Tag: Alexander Gustafsson

The Complete Guide to UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Houston with a stacked card this Saturday on pay-per-view. In the headliner, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier takes on former top contender Alexander Gustafsson in an outstanding scrap. While Gusta…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Houston with a stacked card this Saturday on pay-per-view. In the headliner, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier takes on former top contender Alexander Gustafsson in an outstanding scrap. While Gustafsson’s booking drew heat from fans who would’ve preferred not to see a challenger who was melted in his last outing, it is one of the best fights that can be made in the division.

The long shadow of Jon Jones hangs over the entire event. Forty percent of the fighters on the main card—Cormier, Gustafsson, Rashad Evans and Ryan Bader—have fallen to the longtime and now former light heavyweight champion. This fight is for the full title only because the UFC has made it so, not because there’s any doubt as to who the best 205-pounder on the planet happens to be.

Jones will likely get the winner of the main event when he returns from his suspension. While Cormier holds the belt he won against Anthony Johnson, this is essentially a glorified top contender matchup. With that said, it’s still an outstanding fight.

The rest of the card is stacked to the brim with meaningful and entertaining bookings. In the co-main event, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley in a likely top contender matchup. The winner will likely draw the winner of Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit in January.

Further down the card, the hits keep coming. Bader takes on Evans in what could also be a top contender matchup at 205 pounds, with the winner getting a shot at either Gustafsson or Cormier if Jones can’t return to action in the near future.

Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov meet in a matchup of two of the division’s best younger fighters, with Magomedov in particular on the cusp of breaking through to the divisional elite. Jessica Eye takes on Julianna Pena in the main card’s opener as The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner gets a shot at vaulting herself into the top 10 and eventual contention.

The preliminary card is as good as it gets. Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov in the Fox Sports 1 headliner, and every fight beneath that carries some level of interest. Rising stars Yair Rodriguez and Rose Namajunas compete for attention with a matchup between violence specialists Albert Tumenov and Alan Jouban.

Even the Fight Pass portion of the event is outstanding. Sergio Pettis draws former top contender Chris Cariaso as he attempts to stay relevant in the flyweight division, rising star Islam Makhachev takes on Adriano Martins and hot prospect Sage Northcutt makes his debut in the evening’s curtain-jerker.

Let’s take a look at each individual matchup.

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Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 192 is right around the corner, and headlining the event will be a contest for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Champion Daniel Cormier will meet No. 2-ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event. For the second straigh…

UFC 192 is right around the corner, and headlining the event will be a contest for the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Champion Daniel Cormier will meet No. 2-ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event. For the second straight event, a challenger to the crown will be coming off a loss. Cormier lost to then-champion Jon Jones, but when Jones was stripped of the title, Cormier returned at UFC 187 to defeat Anthony Johnson.

The commercials for this event have centered around the height discrepancy between the two combatants, but will that play a significant role in this fight?

That will be just one of the many things we look at in the head-to-toe breakdown for Saturday’s event. Let’s jump right into the analysis for this championship tilt that will take place this weekend in Houston, Texas.

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Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson Delayed Due to Injury Because Of Course It Is

Not too long ago, Dana White took American Top Team to task for their “stone age” ways of doing things, which he blamed for then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez‘s series of ongoing injuries suffered during training. And despite the fact that AKA actually ranked rather low on the list of injury rates among major fight camps, there was no denying that their historically brutal sparring sessions were playing a major role in their fighters frequent injuries.

Enter newly-crowned light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, or should I say, exit Daniel Cormier. From his title fight against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 191. Because he’s injured. Daniel Cormier trains at AKA.

That was a long walk, but I regret nothing.

Details after the jump

The post Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson Delayed Due to Injury Because Of Course It Is appeared first on Cagepotato.

Not too long ago, Dana White took American Top Team to task for their “stone age” ways of doing things, which he blamed for then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez‘s series of ongoing injuries suffered during training. And despite the fact that AKA actually ranked rather low on the list of injury rates among major fight camps, there was no denying that their historically brutal sparring sessions were playing a major role in their fighters frequent injuries.

Enter newly-crowned light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, or should I say, exit Daniel Cormier. From his title fight against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 191. Because he’s injured. Daniel Cormier trains at AKA.

That was a long walk, but I regret nothing.

Details after the jump

Yes, according to MMAJunkie, Cormier will not face against Lusty Gusty in September as originally planned due to an apparent knee injury suffered in training. As a result of this “slight delay,” Cormier is being tentatively-scheduled to return in October, although UFC officials have yet to confirm or even speculate as to where or when exactly the fight will transpire.

Injured before he can even make his first title defense. Daniel, you’ll fit in just fine around here. Juuuuuust fine.

The post Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson Delayed Due to Injury Because Of Course It Is appeared first on Cagepotato.

Ryan Bader: Alexander Gustafsson Doesn’t Deserve Title Shot, Isn’t as Dangerous

Ryan Bader was passed over for a crack at Daniel Cormier’s UFC light heavyweight title in favor of Alexander Gustafsson and, unsurprisingly, it isn’t sitting well with him. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, he had some po…

Ryan Bader was passed over for a crack at Daniel Cormier’s UFC light heavyweight title in favor of Alexander Gustafsson and, unsurprisingly, it isn’t sitting well with him. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, he had some pointed words about both competitors and the fight itself.

“I thought I matched up really well with Cormier and [could] give him problems that other people haven’t,” he said (h/t MMAFighting.com‘s Marc Raimondi). “I think he can go in there and beat Gus and use his wrestling. I definitely felt that I was the more dangerous fight, for sure.”

For those who missed it, Bader has been passed over for title shots twice in the past two months. 

Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, Bader was slated to face Cormier in the main event of UFC Fight Night 68. A win over the former Olympian almost certainly would have sealed up a shot at then-champion Jon Jones but, unfortunately for Bader, an alleged hit-and-run incident resulted in Jones being stripped of the title and suspended indefinitely. Both fighters would be pulled from Fight Night 68, but while Cormier would be rescheduled to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187 for the vacant light heavyweight championship, Bader would be left to wonder what comes next.

While it briefly seemed like he would still get a shot at Cormier after a dust-up at the UFC 187 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White told UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1 on Wednesday that the promotion was, in fact, looking to have Cormier defend his title from Gustafsson. Gustafsson is actually coming off of a first-round knockout loss to Johnson, a fact that doesn’t sit well with Bader. “Gus is a great fighter,” Bader said, “but he just doesn’t deserve that shot right now coming off of a loss like that.”

Bader is currently eyeing a fight with former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans in the fall. Evans is currently coming off of back-to-back wins over Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen, but hasn’t competed since November 2013 due to knee injuries.

Here’s hoping Bader can keep himself busy for the time being.

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UFC Teases 2 Title Fights, Strikes out on 1, Hits Home Run with Other

If the UFC matchmakers played baseball the way they arranged title fights, they’d be in the MLB Hall of Fame. 
They strike out sometimes, as they did Wednesday when they announced, via UFC Tonight, that Daniel Cormier would likely face Alexan…

If the UFC matchmakers played baseball the way they arranged title fights, they’d be in the MLB Hall of Fame. 

They strike out sometimes, as they did Wednesday when they announced, via UFC Tonight, that Daniel Cormier would likely face Alexander Gustafsson—not Ryan Bader—for his first title light heavyweight title defense.

But they also see a hanging curveball coming their way, load up and smash it out of the stadium when the opportunity presents itself. Such is the case with the home run matchup of UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and top contender Luke Rockhold, according to UFC Tonight. 

That’s batting .500 with one homer in two at-bats. The strikeout was brutal and ugly, but overall, you have to be pleased with what they gave us. 

Make no mistake, though: Cormier should be fighting Bader. 

Besides the fact Gustafsson is coming off a knockout loss in his home country to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, he’s not a massive draw. 

This matchup would be excusable (but still a little questionable) if Gustafsson had the drawing power of a Chael Sonnen-type of fighter, but he doesn’t. UFC 165—a card Gustafsson and former UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones headlined—only raked in an estimated 310,000 pay-per-view buys, the lowest of any of Jones’ main events.

If Cormier vs. Gustafsson was slated to go down in Sweden, maybe Gustafsson‘s following there and the UFC’s ability to hype a “hometown hero” would boost those numbers a bit, but right now, there’s no indication as to where the fight will take place. 

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter is speculating the fight will take place at UFC 192 in Houston, in close proximity to Cormier‘s home state of Louisiana. Cormier himself has confirmed the fight will not go down at UFC 191, making UFC 192 the logical choice. 

Gustafsson‘s most recent fight, a brutal loss, is strike one. His failure to draw is strike two. 

Strike three is the fact that Gustafsson‘s lofty stature in the 205-pound division is built upon a loss. He gave Jones one hell of a fight at UFC 165, barely losing a decision in the process. That boosted his stock to the stratosphere, and nobody has questioned his abilities since. 

Gustafsson is a fine fighter, to be certain, but look past that Jones loss. His wins in the UFC leave a lot to be desired, particularly when trying to build a championship-worthy resume. 

The Swede’s most recent victory came over the outmatched Jimi Manuwa in March 2014. Manuwa hits hard, but he does little else, and he’s never defeated a Top 10 fighter inside the Octagon. Still, in a shallow light heavyweight class, Manuwa is ranked No. 7, making this a decent victory over a dangerous dude. 

Beyond Manuwa, though, we have the aging Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Thiago Silva, Vladimir Matyushenko and some other relics of light heavyweight days past. Which of those wins impresses you? 

Bader, on the other hand, has won four straight. The former Arizona State wrestling standout has defeated Anthony Perosh, Rafael Cavalcante, Ovince St. Preux and Phil Davis consecutively. Two of those fighters—Cavalcante and St. Preux—are currently in the UFC’s Top 10 at 205. 

A third—Davis—would be right there with them if he didn’t jump ship to Bellator MMA. 

So going 4-of-4 with three wins over Top 10 competition made Bader somehow less worthy for the title than Gustafsson, who, since September 2013, is 1-of-3, with the one win coming over Manuwa. 

Oh, and Bader already sold his fight with Cormier pretty damn well. The hype probably wouldn’t have reached Jones vs. Cormier levels, but it would’ve surpassed the silence Gustafsson vs. Cormier created.

All this considered, the UFC’s decision to look to Gustafsson and not Bader just doesn’t make sense. 

Thankfully, the promotion made up for its disappointing at-bat in the light heavyweight division by finally confirming Weidman vs. Rockhold for the 185-pound title. 

After Rockhold destroyed Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC on Fox 15, this matchup looked to be an easy pick, but top middleweight Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza also had a strong claim to the title, giving the UFC a bit to think about. 

But Rockhold—a California boy through and through—versus Weidman—a 6’2″ caricature of New York—was too irresistible. Rockhold can fight, he can talk, and he can look good while doing it.

Jacare, on the other hand, can do only the first of those three well (and Jacare, if you’re reading this, please don’t hurt me, man). 

Rockhold‘s level of competition—he’s won four straight, all against Top 15 fighters—and his ability to sell the fight eventually won out. This, and the fact Rockhold defeated Jacare in 2011, makes Weidman vs. Rockhold the right pick for the next middleweight championship fight. 

That fight will have serious buzz, and rightly so. 

Cormier vs. Gustafsson, however, will serve as yet another reminder of how badly we need Jones back. 

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Bigger Rematch: Jones vs. Cormier or Jones vs. Gustafsson?

It takes three to tango.
And in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, former champion Jon Jones, current champion Daniel Cormier and top contender Alexander Gustafsson are dancing like a bunch of teenagers at prom.
But this isn’t a popularity contest. …

It takes three to tango.

And in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, former champion Jon Jones, current champion Daniel Cormier and top contender Alexander Gustafsson are dancing like a bunch of teenagers at prom.

But this isn’t a popularity contest. These 205-pound dynamos are playing a very violent game.

As three of the very best fighters in the world today, Jones, Cormier and Gustafsson represent an unparalleled top-heavy division.

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson could even be thrown into the discussion, but his recent title loss to Cormier plants him short of this start line.

Because the relationship between Bones, DC and The Mauler is deeper than blood. Unforgiving and vengeful, but deeper nonetheless.

It all started with a close-knit victory by Jones over Gustafsson at UFC 165, a collision that is well-remembered as one of the best UFC championship fights of all time.

Then it led to Jones and Cormier‘s ignited feud that resulted in an unscripted press-conference brawl and a fairly one-sided title defense for Jones at UFC 182.

Now, these three men have been connected in an even more epic way.

From Jones being stripped of his belt on the heels of a felony hit-and-run this past April to Cormier defeating Rumble at UFC 187 to become the new 205-pound champ, things have started to boil over.

Pile on Dana White’s recent announcement, per UFC Tonight, that DC’s first title defense will come against Gustafsson and you have a triangle of treachery that may be better suited for a cage match with ladders and chairs.

Now while nobody can tell for sure how severe Jones’ punishment will be down the line, you better believe that he’ll be facing either one of these men if he returns to the cage.

But which rematch is the bigger fight? 

Is it Jones’ challenging Gustafsson for a title that Gustafsson failed to take from Jones just two years ago?

Or is it Jones’ attempting to thwart the Olympic wrestling of Cormier one more time as DC yearns to avenge the only loss in his MMA career?

It’s simple.

Jones vs. Gustafsson was the better all-around fight and a rematch that needed to happen the second the first fight ended.

That’s not to say that Cormier isn’t a better fighter or superior champion because he does have the skill set to run the table, but his overall appeal and fighting style don’t equate to that of the towering Swede.

Despite his recent plod atop the division, Gustafsson still possesses the undeniable potency to debunk Jones’ greatness.

Not to mention the momentum and divisional validation he would bring with him should he get past Cormier in fashion.

So while the recent dominance of DC would fall wayside, it is a rematch between Jones and Gustafsson that we want to see. One that can mirror the combative resourcefulness displayed in the first fight.

Hopefully lightning strikes twice.

 

 

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