Kampen gik over alle fem runder, og Jon Jones vandt med alle tre dommerstemmer, men det var tæt: 48-47, 48-47 og 49-46. Allerede i første runde åbnede svenskeren et sår over mesterens højre øje, og Jones fremstod efter kampen som forslået, og han var da heller ikke sen til at anerkende Gustafssons indsats:
“I’ve been asking for a dogfight for a long time, and I finally got that dogfight I was looking for. Tonight was a blessing in so many ways. I got the victory, and I got to prove a lot to myself. I’m not satisfied. I’ve got to do a lot of work in the gym to improve my game. He was a tough fighter. I spent a lot of time on my boxing this camp. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Maybe I should have been like water and used more versatility, but hats off to Alexander. That was by far my toughest fight. I got to exercise my warrior spirit tonight, and that makes me happier than the win. I knew that the rounds were really tough. It’s safe to say I had some desperation. Alexander was very game, and that guy definitely has a chin on him," sagde Jon Jones efter kampen.
Efter nederlaget gav Gustafsson udtryk for, at han ønsker en rematch så hurtigt som muligt.