Lateral movement—not running—did it for Condit, er, I mean Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson in winning the unanimous decision over Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC on Fuel 2 in Stockholm, Sweden last night.
That and more activity in the standup striking won it for Gustafsson right in his home country, making his compatriots loud and proud.
I can almost hear the Swede fighter’s trainer preach that “hitting a lot and not getting hit … sounds like a good idea.”
They both tried to go for the finish and not towards the 15-minute finish line, but they were too good to collapse along the track.
They proved that they were sturdier than the vast majority of their previous opponents who ended flaccid, like clocks in a Salvador Dali painting, before a round timed out.
It was only Gustafsson’s second decision win in his 14-1 record, with 12 all coming by the shorter route. This proves that Silva is made of stronger stuff than Vladimir Matyushenko and Matt Hamill, the Swede’s previous victims inside the Octagon.
Likewise, Silva is a known finisher with 13 abbreviated fights in his 14-3 and 1 no contest MMA career. Well, Gustafsson drinks more coffee than Keith Jardine or Houston Alexander.
Anyway, it’s really an insult to both fighters to assume that they’d get knocked out cold by the other, in spite of their feared KO power.
Silva was resilient enough to get only knocked down and not out by the Swede. And Gustafsson could only be shaken but not fallen by a couple of hard overhand rights by the Brazilian.
Gustafsson’s masterful use of the lateral movement in circling Silva, in landing more strikes and getting out of harm’s way, was undoubtedly instrumental in The Mauler’s win.
Only those afflicted with Alypius’ addiction to blood in the Roman gladiatorial arenas could complain on the Swede’s success last night.
Alypius, who according to his friend Saint Augustine’s Confessions, “was wounded more deeply in his soul than the man whom he desired to look at was wounded in his body.”
Nitpicking on the Swede’s height and mere 1.5-inch reach advantage? Blame God or Mother Nature anytime.
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