Heading into the championship rounds, it was difficult to say with any certainty which of the two sweat-drenched combatants was ahead on the scorecards. Gustafsson clearly won the first, landing the more damaging blows and putting Jones on the canvas ever so briefly, but the next two frames were a toss-up.
Watching in real time, it was possible to believe that the champion needed a finish in order to retain his title, yet just as equally plausible was that Jones was ahead 2-1 and heading into familiar territory, with the challenger Gustafsson set to wade into uncertain waters, as his only previous main event assignment was a three-round fight against Thiago Silva, who subbed in late for the injured Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Already a great fight after three rounds, the final 10 minutes turned the UFC 165 main event into an instant classic, which is why it was selected as a member of the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Each man knew they were locked in a close fight and came out looking to swing momentum (and the scores) into their favor to start the fourth, and it was Gustafsson who got the better of it early. He continued to deny Jones’ scattered takedown attempts and got the better of the striking exchanges, evading the counter fire by circling into space and resetting each time the champion tried to respond or connect with a combination of his own.
Heading into the final minute of the fourth round, it genuinely felt like Gustafsson was in control and that the champion, not the challenger, needed to rally, and the champion did exactly that.
With roughly 45 seconds remaining on the clock, Jones connected with a spinning back elbow that caught Gustafsson flush and put the Swede on uncertain footing, with Jones in hot pursuit. As he tried to steady himself, blood slowly started collecting in his hairline, turning his blonde locks a shade familiar to any wrestling fan that watched “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair compete in his NWA heyday, and Jones continued attacking.
Just before the horn, the champion connected with a flying knee that again caused the challenger to wobble in place, but he refused to fall and he instead staggered back to his corner, desperate to have a minute to collect his wits and prepare for the most important five minutes of his professional career.