Alexander Gustafsson’s return to the Octagon has been delayed. According to MMA Junkie, “The Mauler” has been forced out of his fight against Ovince Saint Preux, which was set to go down at UFC 282 on Dec. 10, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The reason for his withdrawal is unclear.
Gustafsson was looking to end his four-fight losing streak which dates back to 2018, losing to Jon Jones for a second time at UFC 232. He then went on to lose to Anthony Smith via submission, and then fell to Fabricio Werdum, who twisted the Swedish-born star up like a pretzel in July 2020.
More recently, “The Mauler” was knocked out by Nikita Krylov in the very first round this past July (see it here), giving him the longest losing streak of his career. Gustasson’s last win came against former Light Heavyweight champion, Glover Teixeira, in 2017.
Stepping in to fill the void will be Philipe Lins, who got back into the win column earlier this year after defeating Marcin Prachnio via unanimous decision, snapping his two-fight losing streak while getting his first win inside the Octagon. As for Saint Preux, he was last seen defeating Mauricio Rua at UFC 274 earlier this year.
UFC 282 is expected to be headlined by a 205-pound title fight as division champion, Jiri Porchazka, will defend his belt against the very man he took it from, Glover Teixeira, six months ago. In the co-main event, Jan Blachowicz will face Magomed Ankalaev is what is likely a title eliminator fight.
To see the most up-to-date UFC 282 fight card click here.