Tag: UFC 165

UFC free fight: Jon Jones pushed to limit in UFC Hall of Fame war with Alexander Gustafsson

UFC has posted the full free fight of the all-time classic between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson that landed in the UFC Hall of Fame.

During a slow weekend in MMA amidst the Thanksgiving holiday, the UFC has posted some archives of some of its most memorable fights.

A proper list would have [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] from UFC 165 right near the top, as the epic light heavyweight championship fight from September 2013 in Toronto still stands as one of the greatest fights in company history, and has already been enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

The fight was one of the most epic title bouts in UFC history, with Jones taking a unanimous decision win in what was, at the time, by far the most competitive bout of his career.

Going into the fight, Gustafsson was largely written off as a serious contender. Although Jones would later reveal he barely trained for the fight and was partying in the build-up, Gustafsson produced a stellar effort as the challenger and came close to pulling off a monumental upset.

Jones would retain, though, and go on to finish Gustafsson by third-round TKO in the rematch at UFC 232 in December 2018.

Watch the video above to see Jones and Gustafsson go to battle at UFC 165.

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Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 1 to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame ‘Fight Wing’

Jones vs. Gustafsson at UFC 165 is widely considered the greatest light heavyweight fight of all time.

In what will likely not be the only time in his career, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is set to become a UFC Hall of Fame inductee.

Jones and [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] will join the “Fight Wing” of the UFC Hall of Fame this summer for their memorable UFC 165 title fight in September 2013, the promotion announced Saturday.

The fight was one of the most epic title bouts in UFC history, with Jones taking a unanimous decision win in what was, at the time, by far the most competitive bout of his career.

“Going into the first Jones vs. Gustafsson fight, fans and media didn’t care about the fight, because they didn’t believe Gustafsson deserved a title shot, and this thing ended up being the greatest light heavyweight title fight in UFC history,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “To be there and watch it live was amazing. It was an incredible fight, and both athletes gave everything they had for all five rounds. This fight was such a classic it was named the 2013 ‘Fight of the Year’ and will always be considered one of the greatest fights in combat sports history.

“This fight showed what a true champion Jon Jones was, as this was the first time he was taken into deep waters and truly tested. This fight also put Gustafsson on the map and showed his true potential.”

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Going into the fight, Gustafsson was largely written off as a serious contender. Although Jones would later reveal he barely trained for the fight and was partying in the build-up, Gustafsson produced a stellar effort as the challenger and came close to pulling off a monumental upset.

Jones would retain, though, and go on to finish Gustafsson by third-round TKO in the rematch at UFC 232 in December 2018.

According to the UFC, additional inductees of the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be announced in the coming weeks leading into International Fight Week this summer, which culminates on July 11.

Jones vs. Gustafsson joins Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonner 1, Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg 2, Mark Coleman vs. Pete Williams, Mauricio Rua vs. Dan Henderson, and Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida in the UFC Hall of Fame “Fight Wing.”

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