While UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is scheduled to make his title defense against Daniel Cormier on Jan. 3, the contenders in the division have to set themselves apart from one another to determine who's next to fight for the championship. But the question of "Who's next?" might already have an answer.
Former top contender Alexander Gustafsson said that he's received a guarantee from the UFC that he will face the winner of Jones vs. Cormier. Making an announcement on his Facebook page, Gustafsson also hinted at the possibility of the fight taking place in his native Sweden.
Gustafsson said it was UFC co-owner and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta who made the promise to him. Still, he said he'd be willing to accept another fight while he waits.
There is a question as to what would happen if Jones loses to Cormier, because the UFC has the tendency to grant immediate rematches to a champion who loses his belt after a long reign. It would be expected that Jones would be given a rematch if he loses, but Gustafsson seems steadfast in his belief that he'll get the next title shot no matter who the winner is.
Gustafsson was originally supposed to have a rematch with Jones in September at UFC 178, but a torn meniscus forced him to withdraw and allowed Cormier to step in. Jones then tore his own meniscus earlier this month and his fight with Cormier was moved to UFC 182.
Gustafsson was initially upset with the UFC's decision to keep the Jones vs. Cormier fight rather than reinsert him into the originally planned rematch, but it seems that is no longer an issue.
If Gustafsson were to take a fight in the meantime the most logical opponent would be fast-rising contender Anthony Johnson, who called him out earlier this month. If he chooses to sit out and await the winner, it would likely be over a year away from the octagon as his last fight was a TKO win in March against Jimi Manuwa.
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