With Jon Jones Injured, Lyoto Machida Calls for Title Elimination Fight with Alexander Gustafsson

Everybody wants to fight Alexander Gustafsson… or so it seems.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, shortly after his victory over Chael Sonnen on Saturday night, said that he would like to fight the lanky Swede. And now, so does No. 1 contender Lyoto Machida.

Although Machida is considered next in line in the UFC’s 205-pound division, Jones has already defeated him, so says he’d rather fight Gustafsson next.

“I’ve fought Lyoto Machida before, and I fight for the love of the sport,” said Jones. “I fight for the people that support me, but I also fight to prove critics wrong.

“A lot of people believe that I have been successful because I appear to be larger than my opponents. And with Alexander Gustafsson that would be no more. So fighting Alexander Gustafsson, a guy who is six-feet-six or six-five, pretty long arms himself, long legs; I think that would be a great thing and that’s who I’d love to fight next.”

Jones, however, suffered a broken toe on Saturday night that should keep him sidelined for the next couple of months. Both Machida and Gustafsson are in the right time frame for their next fights, so putting the two together would make sense, a concept not lost on Machida.

“I would like to fight before the title, maybe, because I don’t want to wait for long time. I need to fight,” said Machida in an interview for Fuel TV.

“I’m interested in this (Gustafsson) fight because now I think is a good idea to put Gustafsson against me. He’s a No. 2 contender; I’m a No. 1 contender.”

Machida believes it only makes sense to put the two together with the winner getting the next shot at Jones, once the champ returns from his injury. And the former light heavyweight champion is ready to go.

“(I’m ready to fight) as soon as possible.”