The duel between Jones (left) and Gustafsson (right) was the “Fight of the Year 2013”. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Considered the biggest “stone in the shoe” of his career Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafson believes that the doping episode before UFC 200 will tarnish his rival's career, which will have negative consequences for his legacy in the sport.
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Jones would be in the main fight of UFC 200, in a rematch against Daniel Cormier. However, days before the duel, the interim champion fell into a surprise test using estrogen blockers. Thus, Jones was removed from the fight and should receive a long suspension from fights.
In an interview with the North American website “FloCombat”, Gustafsson stated that Jones' image will hardly be recovered after the controversial episode. “Obviously, I think if it's proven that he cheated, he should definitely be suspended. The sad thing for me is that if he has to take two years away, I'm not sure he'll come back. And even if he comes back, he will never be able to shake off the cheater label. Once you get caught, you can never get away from it,” said the Swedish fighter.
Gustafsson and Jones dueled in September 2013, with the American winning in a tight judges' decision. The Swede is not worried about the possibility that Jones was under banned substances at the time. “Whether he was doped when we fought doesn’t matter. I believe I won that fight and, if we meet again, I know I will beat him again”, he guaranteed.
Finally, Gustafsson believes that the controversial episode takes Jones out of the discussion about the great name in MMA history. “I think he’s one of the best fighters in the world, but the greatest of all time? No, not for me. I think there were, and still are, a lot of good fighters and I believe Jones still has things to prove, especially now after what happened,” he said.
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