Although it was previously reported that Jackson would duke it out with Mauricio Rua in a rematch of their PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 fight, our fanboyish dreams were almost immediately squashed when Page was forced to undergo double knee surgery in the fallout of his UFC 144 decision loss to Ryan Bader. Not wanting to sit on the shelf for too long, Rua has opted to take another fight, possibly at UFC 147, to stay active.
Sources within FightersOnly have stated that the Zuffa brass were eyeing the winner of the Silva/Gustafsson bout before they even threw down at last weekend’s event. Silva and Rampage were originally supposed to square off at UFC 130, until Silva pissed hot following his UFC 125 scrap with Brandon Vera and was replaced by Matt Hamill. The fight that resulted was disappointing to say the least.
Jon Jones comparisons aside, Gustafsson has been on an absolute tear as of late, and a win over Rampage would do a lot for him in terms of drawing power and marketability. Granted Jackson is nowhere near the fighter he once was, at least not in his last performance, but a win over a former UFC champ would be a huge accomplishment for “The Mauler,” and could put him in line for a title shot in the very near future.
It has also been rumored that Jackson was offered a fight with Phil Davis previously, but turned it down due to his well known hatred of fighting anyone with a ground game whatsoever. This is a former MMA champion, ladies and gentlemen. Though Gustafsson possesses strong enough grappling abilities to give Rampage trouble, he is primarily a striker and could make for one hell of a fight for Jackson to go out on. Not as great as his fight with Shogun would likely have been, but satisfying to some degree.
Alexander Gustafsson: Rocking Thiago Silva early, Gustafsson was able to pick apart the aggressive Brazilian with an array of uber-accurate strikes to coast his way to a UD victory, and cement his position as a top-tier light-heavyweight. Can you say title eliminator? Gustafsson vs. Dan Henderson sounds good to me. I know Dan is waiting for his guaranteed title shot, but Jon Jones and Rashad Evans both have a history of post-fight injuries, and to assume that the winner will be healthy after their title fight might be unrealistic. So unless Hendo doesn’t mind a year-long break to challenge the title-holder, a battle against the Mauler could be the next best thing.
Thiago Silva: Silva’s suspension gave him a year off to think about what he’s done and rehab a plethora of injuries that have kept him performing at less than 100%. Judging by his performance on Saturday, his comeback still has a long way to go. Though Silva could use a fight against a UFC newcomer to rebound in the 205-pound division, I’d give him a good dose of reality and slate him against Phil Davis, who’s coming off his own loss to Rashad Evans. Two big, well-known scrappers with a lot to lose — promoting this one should be a no-brainer.
(Just call him Jon “Bjönes” Jones. / Photo courtesy of Josh Hedges)
Alexander Gustafsson: Rocking Thiago Silva early, Gustafsson was able to pick apart the aggressive Brazilian with an array of uber-accurate strikes to coast his way to a UD victory, and cement his position as a top-tier light-heavyweight. Can you say title eliminator? Gustafsson vs. Dan Henderson sounds good to me. I know Dan is waiting for his guaranteed title shot, but Jon Jones and Rashad Evans both have a history of post-fight injuries, and to assume that the winner will be healthy after their title fight might be unrealistic. So unless Hendo doesn’t mind a year-long break to challenge the title-holder, a battle against the Mauler could be the next best thing.
Thiago Silva: Silva’s suspension gave him a year off to think about what he’s done and rehab a plethora of injuries that have kept him performing at less than 100%. Judging by his performance on Saturday, his comeback still has a long way to go. Though Silva could use a fight against a UFC newcomer to rebound in the 205-pound division, I’d give him a good dose of reality and slate him against Phil Davis, who’s coming off his own loss to Rashad Evans. Two big, well-known scrappers with a lot to lose — the fight promotes itself.
Brian Stann: All-American hero Brian Stann is one of the most electric middleweights in the UFC. In the first minute of his fight with Alessio Sakara he was able to showcase his highly developed Muay Thai with great leg kicks and clinch knees that would make Wanderlei Silva proud. Except for his setback against Chael Sonnen last fall, Stann has shit on all of his middleweight opponents. With most high-level 185′ers tied up in matchups, it might be a while before Stann gets a fight, but I’d love to see him face Mark Munoz in his return match.
Dennis Siver: Mr. Spinning Back Kick has found a new home in the featherweight division. The stocky striker went toe-to-toe with Diego “The Gun” Nunes and kept a fast pace that guided him to a unanimous decision win. Now that he’s made his cut to 145, I don’t think we need to wait another six months for his next fight. I’d slate him for a late July matchup against the winner of Mark Hominick and Eddie Yagin next week at UFC 145.
Brad Pickett: Picking Brad Pickett and Damacio Page for Fight of the Night was a no-brainer. Pickett used his superior boxing to get the better of the standup exchanges, stunning Page with a slip and left hook and again with a right uppercut. Once he dropped Page it was easy to secure his rear-naked choke. After this win, Pickett deserves the chance to recapture his top-five bantamweight ranking. I could see him facing the winner of Miguel Torres and Michael McDonald, who fight next week at UFC 145, with the loser of that fight meeting Damacio Page.
Siyar Bahadurzada: Former Golden Glory badass Siyar Bahadurzada is a great stand-up fighter who has been praised by the likes of Alistair Overeem, Sergei Kharitonov, and Fabricio Werdum. Unknown to casual fans before this weekend, the Afghan welterweight’s UFC debut was a resounding success, as he scored a 42-second KO of Paulo Thiago via short uppercut. Bahadurzada should celebrate, but then get right back in the Octagon and KO another poor sucker to prove it wasn’t just a fluke. Two other victorious WW’s from the “Gustafsson vs. Silva” card — either long-limbed Norwegian Simeon Thoresen or American prospect James Head — would both make sense as the next body to throw against Bahadurzada as soon as possible.
John Maguire: John Maguire certainly should have earned his black belt in Gypsy Jitsu with his second-round armbar over the always exciting and goofy DaMarques Johnson. His kimura reversal was a thing of beauty that earned him Submission of the Night honors. This UFC welterweight newcomer has a lot of options for his next matchup. Give him a follow-up against a seasoned vet with a bigger name — Brian Ebersole and Dennis Hallman immediately come to mind — which should give us a better sense of where Maguire really falls in the 170-pound pecking order.
At UFC on Fuel 2, young light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson won his fifth-straight fight when he defeated Thiago Silva. Gustafsson, who was fighting in his home Swedish crowd, became just the third man to defeat Silva.Gustafsson has had a simil…
At UFC on Fuel 2, young light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson won his fifth-straight fight when he defeated Thiago Silva.
Gustafsson, who was fighting in his home Swedish crowd, became just the third man to defeat Silva.
Gustafsson has had a similar rise to fame to current UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
Both men have defeated some of the UFC’s top stars despite being under the age of 26.
Both men also have a similar build and can be dangerous in the striking and submission departments.
But while the two often get comparisons, last night Gustafsson looked more like bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
Gustafsson used good movement and distance to keep Silva at bay and to out-strike him.
In fact, Gustafsson rarely stopped moving throughout the fight. He was very reminiscent of how Cruz usually dances throughout his fights.
It makes sense for Gustafsson to look like Cruz, though.
After his loss to Phil Davis, Gustafsson started training with him at Alliance MMA.
Alliance MMA is the same gym that Cruz currently calls home.
Besides training in the same place and having similar styles, both Gustafsson and Cruz started their careers 9-0 before losing their first fight. Neither man has lost ever since.
If Gustafsson continues to be more Cruz-like, he will soon find himself in a title fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
If Gustafsson can win the title, he will have to worry less about people comparing him to a champion and more about the next rising young star being compared to him.
After a six week layoff, the UFC finally returned with UFC on Fuel 2. The event featured eight of it’s 12 fights end by knockout or submission, as well as Sweden’s own Alexander Gustafsson picking up another win against the dangerous Thiago Silva….
After a six week layoff, the UFC finally returned with UFC on Fuel 2.
The event featured eight of it’s 12 fights end by knockout or submission, as well as Sweden’s own Alexander Gustafsson picking up another win against the dangerous Thiago Silva.
Along with Gustafsson’s win in front of his home crowd, other memorable moments from the night was Dennis Siver making his successful featherweight debut in a back and forth bout with Diego Nunes, powerful knockout victories for Brian Stann and Siyar Bahadurzada, and the huge amount of submission victories that took place.
Gustafsson’s performance may be the most important one in terms of rankings go though.
In less than a week, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will meet Rashad Evans at UFC 145.
The long awaited bout between both will be watched closely by tons of fans, including Gustafsson.
With his win against Silva, Gustafsson has won five straight and is now in position to seriously put his name in the mix for a title shot.
Depending on the outcome of next weekend’s title fight, and the role that Dan Henderson will play in determining who is next in line for a title, we could very well see Gustafsson in a title fight sooner than later.
Regardless of how soon Gustafsson will get a title shot, his performance in front of his home crowd, as well as the exciting finishes and matchups from the night’s event, was a great lead up to UFC 145.
Along with the highly anticipated title bout between Jones and Evans, rising welterweight-star Rory MacDonald will take on dangerous British star Che Mills.
Also featured on the card will be former WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres taking on young star Michael McDonald and Former TUF competitor Brendan Schaub taking on Big Ben Rothwell.
(I have seen the future of Swedish MMA and it is pale, polite and comes with a nasty uppercut)
No one really disappointed in the UFC’s first ever event in Sweden Saturday. Swedish headliner Alexander Gustafsson won an entertaining and technical stand-up striking battle against Thiago Silva. For his part, Silva was coming off of a one-year suspension from a failed drug test and was a late replacement for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira but found success in spots throughout the fight and never stopped pushing the pace and coming forward, no matter how much damage he took.
It’s always fun to see what crowds in new UFC territory are like and the Swedish fans proved to be a pleasing combination. Think the soccer chants of British and Brazilian fans with the polite appreciation of Japanese fans (but slightly louder). When one of their own won, they roared. When one of theirs lost, they applauded the victor for their honest effort. Old dad was on the scene last week and did a great job writing about Swedish attitudes.
As he wrote, Silva was initially one of the few people to get booed in Sweden. But that had more to do with his assumed steroid use than his nationality. And by the end of his strong-willed battle against Gustafsson, the Swedish fans cheered Silva for his aggression.
(I have seen the future of Swedish MMA and it is pale, polite and comes with a nasty uppercut)
No one really disappointed in the UFC’s first ever event in Sweden Saturday. Swedish headliner Alexander Gustafsson won an entertaining and technical stand-up striking battle against Thiago Silva. For his part, Silva was coming off of a one-year suspension from a failed drug test and was a late replacement for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira but found success in spots throughout the fight and never stopped pushing the pace and coming forward, no matter how much damage he took.
It’s always fun to see what crowds in new UFC territory are like and the Swedish fans proved to be a pleasing combination. Think the soccer chants of British and Brazilian fans with the polite appreciation of Japanese fans (but slightly louder). When one of their own won, they roared. When one of theirs lost, they applauded the victor for their honest effort. Old dad was on the scene last week and did a great job writing about Swedish attitudes.
As he wrote, Silva was initially one of the few people to get booed in Sweden. But that had more to do with his assumed steroid use than his nationality. And by the end of his strong-willed battle against Gustafsson, the Swedish fans cheered Silva for his aggression.
Gustafsson was well-prepared to deal with Silva’s “in your face” style. At the opening horn Silva rushed Gustafsson but the young Swede stayed clear of danger and used footwork to circle out. It was typical of how the fight would go. Though, both fighters each landed their share of bombs. Just a few seconds into the first round, Gustafsson took advantage of Silva rushing head first into him by countering with an uppercut that floored the Brazilian. Even though the lanky Swede used his long jab well throughout the fight to keep Silva at bay, the uppercut became his most reliable punch over the course of three rounds. And, just as he did in the first round after the uppercut, Silva responded to each big Gustafsson strike landed by gathering his wits and getting back in his face. When Gustafsson’s constant lateral movement didn’t keep him out of harm’s way, his solid chin kept him in the game. Silva landed more than a few big overhand rights that landed flush on the Swede’s chin. As the fight closed, Gustafsson seemed to know he was in the lead and tried to run out the clock. Silva, though visibly tired, finished strong in his trademark fashion (think his bout with Rashad Evans), landing hard roundhouse leg kicks and one last big overhand right.
It wasn’t enough, however, and Gustafsson won the unanimous decision (30-27, twice, and 29-28).
Gustafsson continues to climb the ranks at light heavyweight. Perhaps more importantly, he dealt with the spotlight remarkably well against an elite opponent. If he continues to win it seems likely we could see Gustafsson challenge for the belt in the next year. It’s unlikely that even a title fight will put him through the emotional grinder and place the amount of pressure that headlining his nation’s first ever UFC event did. He passed that test with flying colors, staying composed and sticking to a smart strategy. Gustafsson moved to 14-1 while Silva dipped to 14-3.
At this point I should probably be surprised at how good Brian Stann is at making other strikers fight his type of fight. And a Stann type of fight is one heavy on brawling with heavy shots being traded. Alessio Sakara could not withstand Stann’s onslaught in their co-main event and got knocked clean out early in the first round of their bout. Stann started the fight bobbing and weaving behind a type of peek-a-boo guard. When he had closed the distance, Stann unleased with heavy shots to the body and head in nice dirty boxing fashion. Sakara fell to his back and Stann finished with him stiff shots from inside his guard. One shot put Sakara out and another woke him up. The referee wisely recognized that the fight was over and stepped in. It seems like the only time Stann will lose is when he’s put against a grappler. As long as he gets paired with fellow sluggers, he should continue to impress. As it stands, his record is 12-4 and Sakara’s second consecutive loss moves him to 15-9.
Siyar Bahadurzada shocked everyone with a quick KO over Paulo Thiago just as Thiago did to Josh Koscheck a couple years ago. The Afghanistan-born Bahadurzada threw a wide left hook and a short right as Thiago waded in face-first seconds into the first round. The left hand missed but the right hand clipped Thiago right on the chin, knocking him out cold and dropping him face-first onto the mat. Bahadurzada moves to 21-4 while Thiago slides to 14-4.
Dennis Siver and Diego Nunes went after each other, mostly on the feet, for three rounds. The pair combined cautious rang-finding with dramatic spinning kick and fist attacks for about the first round and a half. Siver continues to look more confident in his grappling, as he attempted multiple takedowns, but was unable to finish them. His aggression and slight edge in accuracy ended up giving Siver the advantage on the scorecards and he won a unanimous decision. Siver improved his record to 20-8 and Nunes fell to 17-3.
In other main-card action, John Maguire beat DeMarques Johnson with an arm bar in the second round and Brad Pickett submitted Damacio Page with a rear naked choke in the second stanza of their fight. James Head also took out fan favorite Papy Abedi with a rear naked choke in the first round of their welterweight bout.
More results and an amazing photo gallery from UFC photographer Josh Hedges below
Preliminary fight results:
Cyrille Diabate defeats Tom DeBlass via majority decision
Francis Carmont defeats Magnus Cedenblad via rear naked choke at 1:42 of the second round
Reza Madadi submits Yoislandy Izquierdo with a guillotine choke at 1:28 of the second round
Simeon Thoresen beats Besam Yousef with a rear naked choke at 2:36 of the second round
Jason Young wins a unanimous decision over Eric Wisely
Fast-rising superstar Alexander Gustafsson has done a good job of making the UFC take notice of his tremendous skills. Utilizing a lengthy reach that prevented Thiago Silva from working his way inside, Gustafsson came out on top in the main event …
Fast-rising superstar Alexander Gustafsson has done a good job of making the UFC take notice of his tremendous skills. Utilizing a lengthy reach that prevented Thiago Silva from working his way inside, Gustafsson came out on top in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 2 in his native country of Sweden.
Now sitting firmly in the Top 10, the young Swede has put together an impressive 6-1 record against hefty competition inside the Octagon.
Not only that, but with the event selling out in only three hours, Gustafsson proved to Zuffa brass that he has drawing power in European markets.
When a fighter produces results in the cage and at the gates, you’d better believe that Joe Silva takes notice. Gustafsson is on the verge of another step up in competition for his next fight. Here is a look at five options for that contest.
Note: Many fans are already calling for Gustafsson to get a title shot or No. 1 contender bout for his next fight. I promise you that neither of those options are on this list. Thiago Silva was unranked at the time of yesterday’s fight, as were all of Gustafsson’s former opponents. Gustafsson may or may not be ready for such an immense challenge, and if you need an example of a prospect that got pushed too far too soon, look no further than Phil Davis and his anemic performance against Rashad Evans earlier this year.
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