While fans are clamouring for a Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson rematch, UFC president Dana White says Jones isn’t interested.
According to White, Jones has his sights set on fighting Daniel Cormier despite the UFC’s best efforts to put together Jones-Gustafsson II in August, presumably at UFC 177 in Las Vegas.
“What we’re doing right now is trying to get [Jones] to sign the bout agreement for Gustafsson. He doesn’t want to fight Gustafsson,” White told UFC.com. “[UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta] and I have a meeting with Jones on Thursday to get him to sign the bout agreement, and he’s asking to fight Cormier instead.”
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At the UFC 173 post-fight press conference, White revealed that Gustafsson had signed a bout agreement to fight Jones and the UFC was just waiting on Jones’s response.
Gustafsson (16-2) lost a unanimous decision to Jones (20-1) in the main event of UFC 165 in Toronto last September. The bout was the toughest test of Jones’s career to date and widely regarded as the best fight of 2013.
Jones, who White explained has five fights remaining on his UFC contract, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 in April; Gustafsson bounced back from his loss to Jones by knocking out Jimi Manuwa in impressive fashion in March in London, England.
Meanwhile, Cormier (15-0) has been a force since debuting in the UFC at heavyweight last year. The two-time Olympic wrestler has gone 2-0 since dropping to the 205-pound division and is coming off a dominant submission victory over Dan Henderson at UFC 173. Many feel Cormier has what it takes to defeat Jones.
Cormier recently told Sports World News he would be willing to fight Gustafsson for an interim title if the champ continues to stall.
“If they’re putting a belt on the line, I don’t care what date it is,” Cormier said. “It was never about Jones, I just want the title. Besides, it’ll work out better for [Jones]; he won’t have to fight both of us.”
