Jon Jones Reclaims Light Heavyweight Title via TKO vs. Alexander Gustafsson

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A 17-month absence and late change of venue weren’t enough to slow down Jon Jones, who won the UFC light heavyweight championship with an impressive TKO victory over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 on Saturday night in Inglewood, California.

Five years after their instant classic, Jones dominated the rematch through two rounds before finally delivering elbows and strikes to Gustafsson on the ground in the third round that forced the referee to call for a stoppage.

This marked Jones’ first fight since UFC 214 in July 2017. He defeated Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title via third-round knockout, but the decision was reversed to a no-contest after he failed an in-competition drug test.

Jones (23-1, 1 NC) was originally facing a four-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency because of multiple failed drug tests. He was previously banned for one year in 2016 after testing positive for the banned substances clomiphene and letrozole.

USADA announced in September that Jones’ suspension would be 15 months, making him eligible to return on Oct. 28.

UFC wasted no time putting Jones back into the Octagon and under the spotlight, though it didn’t come without additional headaches. The entire show had to be moved from Las Vegas to California on one week notice after the Nevada State Athletic Commission discovered an abnormality in one of Jones’ recent drug tests and refused to license him.

Despite the late change, when Jones stepped into the Octagon, he looked like the same fighter he’s been throughout his career.

His first matchup with Gustafsson in 2013 is regarded as one of the best fights in UFC history.

Even though Jones won the first meeting by unanimous decision, Gustafsson (18-5) was able to stand toe-to-toe with the champion after he stopped five of his previous six challengers with ease.

“The fight came down to the final round,” B/R’s Jonathan Snowden wrote after the first matchup. “In the end, Gustafsson didn’t have enough left in his gas tank to take the belt from the champion. It was the furthest we’ve ever seen Jones pushed. But to his credit, he pushed back, winning the final two rounds and the fight.”

After five years and numerous legal issues on his resume, Jones had a lot to prove in this rematch. The 31-year-old answered a lot of questions about his physical state by knocking off one of the best 205-pound fighters in the world.

Now that Jones has regained the light heavyweight title, the pressure is on him to stay out of trouble and prove he can be the champion his immense fighting talent suggests he can be.