Alexander Gustafsson has earned his second shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship with his second-round TKO victory over Jimi Manuwa.
He took Manuwa down in the first round and immediately started looking for a submission, but the Brit showcase…
Alexander Gustafsson has earned his second shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship with his second-round TKO victory over JimiManuwa.
He took Manuwa down in the first round and immediately started looking for a submission, but the Brit showcased solid defensive grappling. It was a clear round for Gustafsson, but Manuwa showed he can hold his own on the mat.
The former title challenger proved why he is the No. 1-ranked contender in the second frame. He blasted Manuwa in the face with a knee and followed up with a barrage of punches. The referee was forced to stop the action.
Manuwa, ranked No. 11, will go back to the drawing board after getting brutalized by the guy at the top of the food chain. The fight was a great opportunity, but he was not able to capitalize. If nothing else, this provided Manuwa with a great learning experience.
The focus will now switch to Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira. Just whom will Gustafsson face?
After such a performance, one can imagine how the world of social media responded. Let’s take a look at Twitter’s reaction to UFC Fight Night 37’s main event.
Pre-Fight
Round 1
After a short time on the feet, Gustafsson scored a takedown. He searched for a Kimura lock but was unable to get Manuwa‘s arm. The Brit battled out of it and managed to stand to finish the round. It was a clear 10-9 for the No. 1-ranked light heavyweight.
Round 2
One minute, 18 seconds into the second frame, and it was over. Gustafsson landed a strong knee with Manuwa against the fence and pelted him with punches until the referee intervened. A jubilant Gustafsson celebrated the all-important victory.
Alexander Gustafsson dismantled Jimi Manuwa in the UFC Fight Night 37 main event Saturday evening inside London’s 02 Arena.
The No. 1-ranked light heavyweight in the world, Gustafsson spent the majority of Round 1 in top control, peppering away w…
Alexander Gustafsson dismantled Jimi Manuwa in the UFC Fight Night 37 main event Saturday evening inside London’s 02 Arena.
The No. 1-ranked light heavyweight in the world, Gustafsson spent the majority of Round 1 in top control, peppering away with some ground-and-pound and controlling the action from his advantageous position.
In Round 2, however, fans got a taste of the stand-up war that was so hotly anticipated coming into this bout.
After an eye poke halted the action and left Manuwa rubbing at an agitated socket, the referee set the pieces back in motion, and Gustafsson seized his opportunity to pounce.
In the clinch against the cage, Gustafsson crushed Manuwa with a hard knee that snapped his foe’s head around “Exorcist” style, and the Swede proceeded to connect with vicious uppercuts that dropped the Englishman.
From there, Gustafsson landed two hard hammerfists on the ground, and the bout was sealed.
“The Mauler” scored a signature victory, leaving only destruction in his wake.
What We’ll Remember about This Fight
Gustafsson controlled the grappling portion of this fight, and he knocked out the previously undefeated (and relatively untouched) Manuwa in the process.
The win was flawless.
We were reminded just how scary Gustafsson can be inside the Octagon, and he cemented his claim for another title shot with his efforts.
What We Learned about Gustafsson
Gustafsson can still wreck his foes on the feet.
Coming into this fight, many felt that Gustafsson’s improved grappling would pave his path toward victory over Manuwa, but the former title challenger instead used his ferocious stand-up attack to earn the win.
Gustafsson still hits really, really hard, and that’s still his go-to plan of action. Combined with his improving grappling, Gustafsson’s skill set is getting scarier each time he steps into the cage.
What We Learned about Manuwa
Manuwa is not ready for the big time just yet.
Against Gustafsson in the night’s main event, Manuwa found himself far removed from the Cyrille Diabates and Ryan Jimmos of his past.
While Manuwa, 34, was undefeated before taking on Gustafsson, he had never tasted anybody of a truly elite caliber, and he suffered mightily as he sampled his first spoonful of the UFC’s top five inside the division.
Manuwa actually looked better on the ground in Round 1 than many anticipated, avoiding a submission, reclaiming guard and getting back to his feet, but it was all for naught, as he was knocked out in Round 2.
Unfortunately for fans of the British banger, Manuwa is not prepared to challenge for the UFC’s light heavyweight title anytime soon, and he will certainly take a step down after this disappointing loss.
What’s Next for Gustafsson?
A title shot is next for Gustafsson.
Glover Teixeira faces Jon Jones at UFC 172 April 26 in Baltimore, Md., and Gustafsson should get the winner of that bout for his next matchup.
Alternatively, the 27-year-old Swede could face Daniel Cormier in a No. 1 contender’s bout, but I much prefer the title shot given how close Gustafsson’s first fight against Jon Jones was and how brutal he looked in victory at UFC Fight Night 37.
I see no other options after such an impressive performance, and Gustafsson himself made his feelings known in the post-fight interview:
What’s Next for Manuwa?
Manuwa needs to take a step back after this fight.
Give him Ilir Latifi, who won via submission against Cyrille Diabate earlier in the evening at UFC Fight Night 37, and let’s see who belongs to hang around the top 15 of the 205-pound division.
(And to think, it costs exactly as much to step into their world as it did to make this poster!)
In a few short minutes, the official weigh-ins for Fight Night 37: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa will transpire from the O2 Arena in London, England. Being that most of us are still resisting the non-urge to purchase UFC Fight Pass, today’s weigh-ins will likely be the closest we come to seeing any of tomorrow afternoon’s fights (legally, at least). So join us after the jump for the quickest weigh-in results on the web, then gather your pitchforks and torches and meet us at the town square to protest the fact that Ilir Latifi still doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. THE YEAR OF LATIFI IS UPON US!!
(And to think, it costs exactly as much to step into their world as it did to make this poster!)
In a few short minutes, the official weigh-ins for Fight Night 37: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa will transpire from the O2 Arena in London, England. Being that most of us are still resisting the non-urge to purchase UFC Fight Pass, today’s weigh-ins will likely be the closest we come to seeing any of tomorrow afternoon’s fights (legally, at least). So join us after the jump for the quickest weigh-in results on the web, then gather your pitchforks and torches and meet us at the town square to protest the fact that Ilir Latifi still doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. THE YEAR OF LATIFI IS UPON US!!
Main card:
Alexander Gustafsson (204) vs. Jimi Manuwa (205)
Michael Johnson (155) vs. Melvin Guillard (156)
Brad Pickett (125) vs. Neil Seery (125)
Gunnar Nelson (170) vs. Omari Akhmedov (170)
Prelim card:
Cyrille Diabate (205) vs. Ilir Latifi (205)
Luke Barnatt (186) vs. Mats Nilsson (184)
Bradley Scott (186) vs. Claudio Henrique da Silva (185)
David Grant (136) vs. Roland Delorme (134)
Igor Araujo (171) vs. Danny Mitchell (170)
Phil Harris (125) vs. Louis Gaudinot (126)
There was legitimate tension the last time we saw Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC Octagon. A single question lingered in the air.
Had the young Swede—blond beard glistening with sweat, piercing blue eyes radiating hope—won the UFC lig…
There was legitimate tension the last time we saw Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC Octagon. A single question lingered in the air.
Had the young Swede—blond beard glistening with sweat, piercing blue eyes radiating hope—won the UFC light heavyweight title from the great Jon Jones?
The fact we were even asking said volumes about Gustafsson‘s performance that night. No one else had come close to testing Jones, not even former champions like LyotoMachida, Rashad Evans or Quinton Jackson.
Gustafsson had made him work for it.
Normally a fight like that is a star maker. At the very least, it should have earned Gustafsson a regular spot in the lucrative co-main event position, adding his name and drawing power to fight cards that needed a little boost.
Instead, he’s relegated to an Internet stream.
His next fight, live in London Saturday against unheralded British slugger JimiManuwa, will appear in North America exclusively on UFC Fight Pass, a $9.99-a-month subscription service that features both live events from across the globe and a bevy of the UFC’s best historical content.
A subset of UFC fans, to be blunt, are in open revolt over the decision. Already paying more than $600 a year for the UFC’s monthly pay-per-view programming, they are not amused by what they consider reckless gauging, being forced to pay a premium for content that used to be free.
Likewise, Gustafsson doesn’t appear too enthused by the decision. He told The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani that he was shocked by his placement on an internet card after flying so high in a pay-per-view main event.
“Well, that sucks a little bit,” Gustafsson said.“I didn’t know about that until just a few weeks ago, but a fight is a fight.”
The UFC’s Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik told Bleacher Report that he sees the choice another way, of course.
“To me, and I know (UFC President) Dana (White) agrees, the fight between Gus and JimiManuwa is one of the best fights we’ve made this year, period, not just for Fight Pass but for any event so far in 2014,” Zelaznik said. “The number one ranked 205-pound challenger—who some people believe should have the UFC belt right now after the near-thing with Jon Jones—taking on probably the hardest-punching fighter in the division…I think this could be a Fight of the Year.
“So, yes, there’s no question this is a fantastic fight to deliver to our Fight Pass subscribers. But the service is about more than live events,” Zelaznik continued, building up steam. “We gain thousands of new subscribers every time we have live Fight Pass prelims, because the kind of fan who wants Fight Pass knows enough about the sport to understand some of the best fights of the night are on the prelims.”
Fight Pass, he told Bleacher Report, gives fans across the globe the opportunity to enjoy fights like Gustafsson vs. Manuwa at their leisure. The fights can start at an organic time in the venue, creating a better experience for the local crowd instead of starting the show too early or too late to fit in an American television window. The choice of when to watch, he says, is completely in a fan’s hands.
“It depends where in the world the fight is taking place and where the subscriber is. Almost all Australian and New Zealand subscribers watched the first two Fight Pass events live, as they are on a similar timezone,” Zelaznik said. “If we are talking about our subscribers in North America, we have a large corps of ultra diehard fans who, like myself, were up in the small hours last Saturday with a very strong cup of coffee watching the entire card from start to finish in real time.
“The majority of fans from North America, though, seemed to wake up, avoid the spoilers and then watch at a more civilized time of the morning. And then, finally, there were people hearing about the crazy KO in the main event later in the day and logging on many hours later to see what they’d missed. That’s the great thing here. Fight Pass allows fans to check out the action from around the world in their own time.
“And it is going to be different each event, depending on people’s own schedules and where the fights are taking place. We expect a lot more North American subscribers to watch the London card live than watched the first two events live. The card starts around lunchtime for east coasters and late breakfast for the west coast and is a little more humane time of the day, so we think everyone will watch this one as it happens.”
While the UFC, a private company, wouldn’t divulge the actual number of Fight Pass users or tell Bleacher Report how many UFC fans it expected to see Gustafsson in action via the power of the internet, Zelaznik says the subscriber base exceeds even the company’s most robust projections—three times higher in fact.
“We are very, very encouraged,” Zelaznik said, a sentiment that will make some fans, no doubt, very, very discouraged.
But there is no going backwards. Streaming a la carte-style content is likely the wave of the future. The UFC and the WWE are on the cutting edge of an ongoing collision between television and the internet.
I expect we’ll see more UFC stars exclusively on the internet as Fight Pass continues to find an audience. Gustafsson is Fight Pass’ first killer app. More are coming.
The UFC’s aggressive international expansion continues this year, as stops in Stockholm, Berlin and Istanbul were announced yesterday with more international dates imminent. Railing against Fight Pass, in short, is a bit like howling at the moon. It’s a steam engine, and it’s only picking up speed.
“UFC Fight Pass is going to continue have a great mix of cards which feature emerging and developing talent from around the world and cards which have these must-see fights like we have Saturday and next month with Big Nog vs. Big Country,” Zelaznik said. “We knew the live fights, the exclusive events and Fight Pass prelims, and our brand new ‘behind the scenes’ features would be very popular, obviously, but our subscribers are eating up our curated content.
“UFC Fight Pass is really giving the rich history of the sport a second lease of life. For example, we’ve been showcasing the ‘greatest feuds’ on a curated list and showcased fights like the Frye vs Shamrock fight from 2002. That was probably the best fight and best buildup for that entire year. But imagine there are UFC fans, people who may have become huge fans for the last decade, who’ve never seen that fight. Now, they log in to UFC Fight Pass, and there’s Dan Hardy or Chuck Liddell saying, ‘check this out!’ and now this classic fight is seen all over again.”
When you put it like that, it’s a pretty compelling proposition. For me, Fight Pass is a literal dream come true.
Less than 10 dollars a month to see Alexander Gustafsson punch someone in the face? To see legends like Don Frye again? I’m in. The UFC is counting on you being in, too.
To put it plainly, the Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson vs. Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa bout looks like an exceptional fight.
As it relates to potential and future impact in the promotion, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more compelling ma…
To put it plainly, the Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson vs. Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa bout looks like an exceptional fight.
As it relates to potential and future impact in the promotion, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more compelling main event on a Fight Night card.
Gustafsson is the man who pushed light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones to his limits in September.
His assignment this time isn’t an easy one. Manuwa is a dangerous striker who has compiled a spotless 14-0 MMA record.
His last three wins have come in the UFC, and 13 of them have come by KO. Manuwa makes no bones about what his approach is. He wants to strike hard and fast, as he told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.co.uk: “My technique has come along by leaps and bounds. I throw some of the hardest kicks now; those are some of my main weapons. My punches are harder and faster. I’m just a wrecking machine at the moment.”
Manuwa will be giving up five inches to The Mauler, but he has the power to chop down a tree.
Will he pull the major upset? Not if Gustafsson can help it.
The Mauler’s reputation has grown about as quickly as his wingspan and reach since he battled Jones. Here’s what Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow wrote about Gustafsson‘s growing talent and notoriety:
Gustafsson has picked up considerably more hype after nearly taking the belt from one of the UFC’s most dominant champions, but a lot of that buzz still centers around the Swede’s impressive 6’5″ frame and considerable wingspan which, despite some miraculous and nature-defying fluctuation, now seems to have settled at about 81″.
Will Manuwa get an opportunity to test the chin of Gustafsson, or will the long arm of The Mauler keep him at bay?
The card also features an intriguing lightweight scrap between a rejuvenated Michael “The Menace” Johnson and Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard as well as eight other bouts.
UFC Fight Night 37 is available only via UFC Fight Pass. Here’s the full card with predictions for each fight and information on how you can watch the action. Below, you’ll find breakdowns of the top two fights on the card.
Neil Seery is making his UFC debut, and he’s stepping up in competition, facing Brad “One Punch” Pickett. The UFC veteran is just as dangerous with his fist as he is as a wrestler. He is dropping to flyweight for the first time in his career.
It’s a risky proposition for a fighter his age (35). That said, Seery doesn’t possess the kind of speed that can expose Pickett at the lower weight class.
It would seem Pickett’s biggest advantage in this matchup is on the ground. Once he’s able to engage Seery on the mat, it’s only a matter of time before he gains the advantage.
He should hand Seery his sixth loss via submission in his career.
Michael Johnson’s Ascension Will Continue
When Michael Johnson lost to RezaMadadi in April 2013, it looked as if his career was just about over. It was his second loss in a row and the sixth time he’d been submitted in his MMA career. He couldn’t seem to conquer his demons on the mat.
The submission game always seemed to get the best of him.
To make matters worse, his next bout was against renowned submission master Joe Lauzon. Surprisingly, Johnson not only avoided being submitted against Lauzon, but he also won a unanimous decision in Aug. 2013. He followed up that win with a spectacular KO of the tough and rugged GleisonTibau in December 2013.
He’s on a roll, and Melvin Guillard isn’t going to stop him.
Guillard has all the talent in the world, but poor strategy and stamina have been his downfall. Johnson will be more prepared and well-rounded on Saturday. He’d be wise to take Guillard to the mat, where he can wear him down.
Once he does, he’ll have an opportunity to submit him or win by a lopsided decision. I’ll bet on the latter.
Gustafsson Is Too Big for Manuwa
The Nigerian-English Manuwa will likely have his share of support at the O2 Arena, but what he really needs is about three more inches of height and reach.
Gustafsson‘s combination of athleticism and length will be too much for Manuwa to conquer. Were the 6’2″ Manuwa a more dangerous grappler, he might have a better chance of pulling off the massive upset. Because he does his work primarily as a striker, it seems unlikely he wins a stand-up battle against Gustafsson.
Manuwa definitely has night-changing power, but he won’t land flush against Gustafsson. The Mauler will continue his path toward a rematch with Jones by scoring a second-round KO victory.
There may be bigger things looming in the future for Alexander Gustafsson, but you’d never know it from talking to him.
“The Mauler” is coming off a career-making performance where he took light heavyweight champion Jon Jones into deeper waters than th…
There may be bigger things looming in the future for Alexander Gustafsson, but you’d never know it from talking to him.
“The Mauler” is coming off a career-making performance where he took light heavyweight champion Jon Jones into deeper waters than the champion had previously experienced and came up just short of dethroning the 26-year-old phenom. Yet, despite the fight being one of the year’s best and there being substantial heat for an immediate rematch, “Bones” decided to move on to the next challenge. Gustafsson was forced to take another fight with the promise of earning another championship opportunity with a victory in his next outing.
While those circumstances could certainly add an element of pressure, the 27-year-old Stockholm-based fighter is ice cold in his approach. The only thing on the recent title challenger’s mind is the man standing directly in his path and the work he has to do to overcome his next challenge.
The rising light heavyweight star will face undefeated knockout artist Jimi Manuwa in the main event at Fight Night 38 when the UFC returns to London this Saturday. While they are currently at different ends of the spectrum in the divisional hierarchy, Gustafsson understands the caliber of threat the heavy-handed Brit will present inside the Octagon.
With Manuwa’s proven ability to finish the opposition in brutal fashion, Gustafsson has blocked out the hovering narratives of title talk and future opportunities and set his sights on putting the first loss on the “Posterboy’s” record.
Where Gustafsson is historically short with his words, he’s been even more so in the lead up to this fight. He has consistently deflected talk of anything but his fight with Manuwa and has every intention of showcasing the hard work he’s invested to prepare for this upcoming challenge.
“I’ve been working hard and I’m ready,” Gustafsson told Bleacher Report. “I did my preparation for him and I’m ready for whatever he throws. Wherever this fight goes I’m prepared. I’ve been working hard and people are going to see a better Alex than they saw the last time out. I’m ready to finish Jimi.
“I’m not thinking about a title shot or a rematch with Jon Jones. The only thing I am focused on is this fight with Jimi on Saturday. I can’t look past him and he is getting every bit of my focus right now. I put all my focus on the challenge that is right in front of me.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Alexander Gustafsson has earned his second shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship with his second-round TKO victory over Jimi Manuwa.