5 UFC title rematches that couldn't live up to the original fight
Everyone knows that the UFC loves to book rematches, particularly where titles are concerned, and most of the time it makes sense. Who wouldn't book a rematch of a great fight?
The trilogy is on!
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Unfortunately, not all UFC title rematches turn out to be great, even if the original fight was a genuinely tremendous one.
For various reasons, there have been several UFC title rematches over the years that simply couldn't live up to the standards of the original fight, even if they weren't outright bad to watch.
On that note, here are five UFC title rematches that couldn't live up to their original fights.
#5. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson – UFC 232
The UFC light heavyweight division has produced several genuinely amazing title fights. Sitting at the top of the list as the greatest 205lbs title fight in UFC history, though, is probably the clash between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165.
At the time, nobody had really even tested Jones in the octagon. Bones' had held the UFC light heavyweight title for two and a half years by then. He had turned back the challenge of five contenders while barely breaking a sweat. Nobody really expected Gustafsson to change that.
Incredibly, though, 'The Mauler' pushed Jones harder than anyone had ever done before. He landed heavy, clean strikes throughout the fight, bloodying the champion, never letting him settle and even taking him down at one point.
By the fourth round it looked like the Swede was on his way to becoming the new champion. However, Jones came roaring back to win the final two stanzas to retain his title by the narrowest of margins.
So when the UFC booked a rematch between the two for the vacant UFC light-heavyweight title in late 2018, fireworks were expected. However, the second fight never really got out of first gear. Jones still looked as sharp as ever. However, several losses and injuries had caught up with Gustafsson, and he looked like a shadow of the man who had fought 'Bones' five years prior.
The fight ended up being as straightforward as you could imagine for Jones, who sealed the deal with a third-round TKO.
JON JONES RECLAIMS THE THRONE!!!
#UFC232 @JonnyBones https://t.co/M2vG8gvcS6
This rematch was never likely to be quite as good as the original but, unfortunately, it wasn't even close in the end.