5 reasons why Nunes vs Cyborg should have headlined UFC 232 and not Jones vs Gustafsson

UFC 232 was a huge pay-per-view event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With the return of Jon Jones to the Octagon amidst immense controversy and outcry, the entire event was surrounded by a feeling of importance.

However, when the dust settled, it left a sour taste in the mouth of the average UFC fan.

Why?

Jon Jones had won the UFC Light Heavyweight Title back by outclassing Alexander Gustafsson in a fight that did not get many people talking.

When it came to the co-main event of the night though, feelings were completely different.

Amanda Nunes had knocked out Cris Cyborg in a matter of seconds to become the holder of dual championships. The manner of her victory was amazing and led people to label her as the best Women's Mixed Martial Artist in the UFC - if not the world.

With this in mind, it is worth thinking about if UFC missed out on a big opportunity at UFC 232.

In this article, we will take a look at all the reasons why Amanda Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg should have headlined the pay-per-view event instead of Jones vs. Gustafsson 2.

#1 Jon Jones and the inevitable controversy he brings

Jon Jones may be one of the best fighters to ever enter an Octagon, but looking back, it's unfortunate that his legacy is tainted. Being the best fighter does not excuse a person's actions, and it is easy to see that his actions have been far from the best in recent time.

Putting such a person at the helm of the last and possibly the biggest pay-per-view of the year sends all the wrong messages to the fans.

Given his history, putting Jones in the fight as the headliner is asking for trouble as controversy seems to follow him around. This proved to be the case yet again, but that's discussed in a point later in this article.

#2 The co-main event was a Champion vs Champion fight

It is understandable putting a Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship where there is a lack of another actual option.

When it came to UFC 232, however, this was not the case. There was another option, which can even be considered to be the obvious choice for the slot.

In the co-main event of the same night, two women were squaring off in a fight which should have been the main event by rights.

The UFC Bantamweight Champion, Amanda Nunes, was set to face the UFC Featherweight Champion, Cris Cyborg.

This was the very first Champion vs Champion fight to not headline a card. What were they displaced by?

A returning Jon Jones who had not been seen an Octagon since his last violation of PED policy, and another fighter who had not had a fight for equally as long, for a title that neither of them was even holding at the time.

Justified?

No.

#3 Nunes proved to be the more exciting fighter

Jon Jones has often proved that he is an excellent fighter in the Octagon as his fights are never boring.

The same can be said about Alexander Gustafsson, whose skills have earned him three separate title shots now.

It was expected that they would have a good fight. Jon Jones had even been the one to take out Daniel Cormier on two separate occasions, no matter how controversial both instances might have been.

However, Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg were not laypeople when it came to providing exciting action inside the Octagon. Both women had impressive records of knocking out their opponents, with only one of Cyborg's fights going the entire distance in the recent past.

That's exactly what proved to be true this time as well. While the Jones and Gustafsson fight went for three rounds, it was not the contest everyone thought it was going to be. Instead, Jones dominated Gustafsson who appeared not to be able to find his feet.

On the other hand, Amanda Nunes created headlines by knocking out Cris Cyborg in 51 seconds, in a fight which made her the very first dual Champion.

#4 Lot more at stake

While this is harsh on Gustafsson, it has to be admitted that the fight between Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg had a lot more on the line than the Jones vs Gustafsson fight.

Not only was Cris Cyborg undefeated in the UFC as well as in her career except her initial fight (a trait she shared with Jon Jones, who also had only one loss on his record, albeit not in his initial fight), but the fight was also between two champions.

When Amanda Nunes won the fight she became the first woman to be champion in two divisions simultaneously, and also, the third fighter to do this in the history of the UFC. By this achievement, she joined the ranks of Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor, as the only two others to have managed this.

Alexander Gustafsson, on the other hand, was yet to hold a title going into this fight. He has proven a title contender does not a champion make. While Jones' return was big, it was not big enough to take precedence over the incredible stakes of the Women's fight.

#5 Ruined Holiday and New Year week for many fans

If Dana White has not learnt it already, it's time he acknowledged it.

Putting Jon Jones as a headliner in an event is not always the best course of action to follow. Jones' problems with Performance Enhancing Drugs has spoilt more than one event. UFC 232 was no exception.

In the lead up to UFC 232, details emerged revealing that there were inconsistencies with his drug test yet again. While the amount was small, this was enough given his history for Nevada State Athletic Commission to not grant him the license to fight in Las Vegas.

Only a week before the fight was supposed to take place, instead of cancelling the Jones' fight and moving Nunes vs. Cyborg up to the main event, UFC proved themselves to not care about the rules or their fans, at all.

They moved the entire event to California, with the fight taking place in Los Angeles. Entire vacation plans of families in Christmas and New Year week were ruined, and the fighters suddenly had to pay the California fight tax, thereby hurting their total pay.

Putting Cyborg vs Nunes as the big fight would have prevented such a situation from coming around.