Alexander Gustafsson is a man of few words.
Granted, the rangy Swedish fighter uses English as a second language, but even outside of media obligations during his rise through mixed martial arts, “The Mauler” has preferred to let his performances inside the cage do the talking for him. And with that method in mind, the former light heavyweight title challenger has made one poignant statement after another.
Even in his loss to 205-pound king Jon Jones at UFC 165, Gustafsson emerged a more recognizable star and validated contender as he took the pound-for-pound great into deeper waters than any man had before. Heading into the bout, few gave Gustafsson a chance and figured he’d be just another stepping stone in Jones’ reign of dominance, but that’s not how things would shake out. Not even close.
After a five-round war with the longest-reigning champion in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Gustafsson would suffer only his second loss in nine showings inside the Octagon that night in Toronto. He would immediately begin to campaign for another shot at Jones and the light heavyweight strap, yet, the champion declined the offer for an immediate rematch, and Gustafsson was forced to take another fight before the next championship opportunity would materialize.
The Team Alliance representative would go on to starch previously unbeaten Jimi Manuwa in his next outing, but his promised title shot would go up in proverbial smoke when former Olympian Daniel Cormier stepped into the position. This left Gustafsson as the odd man out in the picture at 205, and it meant he would have to knock off one more fellow contender before getting the opportunity to compete for championship gold.
As it would go, “Bones” bested the AKA staple on the judges’ cards, and the UFC has put the spotlight on the Swedish star’s clash with resurgent veteran Anthony Johnson to craft the next No. 1 contender. The title eliminator showdown is set to go down in the main event for UFC on Fox 14 this Saturday night, and once again Gustafsson will have the chance to let his talents do the talking under the bright lights.
Yet, with his ultimate goal lingering just beyond his upcoming tilt with “Rumble,” it would be easy for him to lose sight of what is directly in his path. That said, Gustafsson isn’t a man to be distracted by what could come to fruition, and he’s putting every bit of his focus on the heavy-handed knockout artist that will be coming across the Octagon on Saturday night.
Gustafsson plans to beat Johnson in impressive fashion, then whatever comes next comes next. If that turns out to be a rematch with Jones, he’s all in. If that doesn’t turn out to be the case, then he just added Johnson’s name to a growing resume. Either way, Gustafsson has some heavy lifting to do before he allows any thoughts of the future into his mind.
“I’m not thinking about a title shot or anything else besides fighting Anthony Johnson this weekend,” Gustafsson told Bleacher Report. “I have to go in there and be on top of my game to come out of this fight as the winner. And I will. I’ve done my homework and I’m ready to go.”
Since his return to the UFC in early 2014, Johnson has looked unstoppable. The South Florida transplant battered Phil Davis en route to the unanimous-decision victory at UFC 172, then pulverized Antonio “Lil Nog” Nogueira three months later at UFC on Fox 12. Where the bout with “Mr. Wonderful” was a showcase of his improved patience and striking skills, the blistering speed of Nogueria was a display of his brutal power as he defeated the Brazilian veteran with a highlight-reel first-round knockout.
Much like Manuwa before him, Johnson possesses incredible putaway power and presents a lot of dangers when the feet is on the feet. Gustafsson believes there are similarities between the two fighters and is confident he will defeat Johnson just as he bested the English powerhouse in their meeting back in March.
“I think they probably have similar power, but I think Jimi has better technique overall,” Gustafsson said. “He’s a more technical striker than Anthony is, but I also believe Johnson puts more pressure on you during the fight. I’m excited to get in there and see what happens.
“Johnson is a great fighter and he comes with a lot of power. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens in the fight. I know for a fact I’ve done my homework and I’m going to beat him.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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