Machida vs. Gustafsson Will Likely Bore, But Needs To Happen

By Adam Martin

The toe injury to Jon Jones has once again left the UFC light heavyweight division in a state of confusion.

Jones of course injured his toe during his TKO victory over Chael Sonnen in the main event of UFC 159. Apparently, Jones got his toe stuck somewhere in the mat and, well, we all saw the grisly after-effects of it in high-definition fashion during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

With Jones presumably on the sidelines for a little bit while his toe mends, the light heavyweight division needs to keep rolling on, and the next challenger for the title has to be decided.

Right now, the next man to fight Jones will be either Alexander Gustafsson or Lyoto Machida; this we already know. But we don’t know when the fight will take place, and either Gustafsson and Machida will be very disappointed if he’s not the one fighting Jones for the belt.

That’s why, in light of the injury to Jones, the UFC has to book a fight between Gustafsson and Machida to determine once and for all the true #1 contender in the light heavyweight division.

Yes, this fight has the word “boring” written all over it. Machida is known for his elusiveness and inactivity in fights, while Gustafsson is a very long and rangy striker who likes to keep his distance. I can already see the two of them just staring at each other for three (or five) rounds while the fans in whatever arena they’re in boo.

But you know what? I’m ok with it. The UFC has been way too much about entertainment before sport this year, and I think it can afford to book a fight that might be boring if it indeed will determine who the rightful #1 contender is, because, at the end of the day, this is a sport, and they can’t just keep putting Chael Sonnen in the cage against Jones to sell more pay-per-views.

There’s no doubt that the winner of Machida vs. Gustafsson, if it happens, deserves to fight for the belt. Machida has won both of his fights — over Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson, respectively — since losing to Jones at UFC 140, while Gustafsson is 7-1 in the UFC and coming off a win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Both men are just behind Jones in the division’s ranks, and both guys make intriguing opponents for Jones, especially Gustafsson, as we haven’t see him step into the cage with the champion yet.

Machida vs. Gustafsson is definitely a co-main event worthy fight for any card, but it could also be used as the main event for the UFC’s debut on FOX Sports 1, though it might not be a good idea to put a potentially boring fight in the main event of the UFC’s first event on that new network. Either way, though, it’s a fight that absolutely has to happen with Jones out due to injury, and it’s a fight that makes a whole lot of sense rankings-wise.

And hey, who knows, maybe Machida vs. Gustafsson surprises and it produces a great knockout or something. Probably not, but hey, if Dana White tried to sell Sonnen vs. Jones with the “anything can happen” angle, then I’m sure he’ll have a way with his words in order to make Machida vs. Gustafsson sound as appetizing as possible for the fans, even though it’s more than likely going to be a candidate for snoozer of the year.