"It was an amazing night" - Alexander Gustafsson looks back on iconic fight against Jon Jones at UFC 165
UFC veteran Alexander Gustafsson has spoken candidly about his iconic UFC 165 fight against Jon Jones.
On that 2013 night in Toronto, Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones left everything they had in the octagon in the name of walking away with the UFC light heavyweight championship.
'The Mauler' came up short on the judges' scorecards but, in doing so, he still managed to earn a significant amount of praise from fans across the globe.
Back in September last year, Gustafsson and Jones were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as a result of the legacy left by this bout - with the majority still believing it's the best title fight we've ever seen at 205 pounds.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the Swede spoke about what that fight means to him all these years later.
“It was a milestone in my career and I will always, wherever I go, I will have that fight with me. Even though I lost that fight, I went from a fighter no-one really knew anything about to become a pretty big name in the sport. A lot of things happened for me that night that I’m very grateful for. It’s a big honour for me. It was an amazing night, I’ll never forget it. The feeling, the emotions after the fight, it was a big thing for me.”
Catch Gustafsson's appearance on The MMA Hour below:
What's next for Alexander Gustafsson?
Three straight defeats to Jones in the rematch, Anthony Smith and Fabricio Werdum left many wondering whether or not Gustafsson would fight again in the UFC.
Alas, any fears of retirement have been put to rest for now, as the 35-year-old looks set to return in May to take on the always tough Ben Rothwell at heavyweight.
Back in September, it seemed as if he'd be returning to 205 pounds for a fun fight against Paul Craig. Unfortunately for fans, he had to withdraw due to injury just a week prior to the event - prompting a second try for him up at heavyweight.