UFC 232 | Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson Match Preview and Predictions

Alexander Gustafsson is such a wonderful stylistic matchup for Jon Jones that you can understand why so many have been clamoring for him to get a second crack at becoming the first fighter to truly beat “Bones”.

The lead-up to UFC 165 revolved around Gustafsson being able to match Jones’s measurements, not the most electrifying build, but an aspect that proved to be important when the two ended up going toe-to-toe for 25 minutes. What wasn’t spoken of enough was Gustafsson’s excellent agility and footwork; at times, he moves more with the grace of an NBA guard than a cage fighter. This is what allowed him to befuddle Jones in their standup exchanges and neutralize Jones’s wrestling.

That said, I’m leaning towards Jones because he is at his best when facing the best competition. Some might forget that in the first encounter it was Jones who finished stronger, forcing himself to adapt and level up during the fight as it dawned upon him what a threat Gustafsson was. The same could be said of the second Cormier fight that saw Jones put down the best version of “DC” with a perfectly timed head kick (a result that has technically been stricken from the record books after Jones failed a drug test). By every indication, Jones is intent on improving on his first performance against Gustafsson, and if he’s locked in mentally, this could be the most potent version of Jones yet.

Gustafsson will go another five rounds with Jones as his only losses by finish came against Phil Davis, when Gustafsson’s ground game was still a work-in-progress, and Anthony Johnson, who has nearly unmatched one-punch KO power. This will be another war of attrition, one that I see Jones winning and by a more comfortable margin this time.

Pick: Jones