Gustafsson on champ Jones: He's 'trying to avoid' rematch as long as possible

A winner from this month’s light-heavyweight title fight can’t come fast enough for Alexander Gustafsson.

The standout 205-pounder then gets another shot at the title that eluded him this past fall when he met current kingpin Jon Jones and was outpointed despite pushing the champ further than ever before.

Jones (19-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) headlines UFC 172 opposite Glover Teixeira (22-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a fight the champ chose over an immediate rematch with Gustafsson, a fact that isn’t lost on the No. 1 contender.

Gustafsson (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) initially hesitated when asked whether Jones was picking favorable matchups, but in an interview with MMAjunkie Radio, he said, “To fight me, it’s a really bad matchup for him. He knows that, and he’s just trying to avoid it as long as possible.”

The characteristically reserved fighter then elaborated a little more on his opinion, offering specific reasons for why he believes Jones is delaying a rematch.

“It’s not a good fight for him because I will say I’m the faster guy in my division right now, and we are about the same size,” Gustafsson said. “Everything doesn’t match well for him, at all.”

UFC 172 takes place April 26 at Maryland’s Baltimore Arena. The event’s main card, including Jones vs. Teixeira, airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Of course, some MMA observers said Gustafsson was getting favorable treatment by the UFC when he was given a fight with the unheralded Jimi Manuwa following Jones’ decision to face Teixeira in his next bout. Gustafsson certainly made it look easy this past month when he stopped Manuwa in the second round, which prompted UFC President Dana White to name him the next contender. But the 27-year-old Swede thinks it’s a different situation.

“I won the fight and I won in the second round, but Jimi is a tough competitor,” Gustafsson said. “He’s under the radar; he’s been unbeaten. So I was preparing for the best Jimi, and I was preparing for a war. Everything went well and I got the win, but still, I still think it was a tough fight because he’s a tough guy.”

Gustafsson is not above speaking his mind when motivated to do so. He corrected misconceptions about his reach prior to the first meeting with Jones and then took the mic to call for a Jones rematch after beating Manuwa.

Despite that, he said he has a respect for all the competitors in the light-heavyweight division.

Jones has defended his decision to face Teixeira, saying he wants the “meanest” contender – which may be Gustafsson or other standouts such as Daniel Cormier and Phil Davis – ahead of him if he’s able to win later this month. Looking at his resume since winning the title, it’s hard to find any trend of favoritism in the challenges he’s faced. In less than a year, he dispatched three former champs in a row when he beat Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans.

Gustafsson, however, proved to be his toughest challenge to date. When the two tangled at UFC 165, it quickly became apparent that the champ’s lanky frame wasn’t the edge it was in previous fights. Gustafsson also was able to capitalize on his natural gifts by getting inside quickly to deliver strikes, and Jones’ face wore the evidence of them by the end of the five-round bout. An exhausted Jones thanked his challenger for a tough fight and looked very relieved it was over.

Gustafsson said he isn’t wasting much energy on the champ’s decision to wait on a rematch and values competition above the politics that drive the 205-pound division. But he’s anxious to see what’s ahead.

“The division is very interesting right now,” he said. “There’s a few names out there. I’m very excited for the future, this year and next year. Let’s see what happens.”

For more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.