UFC President Dana White is less than thrilled about the Swedish MMA Federation’s decision to pull Alexander Gustafsson from the UFC on FUEL 9 main event on Tuesday. Additionally, he has photographic evidence to plead his case, even though any hop…
UFC President Dana White is less than thrilled about the Swedish MMA Federation’s decision to pull Alexander Gustafsson from the UFC on FUEL 9 main event on Tuesday.
Additionally, he has photographic evidence to plead his case, even though any hope of “The Mauler” facing off with Gegard Mousasi on Saturday is long gone.
This pic was taken of Gustafsson today and u can’t even see the cut!!! Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull fight twitter.com/danawhite/stat…
Needless to say, Gustafsson looks good as new in this picture, which is not all that surprising given the cut below his left eyebrow required just three stitches.
After all the talk of PRIDE star Wanderlei Silva filling in for Gustafsson turned out to be an elaborate April Fool’s joke, White revealed Tuesday evening that Ilir Latifi has been tapped as the replacement.
Latifi is a training partner of Gustafsson and enters the main event fight with a record of 7-2-1, winning four of his last five fights.
His sole loss during that span came to current Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament winner Emmanuel Newton in a bout under the Shark Fights banner during 2011.
“The Sledgehammer” faces a stiff test in Mousasi, currently undefeated (5-0-1) in his past six fights and holding wins over Hector Lombard, Melvin Manhoef, Mark Hunt and Ronaldo Souza in his 10-year career.
Also worth noting is that Mousasi is a former DREAM and Strikeforce champ who makes his UFC debut as the No. 10 fighter on their official light heavyweight rankings.
Given this unique set of circumstances leading up to this event, who is to blame for Gustafsson ultimately not being able to compete in this highly-anticipated match up?
During Thursday’s (March 28) passes as we ran wrestling exercises I lost my balance and pitched eyebrow in a very unfortunate way when I hit my head on one burpelaren. Immediately after it happened, I went to the hospital and sewed three stitches. I was quite prepared to compete until the doctors called and told me that cut is unfortunate and will not have time to heal in time until the gala.
It is of course extremely sad when träningscampet has gone very well. In addition to the eyebrow, I am in my best form and completely ready for the match. It is also sad for my opponent, Gegard Mousasi, who has also been training long and hard for this match.
I and my team have done everything we can to get set up and race despite the injury, but the decision is unfortunately not in our hands. I am extremely sorry for this and I feel with Gegard Mousasi. I also suffer with the fans who have been looking forward to this event and this match. Would also like to thank my entire team who have helped and supported me all the way. The next step now is that I sit down with the team and planning the future.
As you know, Gustafsson was eventually replaced by training partner Ikea Laticifer (or something like that), which would be fine and all, had Dana White not tweeted this photo of Gustafsson just hours ago…
(“Tell me, was it regular print or construction paper that was responsible for that boo-boo?” – Martin Kampmann’s axe wound.)
During Thursday’s (March 28) passes as we ran wrestling exercises I lost my balance and pitched eyebrow in a very unfortunate way when I hit my head on one burpelaren. Immediately after it happened, I went to the hospital and sewed three stitches. I was quite prepared to compete until the doctors called and told me that cut is unfortunate and will not have time to heal in time until the gala.
It is of course extremely sad when träningscampet has gone very well. In addition to the eyebrow, I am in my best form and completely ready for the match. It is also sad for my opponent, Gegard Mousasi, who has also been training long and hard for this match.
I and my team have done everything we can to get set up and race despite the injury, but the decision is unfortunately not in our hands. I am extremely sorry for this and I feel with Gegard Mousasi. I also suffer with the fans who have been looking forward to this event and this match. Would also like to thank my entire team who have helped and supported me all the way. The next step now is that I sit down with the team and planning the future.
As you know, Gustafsson was eventually replaced by training partner Ikea Laticifer (or something like that), which would be fine and all, had Dana White not tweeted this photo of Gustafsson just hours ago…
(“This pic was taken of Gustafsson today and u can’t even see the cut!!! Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull fight.” –DW, echoing the sentiment of Martin Kampmann’s axe wound via his Twitter.)
Now, far be it from us to disagree with the opinions of Sweden’s finest doctors, but we’re still three days out from UFC on FUEL 9. You mean to tell us that the man above is not medically fit to continue? Gustafsson’s cut required a mere three stitches to seal, stitches that — if the above photo is any indication — have long since been removed.
Granted, a good punch from Mousasi would have likely split that thing wide open, but damn, now we are stuck with a main event pairing a UFC rookie against a 7-2 unknown and a co-main event featuring another UFC rookie battling a mid-tier lightweight/featherweight. It’s pretty much the nadir of garbage-ass by UFC standards.
Let’s just hope this event pulls a TUF 16 Finaleand completely blows our expectations out of the water. Just don’t hold your breath waiting.
UFC on FUEL TV 9 will be this Saturday, April 6 from Stockholm, Sweden. The narrative has changed direction. Instead of the hometown hero fighting for a title shot, we now have incredible opportunity for unproven fighters. The headlining debutantes&nbs…
UFC on FUEL TV 9 will be this Saturday, April 6 from Stockholm, Sweden. The narrative has changed direction. Instead of the hometown hero fighting for a title shot, we now have incredible opportunity for unproven fighters. The headlining debutantes have a rare Hollywood-esque opportunity to walk out of the shadow of obscurity into instant-contender light.
When the Swedish star, Alexander Gustafsson, pulled out of the fight with a deep gash over his eye, a late replacement was needed. The UFC tapped an unknown Swedish teammate. While this seemed improbable when this happened in the film Warrior, apparently it also happens in real life. In the main event, GegardMousasi will be staring across the cage at…IlirLatifi.
Latifi is 7-2 and has never fought in a major promotion. Will he be able to pull off a Brendan Conlon or will he be fodder for the dangerous and proven Mousasi?
Mousasi has held titles in other organizations. Prior to his loss to King Mo and a pedestrian performance against Keith Jardine, he was heralded as a top-10 pound-for-pounder. Headlining a main event is his big chance to make a name for himself in the UFC universe, so Latifi can expect a true battle on his hands.
The son of an icon is either being thrown to the wolves or being given a chance to be an instant star. Ross “The Boss” Pearson will be the obstacle to overcome for Ryan Couture. Ryan debuting on a main event with a dubious 6-1 record is curious. Two of his wins were via split decisions, and one was a majority decision, so his record has been blessed by some favourable judging. Few people scored his latest controversial win over K.J. Noons for Couture.
His dad is the affable, overachieving “Captain America.” The son has a chance to forge his own legacy with his own skill set on Saturday night. Just as Papa did it, (as an underdog against VitorBelfort), he will have to earn it the hard way.
Ross is coming off the biggest win of his life against George Sotiropoulos. Pearson is a hard-hitting, aggressive, legitimate UFC fighter. With six UFC wins, he is no can to be crushed to hype new talent. On paper, despite the rookie having the more famous name, this is a matchup that favours the veteran.
Wins for either of these two underdogs will be against legitimate competition. This is truly a chance to write a Hollywood script and also an opportunity for the cruel truth of reality to put the freeze on the dreams of two aspiring stars. I hope the Stockholm Museum of Art has enough steps to properly condition Latifi. Both of these two upstarts will need all the Hollywood magic they can get.
It took a little while, but the dust finally settled on the main event of UFC on Fuel 9. Gegard Mousasi has an opponent for his organizational debut, and it is Alexander Gustafsson’s training partner Ilir Latifi.An unfortunate accident caused a cu…
It took a little while, but the dust finally settled on the main event of UFC on Fuel 9. GegardMousasi has an opponent for his organizational debut, and it is Alexander Gustafsson‘s training partner IlirLatifi.
An unfortunate accident caused a cut on Gustafsson and forced the potential no. 1 contender out of action. A string of April Fool’s jokes and confusion left the main event in doubt. Latifi stepped up, and the show goes on.
Twelve more fights line the card in Sweden. What it lacks in name value, it surely makes up for in potential action. It will all come to you free via Facebook and Fuel this Saturday.
Here is a look at the odds and predictions heading in to the ninth installment of UFC on Fuel.
This is the second article in my Best of the Best series, examining fighters who best demonstrate one facet of the fight game in MMA. The previous piece was Anderson Silva’s Thai Clinch.One of the topics I am most often asked about is head movement. Wh…
This is the second article in my Best of the Best series, examining fighters who best demonstrate one facet of the fight game in MMA. The previous piece was Anderson Silva‘s Thai Clinch.
One of the topics I am most often asked about is head movement. What is the place of head movement in MMA and who is particularly effective in using it? Obviously we can point to examples of good head movement such as Anderson Silva, FedorEmelianenko and B.J. Penn, and we can point to fighters who lack head movement, such as Nick Diaz and Diego Sanchez.
We can even point to fighters who use head movement all the time except when they attack, at which point they stand bolt upright—an ailment I have affectionately named Rashad Evans syndrome. But the question of when head movement is appropriate is an equally important one.
B. J. Penn’s overly enthusiastic focus on head movement numbed him to correct use of range, and his footwork suffered because of it—making him a sitting target for low kicks and body shots. This is an example of how excellence in one area of the striking game does not mean that a fighter has “excellent striking” as a whole.
A few more examples are Mark Hunt slipping straight into Cro Cop’s left high kick during their match in K-1 and Marlon Sandro attempting to slip a salvo of half effort punches from Pat Curran, only to lean into a fight-ending high kick.
Someone who does use head movement incredibly effectively in MMA is Ross Pearson, who meets Ryan Couture this weekend in Sweden. Today I want to focus on just one movement that Pearson performs well, in a sport where it is exceptionally dangerous to attempt: the inside slip.
To understand just how dangerous a great inside slipper can be, take a look at Jersey Joe Walcott’s knockout of Ezzard Charles to win the heavyweight title. This is possibly the greatest one-punch KO of all time, and it is to my mind certainly the best finish in heavyweight title history.
Whenever you speak to a new coach, terms change and pairs are often reversed. An inside slip to some might be a slip to the inside of one’s own stance (right for an orthodox fighter), but I use the term to describe slipping to the inside of an opponent’s jab (to the left for an orthodox fighter vs an orthodox fighter).
Slipping inside of an opponent’s jab, rather than towards the outside of it, is a good deal more dangerous because it carries a fighter’s head towards the opponent’s cocked right hand. If you want to see just how badly this can go wrong – watch Quinton Jackson lean straight into Wanderlei Silva’s right hook at the end of their second bout.
Yes, to slip inside of an opponent’s jab takes some guts to attempt and a good understanding of what the opponent is most likely to do. Anticipation, speed and common sense are the keys to success with this position.
If it is so dangerous and so taxing, why bother? Because of the wonderful counter punches which suddenly open up from this position. Some of the most memorable knockouts in boxing history have come from “inside position”. It is a wonderful method to close the distance for a fighter who excels with the lead hook (such as Pearson).
There are numerous ways to alleviate some of the dangers of the inside slip. One can bring the right elbow across the face to act as a hand destruction should the opponent punch the elbow, or one can extend the right hand, palm open, to pin the opponent’s right forearm to his chest—preventing him from striking during the slip (a favourite of Archie Moore).
Most fighters who use the inside slip have success almost entirely because of good timing and anticipation, however. Ross Pearson is no different. Pearson excels against opponents who will attempt to engage him with jabs, where he can use his inside slip to maximum effect.
George Sotiropoulos was a fantastic stylistic matchup for Pearson in this respect. Sotiropoulos‘ jab is sharp and hard, but he lacks combination punching skill and as such attempted to pot shot Pearson. Throughout the fight, whenever G-Sot thrust in a rapier-like jab, Pearson would slip to the inside of it and change level.
In the early going, this led to the two men colliding with Pearson’s head in G-Sot’s sternum.
As the match progressed, Pearson would land effective offense both with his right hand during the slip and using the slip to coil himself for the left hook.
In addition to a nice right hook to the body, Pearson will also use a right hook to the temple combined with an inside slip. If he successfully slips his opponent’s jab the right hook travels over the top in a Cross Counter, probably the most effective knockout punch in the boxing arsenal and a favourite of Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt among others.
Pearson is at his best, however, when he has his range and timing down and is using the inside slip to coil his brilliant left hook. Notice how deeply he slips, making it extremely hard for his opponent to follow him with a right hand. This is a far deeper slip than when he is using his right hand to counter simultaneously.
Mike Tyson is remembered for almost always slipping to his opponent’s power hand side first, but was tough to hit because of how deep his slip was.
Ross Pearson relies very heavily on this inside slip and his level changes, however. When Ross is forced to stay upright he has been hit hard and finished before. Cub Swanson used the threat of wild, winging head kicks to keep Pearson standing upright, where his lack of effective footwork makes him easy to hit.
EdsonBarboza was also able to nail Pearson with punches off of a blocked kick. Even G-Sot was able to wobble Pearson with a stiff jab after forcing him to reconsider his regular strategy with a wild front kick at Pearson’s head.
Why does this work so well? If Pearson slips into a shin bone, foot or knee, his forearms are not going to be able to absorb the force of the kick and he will probably eat much of the force with his head as it moves to meet the attack. Forcing Pearson to engage in a kickboxing match limits his options and makes him an easy target. Boxing with Pearson is generally going to get a fighter hurt with tight counter punches.
Jack Slack breaks down over 70 striking tactics employed by 20 elite strikers in his first ebook, Advanced Striking, and discusses the fundamentals of strategy in his new ebook, Elementary Striking.
Eight days ago the unthinkable happened as Swedish MMA superstar Alexander Gustafsson was in the midst of his final preparations for fellow European standout Gegard Mousasi at UFC on Fuel 9. Gustafsson slipped during wrestling training and propelled hi…
Eight days ago the unthinkable happened as Swedish MMA superstar Alexander Gustafsson was in the midst of his final preparations for fellow European standout Gegard Mousasi at UFC on Fuel 9. Gustafsson slipped during wrestling training and propelled himself face-first into the surrounding cage.
In the aftermath he was shaken, embarrassed and the proud new owner of a large cut under his left eyebrow. About to compete in front of his countrymen for the second time, Gustafsson was crushed, telling fans in a statement:
I am extremely sorry for this and I feel for Gegard Mousasi. I also suffer with the fans who have been looking forward to this event and this match.
News began to spread over the weekend that Gustafsson would not be able to compete. As fans processed the shock, a single voice, purportedly one of calm reason, came to the forefront of the discussion about what to do next—that of UFC president Dana White. Using his favored media proxy, MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, White attempted to ease fans’ fears.
“Gus is still fighting! It’s April fools,” he told Helwani. “Stay of twitter and the net today!”
Of course, that didn’t end up being true. Despite White’s casual nonchalance, Gustafsson’s bad cut wasn’t going anywhere, and it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke at all. White must have known that Gustafsson was cut by the time he spoke with Helwani on Monday—after all, media insiders and even most fans, thanks to the great Swedish site MMA NYTT, had known for a full day at that point.
But instead of honestly discussing the situation, the UFC chose to deflect and delay, costing themselves crucial credibility. The Swedish MMA Federation had already examined Gustafsson’s cut over the weekend and declared with complete confidence that they would be cancelling the fight this week, saying the odds were “99% he will not be medically approved.”
Yet, like Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber, Dana White was apparently left with only one thought: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” They, in fact, were not. They were clearly saying Gustafsson was out.
As a fight-game veteran, White should have seen the cut and known immediately that there would be no fight. But he’s so used to being told “yes” at this point in his life that “no” doesn’t process. And it’s made him a shaky source for UFC fans.
Rewind to October of last year. As widely reported at the time, UFC fighter Jeremy Stephens was arrested at his Minneapolis hotel for assault charges stemming from an altercation in Des Moines, Iowa. White responded to media reports that Stephens’ fight with Yves Edwards that night would likely be cancelled with righteous anger.
“OMFG!!! YES Jeremy Stephens is fighting tonight! At no point did ANYONE from UFC say he wasn’t,” White wrote on Twitter. “Some media jackasses said he wasn’t.”
Stephens didn’t end up fighting that night. Nor should the UFC have bent over backwards to try to spring him from jail to compete in a cage fighting competition that very night. But that’s a story for another day. For our purposes here, it was another sign of the degradation of trust between the UFC brass and their loyal fans. Dana White’s word wasn’t always bond.
The paying audience is finally catching up to the fighters and managers who have known you can’t always take White at his word for years. Karo Parisyan was one of the first who was promised a title shot that never materialized. Since his assumption of unfulfilled No. 1 contender status, plenty of others have been proclaimed top contender, only to see the UFC renege on its promise when something potentially more lucrative came up.
Ask Anthony Pettis, the former WEC lightweight champion. The UFC built an entire show around guaranteeing a title shot to whoever won a bout between Pettis and Ben Henderson. When Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a draw, Pettis was dropped from the equation. More than two years later he’s yet to compete for a UFC championship.
Pretty much every serious contender in the light heavyweight class has suffered through similar shenanigans. Look at Gustafsson. If you’ll note, he wasn’t scheduled to fight Jon Jones for the belt. He was in against newcomer Mousasi, despite a promise from White late last year that his fight with former champion Mauricio Rua would be for a shot at glory.
“If Alexander can beat Shogun, he’d get the shot. If Shogun wins, he gets it.”
That was White in December, ages ago in the hyperactive mind of the UFC president. After all, just months prior, in August, he had made a similar promise to competitors on the UFC on Fox 4 card in Los Angeles. He promised that the light heavyweight who emerged from that show with the most impressive performance would get a title opportunity.
That man ended up being Lyoto Machida. But that was when White needed a gimmick to help draw fans to the show on Fox. Once those tickets were sold and televisions turned on, all bets were off. Everything in the UFC is based on emotion and very much in the moment. And because there is no athletic architecture, opportunities come and go at a whim.
Machida, for example, saw his title shot vaporized when he refused to cash it in on just a couple of weeks notice as an injury replacement for Dan Henderson. That angered White, a man who expects an instantaneous “yes” from anyone in his employ, whether it is in their self interest or not.
Instead, Machida ended up in yet another title eliminator with, wait for it, Henderson, who lost his opportunity to a knee injury. At the moment, Machida is the current top contender for a shot at the winner of the UFC 159 bout between Jones and Chael Sonnen. Anyone who believes that is written in stone, however, simply hasn’t been paying attention.
Bloody Elbow’s Josh Nason put it best when White yanked a title shot out from underneath Carlos Condit in 2011, giving it instead to Nick Diaz:
White needs to be careful about promising things, supporting those promises and then changing his mind. There are times I wish he would simply say that title shots are given on a ‘what do we need’ basis. It’s been that way for a while, we all know it and have benefited from that attitude. Drop the pretense of rankings or that shots are earned. They are given and can be taken away based on simple business needs.
The fight promotion has been a shady place since the first time someone knew they could make money off it. Perhaps I’m too idealistic to think that word is bond these days, but myself and others took White at his word and you can see where that got us. It’s not the first time it’s happened and unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last.
And so here we are. Fans and media members, even the most steadfast ones, aren’t able to trust the UFC when it makes announcements or proclamations. As The Classical’s Tim Marchman points out, it’s an organization shrouded in secrecy.
Its chief decision-maker when it comes to making fights, vice president Joe Silva, isn’t available to the press. The owner also eschews most media. That leaves White, a minority owner with just a small part to play in day-to-day operations, to make each and every press appearance, often in a combative, bombastic style that ends up being completely and totally wrong.
Earlier, my colleague Jeremy Botter argued that it’s time for the UFC to modernize its drug testing procedures. I stand with him in this but add another potential change to the list—it’s also time for the UFC to adopt a more transparent approach to its media relations and matchmaking.
That would eliminate the need for White to make so many unfulfilled promises. It would leave less mystery to the process, allowing fans to get excited, rather than skeptical, when the UFC makes an announcement. It will bring back trust and eliminate much of the spectre of professional wrestling and boxing, the two pursuits the UFC is most often compared to, rarely in a flattering fashion.
The sport can’t stand as a serious athletic pursuit without a more open, formal and logical approach to title contention and matchmaking.
UFC on FUEL TV 9 will be this Saturday, April 6 from Stockholm, Sweden. The narrative has changed direction. Instead of the hometown hero fighting for a title shot, we now have incredible opportunity for unproven fighters. The headlining debutantes have a rare 
