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UFC on Fox 14 main event will yield Jon Jones’ next opponent

Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson build on eventful light heavyweight month

UFC News Conference At Smith Center

Steve Marcus

UFC light heavyweight fighters Alexander Gustafsson, left, and Anthony Johnson pose during a UFC news conference at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts Monday, Nov. 17, 2014. UFC president Dana White, center, looks on.

UFC on Fox 14 full card

  • Light heavyweight bout: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson
  • Middleweight bout: Dan Henderson vs. Gegard Mousasi
  • Light heavyweight bout: Phil Davis vs. Ryan Bader
  • Featherweight bout: Akira Corassani vs. Sam Sicilia
  • Welterweight bout: Nico Musoke vs. Albert Tumenov
  • Welterweight bout: Kenny Robertson vs. Sultan Aliev
  • Featherweight bout: Andy Ogle vs. Makwan Amirkhani
  • Light heavyweight bout: Nikita Krylov vs. Stainslav Nedkov
  • Lightweight bout: Mairbek Taisumov vs. Anthony Christodoulou
  • Featherweight bout: Mirsad Bektic vs. Paul Redmond
  • Heavyweight bout: Viktor Pesta vs. Konstantin Erokhin
  • Flyweight bout: Neil Seery vs. Chris Beal
  • Main card airs on Fox at 5 p.m. following preliminary card on Fox Sports 1 at 2 p.m. with first two fights streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Interest in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, for better or worse, has arguably reached an all-time high.

The UFC 182 grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier stoked the flames of attention, with the card reportedly tallying more than 800,000 pay-per-view buys for the promotion’s best-selling event in more than a year. News of Jones’ positive test for cocaine sustained the fire, with the polarizing champion’s misstep keeping his name in the news.

Saturday’s UFC on Fox 14 should extend the blaze as the two men behind Jones in the division’s ladder, Alexander Gustafsson (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Anthony Johnson (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), fight in Stockholm, Sweden.

“I think it’s a great fight stylistically, a phenomenal matchup,” Jones said at a press conference before UFC 182. “I do think Alexander may have a little more versatile skillset but Anthony Johnson has the knockout power to finish anybody.”

There’s a reason no one protested Jones’ dismissal of a move to heavyweight after he defeated Cormier by unanimous decision. The 27-year-old has work left to do at light heavyweight.

The exact task will assign itself this weekend at the UFC’s second-ever stadium show. The 30,000-capacity Tele2 Arena is an appropriate venue to extract Jones’ next challenger with the increased awareness on the weight class.

It’s no secret which of the two potential matchups would be more likely to continue spreading the 205-pound class’ popularity. Some preferred Jones entering a rematch with the 28-year-old Gustafsson, who tested the champion more than anyone else during his reign, over facing Cormier all along.

“I don’t think Gustafsson’s stock ever dropped,” UFC President Dana White said. “I think his stock has been up there and people have been waiting a long time to see that fight.”

Jon Jones addresses positive cocaine test

The assumption was that Jones’ drug-test flub would lengthen the wait. But with Jones spending just one day in rehab — he said the doctors and counselors told him he didn’t need further treatment in his only interview since the incident — he could be back on track to fight as early as a few months from now.

That likely relieves Gustafsson, who’s grown tired of the delays.

Jones lobbied against an immediate rematch with Gustafsson after their five-round war that went down as the best fight in UFC history in September 2013, ultimately getting his way and meeting Glover Teixeira in his next bout. After more hesitating from Jones, a second fight was eventually booked but Gustafsson suffered a knee injury that gave way to Cormier.

Gustafsson has gone after Jones throughout the whole ordeal on social media, frustrated with his lack of another chance.

“In my mind, I won the fight but it went to the judges and I lost,” Gustafsson said on Fox’s “Road to the Octagon” show. “I’ve accepted it now but it’s been tough. I’m an athlete. I do this because I want to be the best so it’s nothing I’m happy or proud about.”

Jones and Johnson don’t have a history, and therefore less tension, though some could be bubbling under the surface. Jones referenced Johnson’s troubles with conditioning in the past when breaking down UFC on Fox 14, which didn’t sit well with “Rumble.”

The 30-year-old is on an eight-fight winning streak, including two in a row since rejoining the UFC after the promotion cut him for weight issues. Johnson said he was more professional in every aspect nowadays, including his preparation.

“Everyone says the same thing,” he rolled his eyes. “Everyone talks about my cardio, but when was the last time they saw that? My cardio is the best it’s ever been.”

Johnson is hungry to get to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts nearly eight years after his UFC debut. Gustafsson wants to return after a short taste at UFC 165.

In the middle of an inferno he created, Jones is waiting for them.

“These two monsters are going to fight, we’re going to see what happens and go from there,” White said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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