Jon Jones can silence his doubters by finishing Gustafsson in rematch

BT Sport 2, main card starts 3am Saturday night

The UFC's most talented - and arguably most controversial - fighter Jon Jones returns to the octagon for a rematch with Sweden's Alexander Gustafsson, which was one the greatest title fights in UFC history in 2013.

Jones won the original contest on a close decision after a five-round war, but Gustafsson came closer than anyone to beating the GOAT.

He was on top in the first few rounds - taking Jones down to the mat for the first time in his career and cutting him badly over the eye - but a spinning elbow in the fourth round rocked Gus to his core, swinging the fight in Jones's favour.

Since then Jones has been dogged by doping controversies and personal problems that have severely hampered his career. His last three fights - twice against Daniel Cormier and once against Ovince Saint Preux - Jones has won only to be later stripped of the title and banned for conduct violations and doping irregularities.

And just last week the UFC were forced to move the entire UFC 232 card from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after traces of banned substances were found in Jones’s system.

Neither of these fighters has been that active recently so it's hard to accurately predict their condition, but despite their lack of octagon time expect both to be fully prepared. Gustafsson, who many believe was robbed in the first fight, has been chasing this rematch for five years while Jones is desperate to get his career back on track and prove he is still number one.

There are plenty of experts picking Gustafsson, and at 12-5 he could be good value. He is a solid fighter with a kickboxing style and has the power to hurt anybody in the division, but several times in big fights he has just fallen short, losing back-to-back fights against Anthony Johnson and Cormier in 2015 and fighting only twice since.

While Jones's behaviour outside the octagon has been questionable, he always gets the job done inside it. He has a freakish skill set that has drawn comparisons to Bruce Lee and has a plethora of finishing moves to call upon whether on the ground or standing.

There is a sense that he still has far more to give to the sport, and if he is fully focused he can beat Gustafsson and possibly go on to be better than ever.

The sport needs Jon Jones - he has an X factor that few men on the planet possess, and knowing this is possibly his last chance to right the wrongs of the past he has the motivation to finish Gustafsson inside the distance and end the argument once and for all.

Recommendation
J Jones by KO, TKO, submission or DQ
2pts 11-10 bet365

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