Alexander Gustafsson has been much more vocal since his big win in Sweden…
Heading to UFC Fight Night 109, all eyes were on the main event between Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira. Coming from Sweden himself, ‘The Mauler’ had a nation behind him, and they buoyed him through an epic performance.
Going to the uppercut as his main weapon, Gus also mixed his striking up to perfection. Toward the end of the fight, it was clear that Gustafsson was back on his best form. Eventually knocking out Glover with a precise combo, Gus once again becomes part of the title picture.
Along with that status has come the obvious questions about his old rival, Jon Jones.
Gustafsson Is Back, As Is His Rivalry With Jon Jones
After starching Teixeira in Sweden, Gus spoke out against Jon Jones. The former light-heavyweight champion beat Gustafsson by narrow decision at UFC 165, a fight which Gus now says ‘Bones’ was probably on steroids for.
Speaking with MMAFighting.com, Gustafsson went all in on his arch rival:
I just told them the truth. I’m not a trash talker. I don’t trash talk, I don’t do that sh*t. But they asked me and I’m not going to lie. I just felt like, he’s probably the greatest fighter we’ve seen. But as a person, I don’t like him.
“I don’t like how he’s talking on the stage, doing the cocaine thing, with so many young people, kids and everything, looking up to him. I just feel like, man, come on. I don’t support that stuff at all. So I just told the media what I think of him.”
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“Caught For Everything”
“He’s been getting caught for everything, it feels like one thing after the other, but the way he was sitting on the stage with DC and he just said he did cocaine a week before he fought him,” he told Ariel Helwani. “He’s not even embarrassed telling that stuff, he’s just proud telling that stuff. For me it’s just, you don’t do that, come on — not [with] being such a good fighter.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I just know he was in shape for that fight, and I was in shape for that fight, and in many eyes, people believe I won that fight. And this may be one of his excuses. He didn’t dominate me like he’s been dominating everybody else. It was a tight fight, but I just think that was one of his excuses that maybe he didn’t finish me or he didn’t dominate me, or didn’t win every round. So, that’s just the way he talks.”
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“Tragic”
“I believe (Jones was doping for UFC 165), I believe so,” he said. “I think he’s been doing a lot of stuff that he shouldn’t be doing. It’s tragic to say, but I believe he’s been doing sh*t he shouldn’t for a long time.”
When quizzed about Jones’ huge change in physique between fights, Gus said he was not sure:
“Well, you know, he hadn’t been in the cage for a long time when he fought (Ovince St-Preux),” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know if he was on it or not for that fight, but I believe he was when we fought and stuff like that. But anyway, it’s history now and new times are coming, and we probably will fight again some day.”
