What Could Gustafsson Have Done to Beat Jones?

[SummerStriker]

i had it 2,3,5 Jones. You could add 4 in there too, but I felt Gus did more up until getting rocked.

That's how I felt. I wouldn't give Jones 4. I felt like it really came down to round 5.

I wish the judges scored it closer.

 

[aries]

Alexander Gustafsson can beat Jon Jones. Not only can he do it, he very nearly did. What do you think he could do differently in a rematch to ensure the victory? For me, the main things would be:

Conserving energy. Gustafsson wasted a lot of energy with his excessive movement, throwing the wrong kicks and trying to wrestle too much after his initial success. Had he been fresher in the final rounds I really think he would have won the fight.

Body shots. He started using these WAY too late in the fight. Had he used them earlier, Jones would have worn down significantly more by the end of the fight. No one has gone to the body with commitment against Jones and I doubt his defense is particularly good.

Leg kicks. Jones uses the same defense almost every time he is attacked; fingers in the eyes as he backs up and circles. There isn't really the threat of a counter, so Gustafsson could take Shogun's gameplan against Machida and use it against Jones. Kick his legs out as he tries to move out of range to punish him for that defense. If he keeps using it, you keep hurting his legs. If he stops, you keep him in boxing range where he is CLEARLY uncomfortable and has poor defense.

Slipping to his left. One thing that really stuck out to me by the fourth round was that as Gustafsson tires, he only puts his weight on his right hip. As a result, he was always jabbing and slipping to that same side over and over. When Jones picked up on that, he landed a spinning elbow that very nearly led to a finish. The ability to slip both ways even (especially) when tired is absolutely vital. Gustafsson didn't have the energy to keep moving his feet, so he got caught stuck on that hip. This is a big problem that needs to be fixed.

Cross Counter: Jones relies too much on just putting his lead arm in the opponent's face. Slipping inside that and throwing a right over the top could go a long way towards knocking him out, or at least just beating him up.

What do you guys think he needs to do if they fight again?

Good analysis, I agree with all your points, he definitely expended too much energy. When he'd break away from an aggressively coming forward Jones he'd run backward but keep running even when he was well clear of danger.

That also brings me to what I think could have won him that fight, hitting off the break or more specifically reversing direction after he'd broken away and hitting Jones who invariably was wide open at that point each time in the fight. All Gus had to do was break away, JBJ follows and Gus plants his rear foot and launches a right hand straight down the pipe.

Yes slipping to his right when he was tired was terrible, and he got head kicked numerous times as a result.

Gus was firing that overhand right a lot and JBJ was aware of it and pulling away, Gus could have used that to his advantage and instead of throwing Jab, OH, could have thrown Jab, roll under left hook. He would have blasted JBJ's with that and the power would have been doubled because Jones kept pulling back in that direction.

As you mentioned Gus countered effectively with his jab off JBJ's lead but he could have easily thrown right hands over the top or down the pipe if he could slip to his left more.

Gus could win a rematch if he defends the kicks better, slips to the left more often, feints that right hand to lead him into a left and counters off the breaks.

 

[Jukai]

but in staying in jon's face; is there a good chance he would have been taken down more often, jones would have worked the clinch/body clinch and thrown or tripped gus down.

part of jones not getting the takedowns was, as you mentioned the feeler jabs; an the fact he was being careful, not staying in front of jones, not letting jones get angles and not letting jones get into a comfortable range to attempt shots/enter clinches..

your right tho; he was in kicking range and those head/body shots wore him down/scored points.. I feel jones terrible striking def and boxing was exposed; an honestly jones exposed gus's standup def (shogun did too) and his limitations as a kickboxer..

You're right, it is Jon Jones--- you do something to take away one weapon, he has thirty more. That is why I mentioned that Gus would have to get out immediately as to not stay in front of Jones as much, and who knows if Gus had the gas tank to constantly dart in and weave out like that. However, it is those head kicks that lost him the fight, that and the spinning elbows... too many times did Gus jab, connect on his jab, but stay away. I think he should have risked getting clinched. Jon Jones looks like he was having trouble getting a good grip on someone so big, it was to Gus' advantage.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

If he would have been the incumbent champion he would have won. I personally though if he had better cardio he would have no problem winning...he had a good game plan at first.

 

[Deanomeister]

imo, he shouldn't have gone for those takedown attempts later in the fight, also more body shots, but that's just what I think

 

[aries]

If he would have been the incumbent champion he would have won. I personally though if he had better cardio he would have no problem winning...he had a good game plan at first.

I don't think his cardio was the problem, he appearing gassed straight after being in trouble from that spinning elbow. He got rocked and never fully recovered his wind.

 

[Discipulus]

Odin, he's a Viking, not a Sumerian.

Erhem. That's Cimmerian. Proto-Celts and Babylonians don't mix. Though Gilgamesh would probably starch Conan.

 

[Charlitos1988]

more boxing... simple

 

[apizur**]

The spinning kicks didn't help, but the elbow is what turned the fight around. I honestly don't think the kicks were that significant. I'm sure they played a part in Gustafsson slowing down but I think there were more significant factors. They just weren't landing that cleanly or having much of an effect on Gustafsson. He definitely should have been more wary of running to his left though, you never want to risk eating those kinds of kicks.

I don't know about Gustafsson having no answer for the kicks. He countered them with punches, leg kicks and by catching several. In the first round especially he was doing well, but as he got tired he started to eat more kicks. No one else has done nearly as good a job answering Jones' kicks. With a little bit more work on that aspect of his game, I think he'd really be able to shut Jones down.

His first leg catch counter was purposeful. The others were reactionary and unsuccessful. I did not see them as significant efforts to affect who was winning the round. He was basically pulling an Overeem in round 3 on and standing where he could be repeatedly kicked, waiting for an opportunity to punch back. Coincidentally, he won two rounds on 2/3 judge's scorecards. His most successful strategy was to do what looked like "running" and not allowing Jon to get set. He was doing a great job of it while he had the gas.

Gus died in the fifth round. They said he was "playing opossum" but he had the legitimate "I'm dead" bend in the knees and waist. If you're saying it came down to the fifth... the accumulation of energy spent lost him the fifth. I'm willing to say 5 or 6 kicks from Jon Jones in the midsection played a factor.

Also, this was one of the most facially rearranging fights I've seen in a while. Jon was eating a pink donut at the end and Gus dyed his hair red.

 

[OoopsaDaisey]

I had it 49-46 Jones.

Gustafsson did well, but there was a clear winner. Most of Gus' right hands landed on the shoulder, but were scored by people. Punches to the shoulder don't do damage like kicks to the arms do. Jones' "blocked" kicks score, Gus' blocked punches don't. On top of that? Landed kicks score more than landed punches do.

Anyways, more body work probably would have given Gus the win.

I think this fight was a case of Gus being at his absolute best & Jones' not being at his. He looks a bit flabbier than normal, and pretty lethargic.

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

He had a decision until his cardio gave up on him in the championship rounds.

 

[lord k]

Gus could have kicked more using leg kicks and front kicks but i think he was avoiding throwing too many kicks for fear of getting taken down. There were a few times where he had Jones somewhat stunned and never followed up, basically he could have tried to go for the kill but for whatever reason felt it wasn't quite time.

I don't think his cardio failed him it was beaten out of him at the end of the 4th. The spinning elbow and some knees did a lot of damage.

Also Gus has always used the uppercut very well in his previous UFC fights and for whatever reason he did not thrown it that much in this fight, maybe because of Jones's height?