Jones (left) and Gustafsson (right) had a fight that was named the best of 2013. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
This Saturday (26), Jon Jones will defend his seventh belt in the UFC, when he will face the Brazilian Glover Teixeira. However, his last fight, against Alexander Gustafson, still resonates in the world of MMA.
In September 2013, Jones made his most difficult title defense to date. After five rounds of intense competition, the North American was named winner in the judges' decision, although the result generated some discord among fans.
SEE TOO: Warming up for UFC 172 recalls the fight between Jones and Gustafsson. Watch!
In an interview with the radio program “Jim Rome Show”, the light heavyweight champion stated that he was far from his ideal conditions for the fight. “I was at my 80%. I'm not making any excuses, Gustafsson did a great job in the fight, but I know I could have done a lot more. I did some cardiovascular tests that I normally do and the results were not the same. Knowing this, I still went to fight thinking that, if I couldn't have an excellent performance, maybe I would still perform well. But you always have to do your best, and I learned that lesson the hard way”, he detailed.
Jones also acknowledged that the success achieved in his past fights had gone to his head. “Before fighting Gustafsson, I had beaten Chael Sonnen, a guy who almost won Anderson Silva twice. I dominated Chael Sonnen in a minute and a half and I think, for the first time in my career, I really started to think that I had an extraordinary talent and that I couldn't be touched”, he admitted.
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Precisely for this reason, “Bones” guaranteed that, against Teixeira, the story will be different. “This time, the training was different. Not only did I perform my best, but I also surpassed the old results I had in the past. So I know my condition is better than ever. I know my fitness is the best I've ever been in. I'm getting more experienced, so my understanding of my body is at an all-time high. I feel like I have the complete package and I want to show it,” he said.
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