Jones vs Gustafsson was one of the most exciting fights of both their careers, one of the most exciting Light Heavyweight title bouts and one of the most exciting fights in UFC's recent history. Gustafsson brought the fight to the champ like no one else ever has. Jones retains his title in a close and somewhat controversial fashion. Recipe for a perfect high-selling rematch? You'd think so, but no.
This isn't the first time Jones has pushed through pressure from the company to do what he thinks is best for his career. He stated that he'd like to fight #1 contender Texeira and then have the rematch with Gustafsson. Although history has shown that delaying rematches is a bad idea, I like that he's going for the title defense record.
So, in the past, Dana White has blamed Jones for doing his own thing. The company even made a card so weak (UFC 151) that the entire event was canceled when Jones refused to defend his belt on short notice. White responded with an anti-Jones media campaign, which didn't make much sense. Shitting on your own fighter because you booked a bad event?
So I understand that fans are upset that the Gustafsson rematch isn't happening just yet. I get that. What confuses me is why fans never seem to agree on their opinion of Dana White's role in the fighters' careers. On the one hand, fans get furious when Dana involves himself too much and forces rematches on fighters. On the other hand, they get upset when he steps back and lets the fighters decide who they'd like to fight next. Not sure what people want here.
Personally, I like seeing fighters take control over their careers. It's the company's job to build a stage for these athletes to showcase themselves. I understand that this rematch is an easy money maker that the UFC kind of needs right now, but those are the perks of being the champ.
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