Jones vs. Teixeira bout confirmed
The rematch of one of the best-ever UFC title bouts will have to wait. UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones will bypass a rematch for now in order to fight No. 1 contender Glover Teixeira, according to a report from ESPN, citing UFC president Dana White.
Jones, who was just cleared of any significant foot injury after visiting a specialist, is likely to make his next defense on Feb. 1, the eve of Super Bowl XLVIII, in Newark, New Jersey.
His UFC 165 decision win over Alexander Gustafsson marked a record sixth light-heavyweight championship defense.
While Jones (19-1) won unanimously on the judges’ scorecards, the fight was close enough to warrant some controversy. The champion told FOX Sports 1’s UFC Tonight on Wednesday that while he originally felt Gustafsson deserved an immediate rematch, upon watching multiple replays of the bout, he felt he won decisively enough to move on to a different opponent.
Jones says since he feels that he decisively won the fight and isn't sure if @AlexTheMauler should get an immediate rematch.
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) September 25, 2013
"I'm going to fight Glover and I will answer all the critics about the Gustafsson fight,” Jones said in a statement. “I will fight Gustafsson after I fight Glover. I won the fight but I look at it as a blemish on my record because some people think I didn't. I promise you, he will be next."
The 33-year-old Teixeira will take a 22-2 record and a 20-fight win streak into the bout. He’s a perfect 5-0 in the UFC and last defeated Ryan Bader via technical knockout.
