via first-round TKO (eye injury)
- Petr Yan def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via second-round TKO (corner stoppage)
- Ryan Hall def. BJ Penn via first-round submission (heel hook)
- Uriah Hall def. Bevon Lewis via third-round TKO (punches)
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