Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson rematch hard to ignore after UFC 165

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

TORONTO – You’d think that 25 minutes worth of grueling, bloody combat would be enough.

Judging by the immediate reaction after UFC 165's main event in Toronto, you’d be wrong.

UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones (19-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) retained his title via unanimous decision after a hard-fought battle. But when it was over, he headed straight for the hospital. Challenger Alexander Gustafsson (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) joined him soon after, leaving news reporters and UFC President Dana White to repeat one word to each other over and over at the post-fight news conference: rematch.

“I would like to do the rematch,” a non-committal White said. “It makes sense. I like it.”

Whether the fighters feel the same way remains to be seen.

What was supposed to be another title-fight showcase for the heavily favored champion quickly turned into a dogfight once it became clear Gustafsson hadn’t come all the way from Sweden just to add himself to Jones’ lengthy highlight reel. The challenger bloodied and battered the champion in the early rounds, only to face a late rally that saw him struggle to survive the final two frames.

By the time the judges’ scores were read aloud in the Air Canada Centre, the crowd and cageside media seemed evenly split on which fighter deserved the victory. In MMA, that often means it’s only a matter of time before they do it again.

The trouble is, after such a vicious fight, time is one thing both fighters will likely need plenty of.

Gustafsson was seen limping down the arena stairs on his way out of the building early Sunday, while Jones was reportedly carried out on a stretcher. Both were released from the hospital without serious injuries, according to UFC officials, but both will also likely sport souvenirs from their battle on their faces for weeks to come.

“When you see two guys get busted up like they did tonight, they don’t even want to talk about fighting for a few weeks,” White said after the pay-per-view event.

But once they can stomach that talk, the rematch conversation will be hard to avoid. Not only was this the most competitive bout of Jones’ career, it’s also a leading candidate for “Fight of the Year.” You’d have to go back a long way to find a more thrilling UFC title fight, which means the pressure will almost certainly be on to book it again and rake in the pay-per-view revenue.

After such a surprising performance from Gustafsson, how can fans not wonder whether it was a fluke or whether he might do even better the second time? Jones might have added fuel to that fire by tweeting after the fight that he felt “a little off (his) game.”

Don’t be surprised if he gets the chance to prove it in the not-too-distant future.

If a second meeting turns out anything like the first, it might be wise to reserve the hospital beds now.

For complete coverage of UFC 165, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones)