Gustafsson: Johnson hits harder than Jones
Alexander Gustafsson: “Rumble’ is a great fighter and a great person and he’s heavy-handed. So, you know, anything can happen in a fight.”
Jon Jones will next defend his light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson, and former foe of both, Alexander Gustafsson’s opinion is that Jones better be aware of the punching power Johnson brings to the Octagon:
Oh, [Johnson] hits harder than Jones, yeah,” the Swede sade matter-of-factly.
“‘Rumble,’ when he connects, you feel it. That’s what Jones has to be careful of – his power. When he comes with the pressure, he has really good pressure. He’s really dangerous as a light heavyweight.”
When it came time to make a prediction on who will win between Jones and Johnson, however, Gustafsson picked the champion. Though “The Mauler” said it was a “tough call,” he thought that the title-holder’s diversity of skills and leverage will serve him well against the heavy-handed Johnson.
“I think Jones will win the fight because he has more leverage and he has a little bit more, he mixes things up,” he explained.
“So I think he will win this fight. But that said, ‘Rumble’ is a great fighter and a great person and he’s heavy-handed. So, you know, anything can happen in a fight. You have to keep your chin down and your hands up. I’m very excited for that fight.”
