Being on the outside looking in doesn't sit well with light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson. He wants a title rematch with Jon Jones sooner rather than later.
But there is one major obstacle in Gustafsson's way: hard-hitting wrestler Daniel Cormier. The undefeated, former top heavyweight contender isn't stepping aside for Gustafsson and UFC prefers it that way.
At the core of Gustafsson's anger is the promise of a title rematch that was set for UFC 178. But Gustafsson was forced to pull out of that fight after suffering a torn meniscus. That opened the door for Cormier to face Jones in the Sept. 27 main event.
The moment Cormier stepped in to replace Gustafsson the long-standing dislike between him and Jones reached the boiling point. The two exchanged verbal jabs on social media before getting into a physical altercation on Aug. 4 at a pre-fight promotional stop in Las Vegas.
While Jones and Cormier were criticized for the brief fisticuffs, interest in their upcoming title bout immediately expanded beyond average MMA fans. Jones-Cormier is now a must-see event -- attracting attention from the most casual of MMA observers.
But just as the excitement of seeing Jones and Cormier settle their feud reached unexpected heights, the champ suffered an injury that placed the bout on hold. Rather than meet next month, Cormier will get his shot on Jan. 3 at UFC 182.
"@BigEPerez: Hey @dc_mma Idk if u heard but @AlexTheMauler wants your spot 4 #ufc182." No chance
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) August 13, 2014
With interest in Jones-Cormier reaching a fever pitch, UFC officials immediately announced that Gustafsson must still wait for the outcome of that fight before getting another title opportunity.
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