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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

UFC free fight: Jon Jones pushed to limit in UFC Hall of Fame war with Alexander Gustafsson

During a slow weekend in MMA amidst the Thanksgiving holiday, the UFC has posted some archives of some of its most memorable fights.

A proper list would have Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson from UFC 165 right near the top, as the epic light heavyweight championship fight from September 2013 in Toronto still stands as one of the greatest fights in company history, and has already been enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

The fight was one of the most epic title bouts in UFC history, with Jones taking a unanimous decision win in what was, at the time, by far the most competitive bout of his career.

Going into the fight, Gustafsson was largely written off as a serious contender. Although Jones would later reveal he barely trained for the fight and was partying in the build-up, Gustafsson produced a stellar effort as the challenger and came close to pulling off a monumental upset.

Jones would retain, though, and go on to finish Gustafsson by third-round TKO in the rematch at UFC 232 in December 2018.

Watch the video above to see Jones and Gustafsson go to battle at UFC 165.

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