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Top-ranked light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson destroyed Glover Teixeira in the UFC Fight Night 109 main event last weekend in Sweden. Following the fight, Gustafsson spoke harshly about former champ Jon “Bones” Jones, who has an upcoming title shot against Daniel Cormier on July 29 at UFC 214. Gustafsson said despite Jones’s stellar record and performances in the cage, he’s not a champion or a good person.

“I don’t like him,” Gustafsson said. “I give him that he’s the best fighter of all-time, the best pound-for-pound fighter of our division — of course, everybody knows that. He hasn’t even lost a fight yet, he demolishes everyone he fights. But as a person, as a champion, he’s not a champion, in my eyes. He’s not a good person, in my eyes.

“That’s why I always tell the guys, ‘I hope that DC [Daniel Cormier] wins, because I like the guy, he’s a worthy champion. So that’s what I mean when I say that he’s the biggest enemy of all-time.”

Once Jones got word of what Gustafsson said, he fired off several shots on Twitter at the Swede saying it wasn’t his lack of cardio but his lack of heart that cost him the title in the past. Jones also questioned when did all these fighters become so righteous.

Is there a right and wrong to this argument between Jones and Gustafsson? I would suggest there is not and it’s a good idea to remain judgment free on these types of things. No one knows what it’s like to walk in another man’s shoes. But as Jones points out, strength is found in adversity and the former champ has certainly had his fair share, even if from the outside much of it may seem self-imposed. Addiction is a real thing and can create plenty of negative circumstances for the addict and those around him, even his UFC business partners. But this IS the fight game, and there’s no judgments in the cage. Preconceptions and beliefs and all that shit gets thrown out the window when the bell rings. It’s where truth is found. And Jon Jones has been the truest champion we’ve seen yet, and if he captures the title from Cormier at UFC 214, mark it down, he’s a champion through and through.

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