Thousands dressed in yellow and blue entered the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday night to witness their favorite son, Alexander Gustafsson, clear the final hurdle on his way to a rematch with UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
Standing across from him was Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, a reincarnated beast on a blood-soaked path of redemption.
All of the blue and yellow confetti in the world would mean absolutely nothing if Gustafsson failed this final test and missed out on a second dance with Jones. As for Johnson, it was his grand opportunity to title-bomb one of the most anticipated championship rematches in UFC history.
Under the brightest of television spotlights at UFC on Fox 14, Johnson handled business and reminded MMA fans why he’s the biggest threat to Jones’ belt.
You could hear a pen drop as Johnson blasted Gustafsson in the first round at 2:15 for a shocking TKO stoppage.
“I feel bad because [Gustafsson’s] crying,” Johnson told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. “I’m an emotional guy, he’s an emotional guy. Hope you guys enjoyed the show.”
In the words of UFC President Dana White, Johnson is a scary man.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
While this fight hardly counts as an upset, it surely feels like one, especially considering the amount of hype surrounding Gustafsson coming in. Johnson rained on the blue and yellow parade and played spoiler to a blockbuster rematch.
Johnson entered the fight as public enemy No. 1 and eviscerated the only man to make Jones look human in just over two minutes. Referee Mark Goddard also gets an honorable mention here for giving Gustafsson every chance in the world to recover.
What We Learned About Alexander Gustafsson
Gustafsson was christened as the chosen one, but after dropping his third fight in the UFC, he is forced to take a few steps back in line. There aren’t any excuses for the Swede getting trounced in front of his home crowd.
He chose to play with fire against a dangerous knockout artist and got burned.
What We Learned About Anthony Johnson
After snuffing out Gustafsson on foreign soil, Johnson now looks toward a showdown with the UFC’s polarizing prodigal son. For years, the MMA world has waited for the Joe Frazier to Jones’ Muhammad Ali.
Johnson just may be that guy.
What’s Next for Alexander Gustafsson
Gustafsson is still one of the best light heavyweights in the world. Unfortunately, he just ran into a buzz saw in “Rumble.” Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans or Glover Teixeira make sense as comeback opponents.
What’s Next for Anthony Johnson
The road map is clear for Johnson, who now moves on to challenge Jones for the light heavyweight title.
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