Alexander Gustafsson Revives Title Hopes with Brutal Beatdown of Glover Teixeira

As the dust settles on a rocky few years for Alexander Gustafsson, he once again finds himself sitting pretty in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Credit some of that good fortune to the puddle-shallow nature of the 205-pound class.
Credit the rest o…

As the dust settles on a rocky few years for Alexander Gustafsson, he once again finds himself sitting pretty in the UFC light heavyweight division.

Credit some of that good fortune to the puddle-shallow nature of the 205-pound class.

Credit the rest of it to the brutal, 21-minute beatdown Gustafsson handed Glover Teixeira en route to a fifth-round TKO win Sunday at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 109.

The victory likely revives Gustafsson’s dimming title hopes, after he scuffled to 2-3 in his previous five and managed just one fight each year in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

During that stretch, it appeared he might never escape the shadow of devastating, high-profile losses to Jon Jones, Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier—including two in championship bouts.

Now, he’ll almost certainly get one more chance.

Gustafsson exits this victory running neck-and-neck with Jimi Manuwa to see who will challenge the winner of the title rematch between Cormier and Jones at UFC 214. Given the fact Gustafson already holds a second-round knockout win over Manuwa from March, 2014—not to mention The Mauler’s slightly higher profile in the UFC—it seems probable he’ll get the nod if he stays healthy.

That’s a great reversal of fortune for Gustafsson, who had talked openly about retirement following his loss to Johnson in January 2015. As recently as February, 2016, he admitted he was having a hard time staying motivated for top-level competition.

Gustafsson looked determined and sharp against Teixeira this weekend, lashing the 37-year-old Brazilian with a dizzying array of punches, kicks and elbows. Teixeira came into the fight No. 2 on the UFC’s official 205-pound rankings, but exits it looking closer to a middle-of-the-pack contender as his career starts to wind down.

Still, Teixeira made this fight a battle. He never stopped pressing forward and threw his trademark power shots until the moment Gustafsson shut his lights out with three straight uppercuts and a right hook 1:07 into the final stanza.

If this fight ultimately goes down as a turning point for Gustafsson, it will also be remembered for Teixeira’s sheer toughness.

“I hit him with bombs and he just took every shot,” Gustafsson told Fox Sports 1 UFC color commentator Dan Hardy in the cage when it was over. “… But my uppercut worked and I was working my elbows and knees. He’s a great fighter, but it was my day today.”

Gustafsson came to the fight well prepared to counter Teixeira’s hard-nosed offense, which has become a tad predictable since he lost his own title shot against Jones at UFC 172 in April, 2014.

With his 6’4″ frame and three-inch reach advantage, Gustafsson opted mostly to keep Teixeira at the end of his rangy punches and kicks. He scored early with jabs and low kicks, but his best weapon proved to be his lashing uppercut, which rocked Teixeira numerous times during the fight.

 

Gustafsson’s best highlight came with just under three minutes left in the second round, when he wobbled Teixeira using a spinning elbow and then dropped him with a pretty series of follow-up punches. Teixeira weathered it, but the exchange left him badly bloodied and he finished the bout with a possible broken nose and a right eye swelling after an accidental poke in the first round.

When Teixeira did try to close the distance and unload his wining shots, Gustafsson ducked under and sprinted back to the middle of the cage. It was a move he could get away with without suffering too many boos from his Swedish fans.

Despite this occasional refusal to engage, Gustafson continued to pepper Teixeira with shots on his own terms and the performance earned mostly rave reviews:

The impressive victory over Teixeira certainly made for a better homecoming than the one Gustafsson had in January 2015, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Johnson at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena.

That loss provided the lowest moment during Gustafsson’s recent trials, during which he still managed to keep himself in the championship conversation with victories over Manuwa and Jan Błachowicz.

Moving forward, the question will be whether he has or can improve enough to change the outcome in a rematch against either Jones or Cormier.

Gustafsson gave Jones arguably the toughest fight of his career at UFC 165 in September, 2013. In that bout, Gustafsson seemed on his way to winning the title over a listless Jones until the champion rebounded in the late round to sow up an unanimous decision.

Against Cormier at UFC 192 in October, 2015, Gustafsson faired just slightly better, when he forced a split-decision verdict but still came out on the wrong end.

For the time being, this victory sets the stage for him to at least get a shot at some hard-earned redemption.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Stockholm: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira 6th Round post-fight show

Zane Simon and Eddie Mercado recap today’s UFC card in Stockholm, Sweden. We’ll have results and breakdowns of every bout from Gus vs. Glover in the main event down to Held vs. Hadzovic in the prelims. Be sure to subscribe to MMA NATION on Y…

Zane Simon and Eddie Mercado recap today’s UFC card in Stockholm, Sweden. We’ll have results and breakdowns of every bout from Gus vs. Glover in the main event down to Held vs. Hadzovic in the prelims.

Be sure to subscribe to MMA NATION on YouTube and itunes, and check us out on SoundCloud as well.

UFC Fight Night 109 Bonuses: Main Event Awarded ‘Fight of The Night’

UFC Fight Night 109 is history and the bonuses have been revealed. Earlier today (May 28), Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira headlined the event inside Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Despite the guts and heart of Teixeira, Gustafsson’s striking was too much. “The Mauler” earned a knockout victory in the fifth round. After the event, […]

UFC Fight Night 109 is history and the bonuses have been revealed. Earlier today (May 28), Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira headlined the event inside Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Despite the guts and heart of Teixeira, Gustafsson’s striking was too much. “The Mauler” earned a knockout victory in the fifth round. After the event, […]

Video: Watch Alexander Gustafsson propose to his girlfriend after KO win in Stockholm

In what was truly a magical night for Alexander Gustafsson, the former two-time Light Heavyweight title contender capped off the evening by proposing to his girlfriend inside the Octagon following his huge win at UFC Fight Night 109 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Thankfully, she said yes, as the happy couple now get to plan their future wedding, and life together after welcoming their baby girl into the world just a few weeks ago.

As for “The Mauler’s” performance, it was absolutely extraordinary, as he schooled one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the sport on the feet, peppering Glover Teixeira at will for five rounds before scoring an amazing walk off knockout that hand fans screaming at the top of their lungs for their hometown hero.

Full video highlights here.

The win solidifies his spot at the next contender for the 205-pound strap, as he will likely face the winner of the upcoming rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, which is expected to go down at UFC 214 on July 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California.

For play-by-play coverage and full results of the Fox Sports 1-televised UFC Fight Night 109 event click here.

In what was truly a magical night for Alexander Gustafsson, the former two-time Light Heavyweight title contender capped off the evening by proposing to his girlfriend inside the Octagon following his huge win at UFC Fight Night 109 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Thankfully, she said yes, as the happy couple now get to plan their future wedding, and life together after welcoming their baby girl into the world just a few weeks ago.

As for “The Mauler’s” performance, it was absolutely extraordinary, as he schooled one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the sport on the feet, peppering Glover Teixeira at will for five rounds before scoring an amazing walk off knockout that hand fans screaming at the top of their lungs for their hometown hero.

Full video highlights here.

The win solidifies his spot at the next contender for the 205-pound strap, as he will likely face the winner of the upcoming rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, which is expected to go down at UFC 214 on July 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California.

For play-by-play coverage and full results of the Fox Sports 1-televised UFC Fight Night 109 event click here.

UFC Fight Night 109 Results: Alexander Gustafsson KOs Glover Teixeira

 
Alexander Gustafsson is back.
The UFC’s light heavyweight division has a No. 1 contender after Gustafsson finished Glover Teixeira with a fifth-round knockout following three consecutive uppercuts, topped off with a perfectly placed right hook t…

 

Alexander Gustafsson is back.

The UFC’s light heavyweight division has a No. 1 contender after Gustafsson finished Glover Teixeira with a fifth-round knockout following three consecutive uppercuts, topped off with a perfectly placed right hook to Teixeira’s jaw which sent him crashing to the canvas.

The UFC’s return to Sweden for UFC Fight Night 109 was a resounding success after Gustafsson secured the victory inside the Octagon and celebrated the win in the best way possible by proposing to his girlfriend in the center of the cage. 

There was a lot of concern whether Gustafsson would ever return his old self after some grueling wars with Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and a brutal loss to Anthony Johnson, but Gustafsson showed off his movement and footwork that made him a title contender a few years ago.

Teixeira, coming off a win over Jared Cannonier in February, ate a lot of shots, particularly Gustafsson’s trademark uppercut which landed nearly every time he threw it. After losing two of his last three fights, Teixeira will have to reevaluate his status as a top contender in the division. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Teixeira decided to step away from the Octagon after this fight with the damage he took, and at 37, the window for a title shot is closing quickly. 

With the victory, Gustafsson will surely be in line for a title shot against the winner of Jones vs. Cormier at UFC 214 on July 29. And after today’s performance, he certainly deserves it. 

 

Here’s the rest of Sunday’s main card results:

Jack Hermansson def. Alex Nicholson via first-round TKO (2:00)

Nordine Taleb def. Oliver Enkamp via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Omari Akhmedov def. Adbul Razak Alhassan via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Peter Sobotta def. Ben Saunders via second-round TKO (2:29)

Volkan Oezdemir def. Misha Cirkunov via first-round KO (0:28)

Alexander Gustafsson def. Glover Teixeira via fifth-round KO (1:07)

 

Hermansson dominates Nicholson

Jack Hermansson made quick work of Alex Nicholson, finishing the fight with time to spare in the first round due to a referee stoppage, much to the dismay of Alex Nicholson. But even though Nicholson disagreed with the stoppage, the referee’s intervention was warranted.

Hermansson didn’t waste any time taking the fight to the ground as he quickly gained side control with some solid ground-and-pound from the top which left Nicholson defending against strikes, forgetting to protect his back.

Hermansson was able to get both hooks in and appeared to go for the rear-naked choke until Nicholson began protecting his neck, allowing Hermansson to tee off.

Nicholson absorbed a multitude of elbows and punches until the referee stepped in to separate the fighters. It can be argued that Nicholson was doing a fairly solid job of protecting himself from hard strikes, but the finish was inevitable. Nicholson wasn’t going to improve his position for the rest of the first round, and he’ll look back on this fight and realize that he lost fair and square.

With the win, Hermansson improves to 2-1 inside the Octagon, while Nicholson falls to 1-3. 

 

Taleb grinds out victory 

Nordine Taleb was able to grind out the decision in a very entertaining and tightly contested fight against Oliver Enkamp. While Taleb came away with the victory after three rounds, the stock of both fighters went up as Enkamp and Taleb displayed high-level striking, ground game and heart.

Taleb marched forward in the first round as he landed a few leg kicks and got his jab going. Enkamp wasn’t disheartened, however, as he was looking to counter with regularity.

Taleb took the first round fairly comfortably, 10-9, and continued his striking showcase into the second round. Enkamp landed a nice high kick which Taleb absorbed without much distress, and he quickly went back to kicking Enkamp’s legs, taking some of the juice out of Enkamp’s offense.

Enkamp shot for the takedown, but Taleb sprawled and took control from the top, sliding into side control. From there, Taleb took over the rest of the second en route to another 10-9 score heading into the third.

With his back against the wall, Enkamp came out swinging in the third round with a barrage of high kicks and hooks, but Taleb weathered the early storm and held off an aggressive Enkamp for the victory. It was a solid debut for Enkamp, who deserves another chance to prove himself in the cage, while Taleb now stands at 5-2 in the UFC and will surely be looking for some higher-level competition from here on out.

 

Akhmedov hands Alhassan first career loss 

This was a tough matchup for Abdul Razak Alhassan heading into Sunday’s main card, and he couldn’t handle Omari Akhmedov until it was too late.

Akhmedov was able to change levels with relative ease in the opening round and countered with great success as Alhassan struggled to connect with his strikes. With the first round under his belt, Akhmedov did more of the same in the second as Alhassan, knowingly behind on the scorecards, came out with something to prove.

Despite missing early with a high kick, Alhassan looked far more comfortable with his timing as he continued to show why he was undefeated coming into the fight. Alhassan took the fight to the ground and landed strikes from top position en route to another decisive 10-9 round.

Alhassan was the better fighter in the third round, but he was too far behind on the scorecards. Only a finish would’ve given Alhassan the upper hand, and Akhmedov did his best to avoid the big shots, particularly when he forced Alhassan on his back and moved over to mount position.

Alhassan got back to his feet and fired off some nice elbows, but his energy was sapped and he didn’t put Akhmedov in any real danger.

This marks Alhassan’s first career loss in mixed martial arts after he began his career 7-0. Akhemdov improved to 5-3 and will look to take on some higher-caliber fighters the next time he steps inside the Octagon.

 

Sobotta ends Saunders’ night

A broken hand wasn’t going to stop Peter Sobotta from finishing Ben Saunders.

After dominating the first round, Sobotta continued to pick apart Saunders in the second round and avoid Saunders’ rubber guard when Sobotta was in top position. But at some point in the second round, Sobotta claimed to have broken his hand, although you would have never noticed watching the fight.

Sobotta continue to land punch after punch heading into the third, where he put together some beautiful combinations that stunned Saunders and made him back up against the cage to support himself.

A left hook in the third made Saunders think twice about trading strikes with Sobotta, but a brutal left knee from Sobotta landed squarely on Saunders’ chin, sending him to the canvas. Sobotta quickly followed Saunders to the ground and laid down some ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

The referee stoppage was necessary, regardless of what Saunders thought. With the win, Sobotta improves to 4-4 in the UFC while Saunders falls to 8-5.

  

Oezdemir knocks out Cirkunov early 

Well, that didn’t last very long now did it?

The co-main event of the evening featuring Volkan Oezdemir and Misha Cirkunov was billed as a tough, gritty fight that would show off the heart of two up-and-coming fighters in the light heavyweight division.

Unfortunately for the UFC, that did not happen.

Cirkunov marched forward and backed Oezdemir up against the cage but left himself vulnerable to a counter, which Oezdemir took advantage of with a short right hook that landed on Cirkunov’s ear within 30 seconds of the fight.

It wasn’t a very hard punch by any means, but the punch to the ear threw off Cirkunov’s balance and he crashed to the canvas in a heap, allowing Oezdemir to land a couple more strikes to secure the win.

With wins over Ovince Saint Preux and Cirkunov, it’s hard to ignore Oezdemir in the 205-pound division, as he will look for a top-five fight next. As for Cirkunov, it’s back to the drawing board after a disappointing showing.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 109 Bonuses: Main Event Is ‘Fight Of The Night’

UFC Fight Night 109 went down today (Sunday, May 28, 2017) from the Ericcson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The headliner saw top light heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira lock horns in a homecoming bout for the Swedish “Mauler”. They would each go home $50,000 richer for their Fight of the Night. Both men were […]

The post UFC Fight Night 109 Bonuses: Main Event Is ‘Fight Of The Night’ appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC Fight Night 109 went down today (Sunday, May 28, 2017) from the Ericcson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The headliner saw top light heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira lock horns in a homecoming bout for the Swedish “Mauler”. They would each go home $50,000 richer for their Fight of the Night.

Both men were bloodied inside the first two rounds. Teixeira had superior one-punch power that had Gustafsson on his heels, often forcing him to turn his back and run to get back to open space. But the Swede’s superior hand speed and boxing skill gradually took over. His right uppercut was devastating in particular. Gustafsson closed the show in the fifth and final round with three of them in quick succession. A final cross sent a dazed Teixeira crashing to the canvas.

Two surprising preliminary knockouts earned Performance of the Night. After getting controlled on the mat for the first two rounds by Bellator vet and grappling specialist Marcin Held, Damir Hadzovic brought the fight to an abrupt end with a kill-shot knee in round three. Held appeared to be executing an ill-advised Imanari roll that “The Bosnian Bomber” met with a perfect knee strike. Follow-up blows came but were ultimately unnecessary. Hadzovic pocketed an extra $50,000 for his come-from-behind win.

Later on, Bojan Velickovic battled Nico Musoke in a close back-and-forth fight before ending it suddenly at the very end of round three. Musoke pressed aggressively forward, trying to put a final stamp on the fight to seal up a decision he seemed likely to earn. A counter right hook from a retreating Velickovic took away Musoke’s equilibrium and put him on roller skates. Unable to regain solid footing, Musoke fell to his back where Velickovic met him with coffin-nail standing-to-ground punches that sealed. Possibly fighting for his UFC roster spot, Velickovic emerged $50,000 richer with his Performance of the Night.

Keep it locked to LowKickMMA for all your UFC post-fight coverage.

The post UFC Fight Night 109 Bonuses: Main Event Is ‘Fight Of The Night’ appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.