UFC on FUEL TV 9 will be this Saturday, April 6 from Stockholm, Sweden. The narrative has changed direction. Instead of the hometown hero fighting for a title shot, we now have incredible opportunity for unproven fighters. The headlining debutantes have a rare Hollywood-esque opportunity to walk out of the shadow of obscurity into instant-contender light.
When the Swedish star, Alexander Gustafsson, pulled out of the fight with a deep gash over his eye, a late replacement was needed. The UFC tapped an unknown Swedish teammate. While this seemed improbable when this happened in the film Warrior, apparently it also happens in real life. In the main event, Gegard Mousasi will be staring across the cage at…Ilir Latifi.
Latifi is 7-2 and has never fought in a major promotion. Will he be able to pull off a Brendan Conlon or will he be fodder for the dangerous and proven Mousasi?
Mousasi has held titles in other organizations. Prior to his loss to King Mo and a pedestrian performance against Keith Jardine, he was heralded as a top-10 pound-for-pounder. Headlining a main event is his big chance to make a name for himself in the UFC universe, so Latifi can expect a true battle on his hands.
The son of an icon is either being thrown to the wolves or being given a chance to be an instant star. Ross “The Boss” Pearson will be the obstacle to overcome for Ryan Couture. Ryan debuting on a main event with a dubious 6-1 record is curious. Two of his wins were via split decisions, and one was a majority decision, so his record has been blessed by some favourable judging. Few people scored his latest controversial win over K.J. Noons for Couture.
His dad is the affable, overachieving “Captain America.” The son has a chance to forge his own legacy with his own skill set on Saturday night. Just as Papa did it, (as an underdog against Vitor Belfort), he will have to earn it the hard way.
Ross is coming off the biggest win of his life against George Sotiropoulos. Pearson is a hard-hitting, aggressive, legitimate UFC fighter. With six UFC wins, he is no can to be crushed to hype new talent. On paper, despite the rookie having the more famous name, this is a matchup that favours the veteran.
Here is a brief preview courtesy of the UFC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJeD9ycIIE&feature=player_embedded#!
Wins for either of these two underdogs will be against legitimate competition. This is truly a chance to write a Hollywood script and also an opportunity for the cruel truth of reality to put the freeze on the dreams of two aspiring stars. I hope the Stockholm Museum of Art has enough steps to properly condition Latifi. Both of these two upstarts will need all the Hollywood magic they can get.
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