In last night’s (Sept. 21, 2013) UFC 165 main event, the Light Heavyweight title match between Champion Jon Jones and challenger Alexander Gustafsson saw Jones challenged for the first time. Despite a general consensus that Jones had done enough to win, there was some tension as the scorecards were read, as most assessments of the match had the bout even at 2-2 after four rounds. Jones managed to hurt Gustafsson with a spinning elbow at the end of the 4th, setting the tone for him to pick up the win. What Gustafsson was able to do is utilize his size and reach and a lot of motion to both avoid Jones’ vaunted takedowns, and generally stay out of range of his lethal striking attack. When he did get hit, Gustafsson displayed a great chin, as Jones found his range and landed with kicks and elbows with growing frequency as the fight went on. Gustafsson also showed that over a long fight, Jones elbows and knees are his go-to weapons, and he also showed that Jones actual hands and boxing are not as good. Jones was cut early on, his face was bruised and swelled up, which let you know that Gustafsson had landed a solid amount of shots. Early in the fight, it was even Gustafsson who scored the most definitive takedown, turning Jones’ aggression against him and winding up on top briefly. The bottom line is that for the first time, Jones was not able to dictate where the fight was going to take place. Gustafsson was determined to keep the distance he wanted (heck, he was even flat out running to stay out of Jones’ grasp at one point). Many people had commented prior to the fight that they wanted to see Jones tested. At the end of the day, Jones was in a hard fight and he WAS tested, but he did answer those tests by coming out on top. Despite a brutal fight, Jones did one of the most lucid and succinct post fight interviews in memory, showing the mind of a champion, he was clearly still there. Next up for Jones will be a much needed rest, as he was reportedly taken to a local hospital for observation. After that, he will likely get Glover Teixeira, who was Octagon-side observing. Teixeira had to like what he saw. After Teixeira’s last fight, when he took out Ryan Bader after almost getting taken out himself, Champion Jon Jones appeared to dismiss him. Teixeira has to like what he saw of Jones this fight, as Jones proved hittable, and Teixeira packs some explosion in his punches. Gustafsson is already asking for a rematch, as he has to feel that the match was in his grasp. He will likely get it, however a match before that would keep Gustafsson busy. Gustafsson is going to need a rest as well, but at 26, he will be ready to get back in the Octagon soon. Perhaps a previously scheduled bout against Gegard Mousasi could be put back on the table. As everyone knows, Gustafsson was a massive underdog for this fight. One indirect result of the fight might be that the line for Teixeira-Jones might be a little closer than the astronomical lines that we have been seeing for Jones. We shall see. Check out the highlights from last night’s main event below: