Anthony Johnson went on record saying he would like to see Daniel Cormier dethrone current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, when the two tango in the main event of UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada (details).
A sentiment shared by Alexander Gustafsson.
Well, sort of.
During a recent guest spot on The MMA Hour, Gustafsson said he'd like to see "DC" dethrone "Bones" just for the sake of shaking up the 205-pound division. Deep down, however, "The Mauler" wants Jones to win because at the end of the day, he wants the chance to take the title away from Jones, not Cormier.
He explains:
"Well, I think 'DC' is a great athlete and a great person, so, like I said, it would be great to see him win because it would mix things up and he's a great fighter. But at the same time, it's personal and I want Jones to win because I want to fight him and If I take the belt away from anyone, I want it to be from Jones and not 'DC'."
Of course, big Gus has his plate full before he gets another crack at the title, as he is set to take on the aforementioned Johnson at the UFC on FOX 14 card in Stockholm, Sweden, which takes place on Jan. 24, 2015.
And while Gustafsson revealed that it hasn't been 100-percent confirmed to him by anyone from UFC that the winner will get a crack at the title, that seems to be the direction the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is heading.
If Gustafsson does manage to get through Johnson, who would give him the least resistance in a five-round title fight, Jones or Cormier?