UFC 165: Gustafsson Pushes Jones to the Brink
Jon Jones kept his UFC light heavyweight championship after a demanding five-round fight with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165. The September 21, 2013 event at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre ended with a unanimous decision for Jones, following a main event that became a major chapter in both fighters’ careers.
The challenger makes Jones work
Gustafsson forced the champion into an extended contest rather than a quick defense. Jones completed the distance and retained the belt, but the challenger’s performance ensured that the story extended beyond the announcement of the winner. Their first meeting established a rivalry built around a highly competitive championship fight.
The other title bout ended much earlier. Renan Barão retained the interim bantamweight championship by stopping Eddie Wineland thirty-five seconds into the second round. His finish gave the event two different championship conclusions: one decided by strikes, the other by the scorecards.
Barão finishes his title defense
Brendan Schaub submitted Matt Mitrione in the first round of their heavyweight contest. Stephen Thompson stopped Chris Clements in the second round, and Mitch Gagnon submitted Dustin Kimura in the opening round. These results kept the supporting card moving through a mixture of striking and grappling finishes.
John Makdessi also earned a first-round stoppage, while Michel Prazeres and Alex Caceres won split decisions in their respective bouts. Yet the night’s enduring centerpiece remained the light heavyweight main event. Jones left Toronto with his championship intact, while Gustafsson had delivered a challenge that made the successful defense unusually hard-earned.
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UFC 165, UFC history, MMA
