Nearly a decade ago, Alexander Gustafsson worked his way up to a position as one of the world’s most popular martial artists.
Tonight we will see if the “hitter” can stay the same.
A victory over Nikita Krylov at UFC Fight Night 208 in London means everything to Alex, but it will also be very important for Swedish MMA.
For Gustafsson, it’s all about the motivation to be able to make another last attempt for the world light heavyweight title, which he was twice as close to.
MMA in Sweden needs Mauler for a few more years. Even if more and more ordinary people saw him as a loser than a winner he had the potential to become, he is still a big name for the Swedish public. Name Wanted Now that the UFC may be planning to organize a fight night already this fall in Sweden. Alex has already promised that he will stand in case there is a party in Sweden.
It’s also possible that he walked Gustafson’s path
Khamzat Chimaev is a world class fighter and could be quite the dominant Octagon for many years to come, but he is still nowhere near as popular as Alexander Gustafsson.
When Alex lost to Jon Jones in Toronto on September 21, 2013 in what is still often referred to as the best light heavyweight match ever, it was a decision that would have been in Gustafson’s favour.
The sport of MMA, which at the time felt completely new in Sweden, gained a Swedish world star with cult status and much attention. The UFC on January 14 24/25, 2015 attracted about 30,000 spectators to the Tele2 Arena despite the main fight between Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson that started at 3 AM. Ticket revenue ended up being over SEK 30 million and with Alexander Gustafsson withdrawn, the UFC saw Sweden as an important market for the sport’s continued evolution toward the global success story it is today.
been up and down
Until Chimaev’s success in the UFC began two years ago, despite the rapid growth of MMA, no specific heir to Mauler emerged. Glade “The Joker” Jack Hermansson, who is a key match in tonight’s gala at the O2 Arena, could claim two wins away from the title match if he first beats unseeded Chris Curtis, who replaced injured star Darren. Even as a middleweight competitor.
Hermansson’s Oslo-based career has had a bit of an ups and downs with some surprisingly heavy losses. When it fits Jack, he’s a staunch opponent of anyone in the business, but he hasn’t become a well-established mass attraction as the big shows are built around him.
So what should we expect from Alexander Gustafsson tonight? He came into the match with three consecutive losses behind him.
Debuting in Los Angeles on December 29, 2018 in an incredibly impressive comeback against Jon Jones. After two very close title fights against Jones and Daniel Cormier (in Houston 2015), in which Alex may also have earned the judges’ votes, Alex is now unlucky after hitting an early knee that caused terrible thigh pain.
It’s win or lose
Unprovoked, then lost in Stockholm on 1 June 2019 against Anthony Smith. After the match, Alexander announced that it was the end of his career but the desire returned so it was the comeback of the heavyweight against former champion Fabricio Werdum in Abu Dhabi. It was a quick loss as The Mauler ended up in an arm he couldn’t get out of.
Tonight Alexander Gustafsson is back in the “correct” lightweight class in what could be considered another restart against an experienced but relatively modest opponent in the same position as Alex. The Russian has two losses in a row, so it’s probably a win or a loss for both.