Jones (photo) is coming off a victory over Glover at UFC 172. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The soap opera involving the rematch between Jon Jones e Alexander Gustafson for the UFC light heavyweight belt could soon have another chapter. The champion of the under-93 kg category ruled out any possibility of the fight taking place in Sweden, the challenger's homeland, which contradicts the words said by UFC president, Dana White, last week.
During a press conference given in the lead-up to UFC 174, White stated that the rematch, which will take place on September 27th, has not yet had a confirmed location. The boss then listed three places that could host the fight: Sweden, Las Vegas (USA) and Toronto (Canada).
In a statement given to the podcast “The MMA Hour”, on the North American website “MMA Fighting”, Jones stated that he would not fight in the European country if the UFC chose the location as its headquarters. “It won’t be in Sweden. No way. I have no reason for that. I am the champion and he is the challenger. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to come to your backyard,” he argued. However, the champion showed no objection to the other options. “Either of the two cities would be good for me,” he commented.
Jones also criticized the UFC's stance in announcing the fight without the champion having agreed. “It’s not even that I hadn’t signed a contract. I hadn’t even heard the date before,” he said, referring to the initial announcement that the fight would take place on August 30th. “I think it was unprofessional. It was a 'bully' style technique, I don't know.”
The attraction will be a repeat of what was considered the “Fight of the Year” in 2013. At UFC 165, held in Toronto, Jones overcame Gustafsson in the judges' decision after five even rounds.
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