Alexander Gustafsson: My reach is 81.2″

Jon “Bones” Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) is set to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against challenger Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) next Saturday, September 21, at UFC 165 live from Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.

In the buildup to the title fight, much has been made of the current champions wingspan, which is measured at 84.5 inches. Meanwhile,  the challenger, Gustafsson, has been listed as having a 76.5 inch reach.

According to “The Mauler”, you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet, as he was quick to correct his widely reported reach:

“My reach is not 76.5,” he said during a conference call in support of UFC 165, “It’s 81.2. I just wanted to mention that.”

Although Jones reach advantage will be a few inches less than everyone first assumed, Gustafsson doesn’t think it will play much of a part in their title fight:

“It’s not always about reach,” he said. “It’s about footwork. It’s about being fast, getting in and out. I’m really making sure I’ve done my homework there. I’m super motivated.”