Jones regains UFC title with TKO of Gustafsson

8:02 pm | December 29, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:

12:57 AM ET

LOS ANGELES — Through it all, Jon Jones has always considered himself to be the UFC’s true light heavyweight champion.

Now, it’s official again.

Jones (23-1, 1 NC) reclaimed his 205-pound title on Saturday in a dominant, third-round finish against Alexander Gustafsson (18-5). The title bout headlined UFC 232 inside the Forum, and was Jones’ first appearance in 17 months.

The end came at the 2:02 mark of the round, when Jones took Gustafsson’s back on the ground and hammered him with punches to the side of the head.

In his postfight interview in the Octagon, Jones was quick to address what was on the minds of many fans — a potential rematch with rival Daniel Cormier, who relinquished the light heavyweight title Friday and is the current UFC heavyweight champion.

“Daddy’s home, DC,” Jones said. “Prove to the fans that you’re the champ champ. I’m here. I’ll be waiting.”

It was a satisfying result for Jones, who went into the fight under a swarm of controversy, which has become part of his legacy. The UFC uprooted the event from Nevada to California, because the Nevada State Athletic Commission could not license Jones fast enough after an atypical drug testing result on Dec. 9.

It was also a decisive result for a rematch that was five years in the making. In September 2013, Gustafsson gave Jones the hardest five-round fight of his career, but ultimately came up short by unanimous decision. In this highly anticipated second chapter, however, Gustafsson had nothing for him.

Jones, 31, was brilliant defensively. The boxing combinations Gustafsson landed early and often in their first meeting repeatedly fell short of their target Saturday. Meanwhile, Jones laid the foundation for the finish with kicks to the body and lead elbows.

Gustafsson, of Stockholm, Sweden, tried to establish his jab and did manage to land several left hooks in the first round, but Jones’ defense essentially negated his offense. By the end of the second round, Gustafsson’s leg was clearly bothering him after being on the receiving end of several Jones kicks.

Jones secured a double leg takedown early in the third round and eventually moved from half guard to the back. Jones’ wrestling and physicality was simply too much for Gustafsson at that point. He turned his face to the middle of the canvas and covered up until referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight.

Jones, who fights out of JacksonWink MMA, is expected to appear before the Nevada commission early next year to address the licensing issue that prompted the UFC to move the championship fight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. He served a 15-month suspension last year, after testing positive for a metabolite of a banned substance following a TKO win over Cormier at UFC 214.

The UFC has stripped Jones of a title three times due to various issues.