Tag: Alexander Gustafsson

Alexander Gustafsson vs Anthony Johnson Closer to Reality? That’s Fine with Me.

At long last, it appears Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson might be headed for a collision course.
By “at long last,” of course, I am referring to the amount of time that has passed since Johnson went in the Octagon and crushed Antonio Rogerio N…

At long last, it appears Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson might be headed for a collision course.

By “at long last,” of course, I am referring to the amount of time that has passed since Johnson went in the Octagon and crushed Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on July 26. Johnson’s UFC light heavyweight debut win over Phil Davis back in April was special, and it set Johnson up as someone to watch in a division 35 pounds heavier than the one where he used to ply his trade in the UFC.

But it was Johnson’s blitzkrieg of Nogueira that made us stand up and take notice. Nogueira is a man who, despite all jokes to the contrary about his ageless nature, is still a very capable fighter. You simply don’t compile a 21-6 record against the kind of competition Nogueira has faced during his career without being capable of pulling out magic.

There was no magic on that night, however. Johnson crushed him, and crushed him quickly. And then we all thought to ourselves: Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Johnson face Gustafsson? The lanky Swede was lined up for a title fight, but an injury put him on the shelf.

In a perfect world, he’d sit around and face the winner of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, but this is not a perfect world, and we are not perfect people. And whether or not you believe Gustafsson deserved his second chance at the belt after beating Jimi Manuwa, there is little question that few of us want to see a top-ranked light heavyweight sit on the shelf for more than a year without competing.

So, yes. Johnson vs. Gustafsson is the thing to do. Johnson thought so, anyway. But yesterday, it looked like we weren’t going to get a chance to see the fight, because Gustafsson had a preference for being “smart,” sitting around and waiting on his shot:

We are not in the playground anymore. It’s not about who is the toughest. I want to keep (fighting for) a long time to come. You have to think tactically, and so you can’t just go in and (fight) the first opponent.

Johnson wasn’t thrilled with the news:

What did I just read? Gus must’ve bumped his head. I respect his opinion but one thing is this. I left the playground a long time ago, I’m on the BATTLEFIELD now!

Thankfully, cooler heads have prevailed. Gustafsson took to obscure social networking site Mikz on Thursday to accept the fight, though formal negotiations and bout agreements and such must will be issued and agreed to.

Anthony Johnson, there is no one hiding from anyone here. We are both professional fighters and fighting is what we do for living. I know it is frustrating not getting response when you are challenging someone, therefore, I will not turn you down. I will be fully recovered within a couple of weeks so anytime in January and forward I will be ready to fight you.

This is good news for all fight fans, but especially for Johnson and Gustafsson. “The Mauler” seemingly earned his second crack at Jones because a lot of people thought he beat Jones the first time around. I don’t fall into that camp, but I also readily admit I sometimes get judging very wrong. It is very likely Jones vs. Gustafsson falls into the category of the ones I got completely wrong. (They are numerous)

But by facing and perhaps defeating Johnson, Gustafsson will leave no doubt he’s the man to challenge the Jones/Cormier winner. It would be an emphatic stamp and a message to the doubters. That’s why accepting this fight was the only logical choice he could make, and a win over Johnson will make his eventual rematch with Jones even bigger.

For Johnson, it is a major opportunity. He’s easily defeated Davis and Nogueira, and adding Gustafsson’s scalp to his wall would be a major coup. And just like Gustafsson, a win for Johnson would silence the doubters and critics who believe he’s not capable of beating the best in the division.

Me? I think Johnson is one of the scariest men on the planet. And there’s no doubt Gustafsson is an elite fighter.

So let’s do this. Let’s get it done, and let’s put it on the same card as Jones vs. Cormier. It’s a natural fit, and it should be one hell of a fight.

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Alexander Gustafsson Snubs Fight with Anthony Johnson, ‘Rumble’ Responds

Alexander Gustafsson seems to be of the mindset that he has nothing to gain and everything to lose in a bout with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Speaking with Sweden’s Expressen, per MMAFighting.com, Gustafsson explained why he isn’t…

Alexander Gustafsson seems to be of the mindset that he has nothing to gain and everything to lose in a bout with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

Speaking with Sweden’s Expressen, per MMAFighting.com, Gustafsson explained why he isn’t interested in locking horns with the resurgent light heavyweight contender.

“I have fought both worse and better opponents,” said Gustafsson. “Had that fight taken me somewhere I had been the first to accept.”

Gustafsson was originally slated to challenge Jon Jones in a rematch for the light heavyweight title at UFC 178, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.

With Gustafsson out, the UFC’s itinerary appeared simple enough. Jones would go on to defend his title against undefeated Olympian Daniel Cormier, and Gustafsson would remain the No. 1 contender and fight the winner. But in an ever-changing sport such as MMA, rarely do long-term plans come to fruition without a hiccup.

As fate would have it, Jones also suffered a torn meniscus in his knee, which forced him to withdraw from the bout with Cormier. Being the original “No. 1 contender,” Gustafsson hoped the title opportunity would revert back to him, but he quietly slid into the background of the volcanic feud between Jones and Cormier.

The UFC made the obvious financial decision in sticking with Jones vs. Cormier, which is now scheduled for January 3 at UFC 182.

Speaking with UFC.com, UFC President Dana White claimed that Gustafsson would most likely fight again before competing for the title to stay active. Johnson, who is coming off back-to-back wins over Phil Davis and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, challenged Gustafsson a week ago on Facebook, stating that there was “nobody left to fight.”

Gustafsson obviously disagrees with that sentiment:

Since his return to the UFC after being kicked, he has beaten Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who passed its [expiration] date a long time ago, and Phil Davis. He needs at least a couple wins more. We are not in the playground anymore. It’s not about who is the toughest, it’s about my career. I want to have a long and successful career. You have to think tactically, and you can’t just go in and swing against the first best opponent.

After reading Gustafsson’s comments, Johnson responded:

There is no arguing that Gustafsson gave Jones all he could handle nearly a year ago. But one also has to wonder if wins over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Thiago Silva and Jimi Manuwa are that much more impressive than what Johnson has accomplished in the UFC.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.

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Why Alexander Gustafsson Should Continue His Campaign Against Jones-Cormier

Alexander Gustafsson suffered his own type of pain when news broke that Jon Jones was forced off of the UFC 178 card due to injury (via a report by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting). 
The UFC has rescheduled the fight between Jones and Daniel Co…

Alexander Gustafsson suffered his own type of pain when news broke that Jon Jones was forced off of the UFC 178 card due to injury (via a report by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting). 

The UFC has rescheduled the fight between Jones and Daniel Cormier for UFC 182, which is set for January 3, 2015. While that fight has excited fans in recent weeks, Gustafsson, who is ranked No. 1 in the light heavyweight division by the UFC, has been left out in the cold. In response, Gustafsson has come out to state his disgust with the current situation, and he should continue his verbal assault.

Gustafsson and his team did not wait to come out against the fight between Cormier and Jones being rebooked rather than the Swede being given his title shot back.

“We are not happy,” Andreas Michael, Gustafsson‘s head trainer, told Sherdog. “Alex is the number one contender; he got injured and the UFC went to Plan B. Now if that fight is not happening, of course Alex and Jones should be right back.”

This is a very valid point for this team to make. Gustafsson and Jones put on one of the best fights in 2013 at UFC 165. When Jones successfully defended his title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 172, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Gustafsson would be next for the champion (via Sherdog).

Unfortunately, the challenger would suffer a knee injury before being able to get into the cage in September. That allowed for Daniel Cormier to receive his crack at the title.

The promotional train would race off as Cormier and Jones would brawl during press events and argue during interviews on major sports networks. The MMA community became enthralled with this matchup nearly two months before the two men would enter the Octagon. This created the perfect atmosphere for the promotion to rebook this fight rather than give Gustafsson back the title shot he earned.

To make the situation even worse for Gustafsson, it looks like he will not be allowed to wait on the sidelines until his turn against the champion is planned.

“Gustafsson will probably fight again. We’ll probably do another fight for him,” White said to UFC.com. “He’ll probably fight again to stay active, stay top of mind and the guy has to make money.”

The same report makes mention of Anthony Johnson as a potential opponent, which would be a very dangerous fight for Gustafsson to take. However, Gustafsson should continue his campaign against the Cormier and Jones matchup because his actions may pay off in the long run.

If Gustafsson is mandated to fight Johnson, he should work with the promotion to have the fight booked as the co-main event for UFC 182. The injury bug has already struck the light heavyweight title picture twice, so this type of booking would protect the changing of the fight for a third time. Instead, the UFC would have the opportunity to move Gustafsson into the main event to face either Jones or Cormier.

Even if Gustafsson is unable to convince UFC executives to make this fight a featured bout for UFC 182, he should continue his diatribe against the organization and the two men. Talking about the situation in public will keep him in the headlines and a prominent figure in the weight class. That is the exact type of momentum needed to force his way back into the title scene.

Alexander Gustafsson may not have the spot that he wants in the main event of UFC 182, but he shouldn’t stop his campaign against the two competitors. If injury strikes again, the Swedish fighter can find himself back in just as quickly he found himself out of title talks.

An individual’s ability to promote himself is a growing skill set within the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and this is Gustafsson‘s opportunity to show just how well he’s learned it.

 

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Dana White Wants to See Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson — But Gus Says He’ll Wait


(It’s crazy to think that Anthony Johnson used to fight at welterweight, and was like five inches shorter than he is now. / Photo via Getty)

With Alexander Gustafsson temporarily removed from the UFC light-heavyweight title picture — and understandably upset about it — Gustafsson’s manager Manos Terzitane appeared on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, and claimed that “The Mauler” won’t accept any other match than a title fight. That means Gustafsson would voluntarily sit out until at least spring 2015, and that’s only if things go perfectly according to plan. What if Jones vs. Cormier ends in an incredibly close decision or a controversial finish, and the UFC decides to book an immediate rematch? What if the winner of the fight sustains an injury and is sidelined for months?

Nothing is guaranteed in this sport, and holding out for a title shot goes badly more often than it goes well. But in his infinite grace, UFC president Dana White has suggested an alternate path for Gustafsson:

“Gustafsson will probably fight again. We’ll probably do another fight for him,” White said. “He’ll probably fight again to stay active, stay top of mind and the guy has to make money.”

Next up for Gustafsson could be the dangerous rising 205-pound star Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. White confirmed that Gustafsson vs. Johnson would probably be the fight that would make the most sense.


(It’s crazy to think that Anthony Johnson used to fight at welterweight, and was like five inches shorter than he is now. / Photo via Getty)

With Alexander Gustafsson temporarily removed from the UFC light-heavyweight title picture — and understandably upset about it — Gustafsson’s manager Manos Terzitane appeared on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, and claimed that “The Mauler” won’t accept any other match than a title fight. That means Gustafsson would voluntarily sit out until at least spring 2015, and that’s only if things go perfectly according to plan. What if Jones vs. Cormier ends in an incredibly close decision or a controversial finish, and the UFC decides to book an immediate rematch? What if the winner of the fight sustains an injury and is sidelined for months?

Nothing is guaranteed in this sport, and holding out for a title shot goes badly more often than it goes well. But in his infinite grace, UFC president Dana White has suggested an alternate path for Gustafsson:

“Gustafsson will probably fight again. We’ll probably do another fight for him,” White said. “He’ll probably fight again to stay active, stay top of mind and the guy has to make money.”

Next up for Gustafsson could be the dangerous rising 205-pound star Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. White confirmed that Gustafsson vs. Johnson would probably be the fight that would make the most sense.

You have to admit, that’s a badass fight, although it’s certainly a dangerous one if Gustafsson hopes to keep his spot in line. Ultimately, it’s up to the Mauler to decide if he wants to roll the dice on everything falling into place, while going without a paycheck for over a year. Tough call.

In a related story, Dana White explained that the Jones vs. Cormier press conference brawl wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand if he weren’t vacationing in Bora Bora at the time:

“As soon as Jones went up and their bodies touched, I would have separated them,” White said. “Sometimes you’ll see me put a hand in, or sometimes you’ll see me do something else. I would have separated them. It was the head butt, Jones headbutted Cormier – that’s what upset [Daniel] and made him push him back. I would have got my arm in there before that contact was even made. I would have seen the contact coming and I would have stopped it. Then I would have been right in the middle. Would I have stopped that whole thing from going down, who the fuck knows? I wasn’t here…

“[UFC Sr. Director of Public Relations] Dave Sholler doesn’t really have any experience out there between the guys,” White said. “There’s times when you know something is going on and you’re ready and you jump in there and get that thing defused. That’s why I stand there. I don’t stand there because I want to be in fucking pictures, I’m there to make sure that kind of shit doesn’t happen. You got two guys, who are going to fight, and there is definitely a ton of mind warfare going on between [Cormier and Jones], no doubt about it…

“The position that I get to stand in during those staredowns is the greatest position in all of f**king sports,” White said. “Nothing like being there when two guys are cutting weight, they’re fighting the next day, they’re away from their families for eight f**king weeks, and they get to square off…

“One little thing can trigger two guys, who are the baddest dudes on the planet, who are face to face,” White said of Jones and Cormier. “That’s what they do, period. People can try to sugar coat it or try to spin any way that they want, that’s the reality. That’s who they are, that’s what they’re paid to do and that’s what you show up to watch. These guys, that’s who they are to the core. And when you get two guys like that and you don’t handle the situation the right way to defuse it, that’s what happens. The difference is that Sholler has never been in that position before.”


(Hang in there kitten!)

Indeed, the situation wouldn’t have been nearly as chaotic if Dana was there, because there’s no way Jon Jones would have had the audacity to shove Dana White off a stage, even in the heat of passion. But that other guy, who looks like a broke-ass Jon Anik? Yeah, he’s gonna go for a little ride.

Dana White Confirms Jones vs. Cormier for Jan. 3, Hints at Gus vs. Rumble

UFC President Dana White wants to clear the air in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. 
The title picture unfolded like this: First, 205-pound champion Jon “Bones” Jones was scheduled to face Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson in a much-anticipat…

UFC President Dana White wants to clear the air in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. 

The title picture unfolded like this: First, 205-pound champion Jon “Bones” Jones was scheduled to face Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson in a much-anticipated rematch at UFC 178 on Sept. 27. In late July, however, news broke that Gustafsson suffered an injury and had to drop off the card. 

In his place came Daniel Cormier, the undefeated former Strikeforce heavyweight champion who recently dropped to light heavyweight and rattled off two disgustingly dominant victories, one TKO over Patrick Cummins and one submission over Dan Henderson. 

The trash talk between Jones and Cormier was intense—they brawled during media day in Las Vegas, and all signs pointed toward a blockbuster pay-per-view come Sept. 27. 

The MMA gods had none of it, though, and they sent the injury bug down to earth to nip at Jones’ ankle and knee, forcing him out of the fight and into the operating room. 

Now, with the fight scrapped altogether, Gustafsson wants back in. He feels it’s his shot, and he thinks Cormier needs to step back so the UFC can restore the card back to its original state. 

Speaking with UFC.com, White said the Swede’s wish won’t come true. 

“Gustafsson is upset, but it’s not like we took Gustafsson out of the fight. Gustafsson got hurt and he’s out,” White said. “Cormier stepped in and accepted the fight and this is the fight that is going to happen now.”

Detractors, of course, can say now, since Jones is injured, the circumstances are changed, and these people would not be wrong. The UFC could logically replace Cormier with Gustafsson now that the fight has been bumped to Jan. 3, but White said there’s no chance of that happening. 

“He (Gustafsson) fell out of the fight,” White said. “Well, people can say, ‘Now Jones is hurt.’ Well yeah, but this is the fight that’s happening now.”

And while Gustafsson said he won’t fight in the meantime, White sees him reconsidering that statement in the near future. The Swede will need money, he’ll need to stay active and the UFC president has the perfect opponent in mind to keep the ball rolling in the light heavyweight division: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. 

While White provided no direct quote on the matter, the UFC.com article states that “White confirmed that Gustafsson vs. (Anthony) Johnson would probably be the fight that would make the most sense.” 

Johnson is 2-0 in the UFC since returning at 205 in April 2014, notching a lopsided unanimous decision over Phil Davis at UFC 172 and following that with a vicious knockout of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC on Fox 12. 

Ranked No. 1 and No. 5 in the division, respectively, Gustafsson and Johnson would undoubtedly serve as a No. 1 contender’s bout for the winner of Jan. 3’s showdown between Jones and Cormier. 

In all, there are plenty of options in the light heavyweight division right now, and that’s a great thing for business and for fans moving forward. 

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Alexander Gustafsson Holding out for Title Fight with Jon Jones

Alexander Gustafsson knows what he wants, and what he wants is a shiny, golden belt.
He won’t accept anything less.
Gustafsson’s manager, Manos Terzitane, recently told Ariel Helwani on an episode of UFC Tonight that the 205-pound Swede is looking…

Alexander Gustafsson knows what he wants, and what he wants is a shiny, golden belt.

He won’t accept anything less.

Gustafsson‘s manager, Manos Terzitane, recently told Ariel Helwani on an episode of UFC Tonight that the 205-pound Swede is looking for only one fight in his next outing: a title showdown with Jon Jones.

“[Gustafsson] will do whatever he can to not get passed by,” Terzitane told UFC Tonight (h/t MMA Fighting). “He will not accept any other fight than to be the next in line for the title against Jones.”

While it sounds at first that Gustafsson is being a bit of a diva, his feeling are well-founded and reasonable.

After all, he was originally scheduled to face Jones in September before suffering a minor knee injury and being forced to bow out of the matchup. When that happened, the UFC scrambled for a replacement, striking gold by inking Daniel Cormier in the contender’s spot.

From there, Jones and Cormier meshed like a Cleveland Browns fan at Heinz Field, and it was glorious.

They brawled at the UFC 178 media day in Las Vegas. They tossed some weird verbal jabs at each other during a UFC 178 Q&A session. They upped the intensity off camera—or so they thought.

They hyped the fight like Gustafsson never could.

Therein lies the problem. Gustafsson was the first, arguably more deserving challenger to Jones’ belt. He fought Jones to a close decision at UFC 165 last September, battering the champ like nobody had before or since. This was the rematch people wanted, the fight people wanted to see.

But then Cormier stepped in fresh off an absolute destruction of MMA legend Dan Henderson in May, and he entered the ring spitting fire at “Bones.”

Suddenly, Gustafsson didn’t seem so appealing, not with this former heavyweight behemoth of a wrestler standing across from Jones.

The hype was perfect and things were hurtling toward what would undoubtedly become one of the most successful pay-per-view cards of the year…and Jones suffered an injury, bumping the fight from September 27 back to January 3.

Now, Gustafsson wants back in, and it’s easy to understand why. He was initially removed from the fight because of an injury. He couldn’t make the September 27 deadline, so the UFC had to find a substitute.

The conditions have since changed, though. Jones is the one that needs time to heal up, and Gustafsson will be fully ready to roll by January. After Cormier hyped the fight so well, he presents the more exciting choice, but the initial shot was legitimately earned by Gustafsson.

Right now, there is no indication on the UFC’s side that it’ll swap Cormier out to reinsert Gustafsson, and that’s fine too. These three fighters are remarkable talents, and something tells me we’ll see them all fight each other in due time anyway.

Would you rather see Cormier or Gustafsson on the January 3 card against Jones?

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