Alexander Gustafsson will finally get an opportunity to avenge his loss in what many consider to be the greatest fight in UFC history: his UFC 165 loss to Jon Jones back in September of 2013. Thursday, Gustafsson once again reiterated just how much his rematch against Jones at UFC 232 means to him. The Swede stated once again that if he had to choose between which matters more to him: finally winning the light heavyweight championship or defeating Jon Jones, his answer remains consistent:
“It’s a little bit of both, of course, but if I have to choose one, it’s the rematch,” Gustafsson told MMAjunkie. “Fighting Jon Jones again, and it’s been five years since we fought – it’s the fight I’ve been wanting for a long time and dreaming about and training for all this time. All this time, I’ve been training for this fight. This is it. I’m preparing for him. Every session, I’ve prepared for him. That’s the best guy out there, and that’s the guy I’m beating.”
It is fair to say that Alexander Gustafsson has become obsessed with defeating Jon Jones, which may be the only way to beat Jon Jones. And you can hear it in Gustafsson’s voice and feel it in his words just how much the rematch means to him:
“… I can’t want it more than this,” Gustafsson said. “It’s a dream fight, and that’s the thing that’s been pushing me the most. I want the biggest fights, fighting the best guys out there, and this is just the highlight. This is it.”
And Alexander Gustafsson’s passion going into this fight isn’t just an immaterial divulgence to the public about his inner thoughts. No, the Swede believes that it is this hunger and will to win that will be the difference come Saturday night:
“At the end of the day, it all comes down to who wants it more,” Gustafsson said. “I’m just the guy for him. The Jon Era is over. The Jon Era is over. I’m here to take that over and I’m here to beat him, once and for all. … I just have to wake him up, and I will.”
Who do you believe wants it more heading into UFC 232? Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson?
