After one dominant champ's loss, UFC 165's Gustafsson says Jones only human

Alexander Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is a sizable underdog heading into his fight with light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who is as high as an 8-to-1 favorite to retain his belt when they meet at UFC 165 in September.

Gustafsson, though, isn’t one to be fazed by other’s expectations, and given this past weekend’s shakeup in the MMA world, he’s all the more sure that no matter what betting lines say, any fighter has a chance to buck the odds.

“We’re all human beings,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Everyone is beatable, and I’m here to prove everyone wrong, and that’s how it’s going to be.”

At the start of this year, the 26-year-old fighter still had distance to travel in the light heavyweight division’s standings. Former champs Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida both had lost title opportunities and were set to determine Jones’ next contender in a fight this past February at UFC 157. Then Machida failed to impress, and Jones demurred at a rematch with “The Dragon,” whom he’d choked unconscious less than two years ago.

Gustafsson, who’d established himself as a legitimate contender with a decision over ex-champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, took immediate benefit from that shift. He was supposed to face Gegard Mousasi in a title eliminator bout held in his native Sweden. But when a cut forced him to withdraw, his future was unclear.

Then Jones requested a bout with “The Mauler” later in April following a title defense against Chael Sonnen, and he was catapulted to the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, Mousasi was benched by an anticipated knee surgery.

The reversal of fortune didn’t come without ambivalence for Gustafsson, who said he would have done anything in his power to fight the former Strikeforce champ. But he’s here now to seize the title opportunity.

“I’m so pumped for this fight,” said Gustafsson. “I have nothing personal against Jones. He’s a professional athlete; I’m a professional athlete. This pays our rent and it’s our job, so it’s not personal at all.”

A win for Gustafsson not only would open up possibilities in the 205-pound division, where Jones has decimated available contenders, but also further upset the pound-for-pound rankings, where the champ now sits at No. 1 on most lists following Anderson Silva‘s loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 162.

Following a loss to Phil Davis in his second UFC fight, Gustafsson said he never lost focus of what he’d need to do to be the best MMA fighter in the world. He hasn’t lost since.

“I try to be better in everything all the time,” he said. “That’s the good thing about this sport. You can never fully learn; you have to train all the time.”

For the latest on UFC 165, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Alexander Gustafsson)