By just about every metric, the UFC’s debut in Sweden was a successful one. An amped-up audience crowded into the Ericsson Globe Arena—one of the more interesting-looking venues in the world—and made a relatively minor UFC show sound like a major pay-per-view event.
They were loud and passionate, and they went home happy after hometown kid Alexander Gustafsson turned in an excellent performance in his main event win over the durable Thiago Silva.
Let’s take a look at my grades for a selection of fighters from the entire event, shall we?
A+
Alexander Gustafsson: It might be too soon to say that Gustafsson is ready for a fight with Jon Jones. But if he’s not, then he’s getting close. After all, there’s a reason the Jones comparisons were coming hot and heavy from announcers Mike Goldberg and Kenny Florian.
His win over Thiago Silva was a thing of beauty. The Swede moves much quicker than just about every other light heavyweight on the planet, and he used that speed with feints to utterly confuse Silva for the majority of their main event fight. His striking was crisp, and he used odd angles with great effectiveness.
Kudos must also be given to Silva. The Brazilian continually moved forward and proved that he’s one of the toughest fighters in the division.
But Gustafsson was on a different level today, and he’s going to be on a different level against most of his opponents going forward. It’s time to move him up into the elite of the light heavyweight division and give him a top-five opponent. Personally, I’d like to see him face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
A
Brian Stann: I don’t know if this was the best performance of Stann’s career, but it was certainly up there. He got into a war with Sakara earlier and got the better of him standing, then finished with a nasty punch from the guard that put Sakara out long enough for the ref to stop the fight. It was a good stoppage.
And like the classy human being he is, Stann immediately began checking on Sakara’s condition rather than celebrate his win. What a man this Brian Stann is, folks. I’ve long opined that he’s the most marketable fighter on the UFC’s roster, at least to American fans. All he needs is a string of wins over top opponents.
B+
Brad Pickett: As he’s known to do, Pickett came out swinging against Damacio Page and put on one hell of an exciting fight. He also showed the skills that cause many to call him the most well-rounded British fighter in the game, submitting Page with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Pickett picked up his first UFC win in a memorable battle.
Reza Madadi: This man oozes charisma from every pore. He was wholly loved by the crowd in attendance at the Ericsson Glove Arena, and delivered a big win by submission in the second round. He’s intense and fun to watch, so it’ll be interesting to see how far he goes in the UFC.
B
John Maguire: Maguira got the win, but I would have given him a C here anyway—if it weren’t for his slick transition into the armbar to get the win. Maguire has some serious ground skills to go along with his two wins in the UFC.
Cyrille Diabate: In the first round of his bout against Tom DeBlass, Diabate looked like the same old fighter we’ve seen in the UFC, which is to say he looked great on the feet but utterly hapless on the ground. But that changed in the second and third, when Diabate used effective wrestling to control DeBlass and land accurate ground-and-pound. He’s still no expert, but he’s improving, and that’s something to be proud of.
James Head: The Oklahoma resident is included here mostly because he used the phrase “mess with the bull, you get the horns” after defeating Papy Abedi. Admittedly, Abedi didn’t offer much competition in the cage, but Head still did his job in winning with what was effectively a one-armed rear-naked choke.
C
Dennis Siver: Siver overcame a tough weight cut to score the win over Diego Nunes in an exciting striking battle. He wasn’t head and shoulders above Nunes, but he looked good.
Damacio Page: Page lost the fight, but he’s included here because he teamed up with Brad Pickett to put on a hell of a fight.
F
Papy Abedi: This guy simply doesn’t belong in the UFC. He offered nothing for James Head and essentially quit in a one-arm rear-naked choke. He only got this fight booking because it took place in his home country. This should be the last you see of him in the UFC.
Honorable Mention
Arianny Celeste: With Chandella Powell either suspended or fired (depending on who you talk to) and Brittney Palmer still in limbo, Arianny shouldered the huge burden of handling Octagon girl duties by herself.
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