The Octagon will be in Scandinavia for the first time this spring.
On Wednesday the UFC confirmed the previously rumored date of April 14 for its Scandinavian debut, with a show set for the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. That event is expected to air on Fuel TV in the United States.
There’s no word yet on who the headliners will be for that fight, but it will be shocking if Alexander Gustafsson isn’t on the card. The Swedish Gustafsson is one of the best young light heavyweights in the world, and he’s coming off the best performance of his career, a first-round TKO victory over Vladimir Matyushenko.
Showcasing Gustafsson for the local fans will be a no-brainer, and the only question is who Gustafsson will face: He’s ready for a step up in quality of competition, although a Top 10 opponent might be a little more than he’s ready for yet.
The Danish Martin Kampmann would also seem to be a good fit for a card in Scandinavia, although he currently has a fight scheduled with Thiago Alves in March.
Sweden has a growing local MMA scene, and the UFC has been eager to capitalize on that. Sweden will become the 10th country to host a UFC event, following the United States, Japan, Brazil, England, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.