8. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 1
By the time Gustafsson had fought his way to a title shot at UFC 165 in 2013, reigning champion Jones had already steamrolled a who’s who of 205-pound talent. But the underdog came in high on confidence and appeared to shake ‘Bones” confidence by besting him in several striking exchanges and even landing a takedown.
Jones was truly being tested at last, and it made for fascinating viewing as the fight moved into the championship rounds with the champion’s reign in real danger. The gravity of the situation was clearly evident on his badly swollen face. Jones then showed his championship mettle by stepping up a gear in the fourth, landing a spinning elbow that rocked the challenger. The UFC legend continued that momentum into the final round to edge out the striking action and land a takedown, leaving the result in the judges’ hands. The decision was as dramatic as the fight, with Jones being declared the unanimous decision winner. To this day, there is much debate as to whether Gustafsson should have won.
