Tag: UFC on Fuel 9

Alexander Gustafsson to Receive Title Shot With Win Over Gegard Mousasi; Henderson/Machida Remain on UFC’s Pay-No-Mind List


(“I would consider it an honor to fight a great champion like Chael Sonnen. LOL, just kidding.” Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

Not that reports like this are ever worth a damn, but in accordance with the current mood of UFC President Dana White, Swedish light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson will receive a title shot if he can beat Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 9, April 6th in Stockholm.

“If Mousasi beats Gustafsson, he skyrockets right to the top of that division,” White said today in London. “And as far as Gustafsson goes, if he beats Mousasi in that fight, he’s in line for a title shot. This is a big fight for both of those guys.”

This, of course, is an old trick — pumping up a non-title-fight main event by declaring that it has title fight “implications.” But the UFC could very likely stick to their word this time, if for no other reason than to further punish Dan Henderson for his role in sinking UFC 151 and Lyoto Machida for refusing a title shot at UFC 152. Those two poor saps will be playing second-fiddle to a couple of broads in ten days at UFC 157.

Gustafsson has won his last six fights, which ties him for #4 on the list of longest current UFC win streaks. Would a seventh win against Mousasi convince you that he’d be a threat to Bones?


(“I would consider it an honor to fight a great champion like Chael Sonnen. LOL, just kidding.” Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

Not that reports like this are ever worth a damn, but in accordance with the current mood of UFC President Dana White, Swedish light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson will receive a title shot if he can beat Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 9, April 6th in Stockholm.

“If Mousasi beats Gustafsson, he skyrockets right to the top of that division,” White said today in London. “And as far as Gustafsson goes, if he beats Mousasi in that fight, he’s in line for a title shot. This is a big fight for both of those guys.”

This, of course, is an old trick — pumping up a non-title-fight main event by declaring that it has title fight “implications.” But the UFC could very likely stick to their word this time, if for no other reason than to further punish Dan Henderson for his role in sinking UFC 151 and Lyoto Machida for refusing a title shot at UFC 152. Those two poor saps will be playing second-fiddle to a couple of broads in ten days at UFC 157.

Gustafsson has won his last six fights, which ties him for #4 on the list of longest current UFC win streaks. Would a seventh win against Mousasi convince you that he’d be a threat to Bones?

Dana White: Alexander Gustafsson Gets Title Shot If Victorious at UFC on FUEL 9

Dana White may have had a major attack earlier this week (mmamania.com) but that didn’t prevent the UFC president from making a surprising announcement regarding the UFC light heavyweight division.At a presser on Wednesday afternoon, White told re…

Dana White may have had a major attack earlier this week (mmamania.com) but that didn’t prevent the UFC president from making a surprising announcement regarding the UFC light heavyweight division.

At a presser on Wednesday afternoon, White told reporters that European sensation Alexander Gustafsson will receive a title shot if he is able to defeat former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi at UFC on FUEL 9 (mmajunkie.com). 

Some fans prematurely called for Gustafsson to receive his golden opportunity after defeating Thiago Silva in the spring of 2012. Those talks got louder in December once Gustafsson outstruck former UFC champion Shogun Rua.

The UFC has officially made a mockery of their own rankings system by promising a title shot to the current No. 3 contender. After all, a UFC 157 battle between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida sees the division’s top two going toe-to-toe, but only Hendo has been promised a title fight if he is successful.

In the hypothetical world where Machida and Gustafsson are both successful, the UFC will have witnessed the No. 2 contender defeat the man above him on the divisional ladder and the No. 3 contender defeat a guy who sits at No. 10. Under those circumstances, there is no rational logic based on rankings that would put “The Mauler” above “The Dragon” in terms of a title shot.

Does the fact that Machida has already lost to Jon Jones have an impact in this decision? Maybe. But let’s not forget that the Brazilian karate master was promised a title shot last August for his epic knockout win at UFC on Fox 4. Clearly the first title fight wasn’t too much of a hindrance back then.

How do you feel about this announcement? Is Gustafsson ready for Jon Jones? Is he the most worthy title contender regardless of the outcome of UFC 157?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FUEL TV 9 Adds Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza, Three Bouts Added as Well

The UFC’s return to Sweden will feature the return of one of the most exciting prospects to emerge from The Ultimate Fighter in recent memory. Brazilian standout Diego Brandao will face Pablo Garza in a featherweight tilt.MMA Junkie confirmed the …

The UFC’s return to Sweden will feature the return of one of the most exciting prospects to emerge from The Ultimate Fighter in recent memory. Brazilian standout Diego Brandao will face Pablo Garza in a featherweight tilt.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news, with both MMAnytte.se and kimura.se reporting the addition as well.

Brandao won The Ultimate Fighter after submitting Dennis Bermudez with a beautiful armbar, but suffered a loss to Darren Elkins in his next outing. Recently, Brandao got back into the win column by defeating Joey Gambino via unanimous decision.

The lanky Garza also bounced back with a win after defeating former title challenger Mark Hominick. Prior to that, Garza had dropped two straight in the Octagon.

Garza is known for his wrestling skills, but Brandao presents a tough matchup. The Brazilian is more than comfortable exchanging leather on the feet, but he also possesses a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Garza will need to be sharp in every facet if he wants to avoid Brandao‘s attacks. Look for Garza to attempt to drag Brandao into deep waters. as the Brazilian has struggled with his conditioning in the past.

Also added to the card is a matchup between Chris Spang and Adlan Amagov. Additionally, Reza Madadi will face Blackzilians member Michael Johnson, and Michael Kuiper will clash with “Filthy” Tom Lawlor.

UFC on Fuel TV 9 is set to take place on April 6 from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. It will feature a headliner between Sweden’s own Alexander Gustafsson and the vastly underrated Gegard Mousasi.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza Joins ‘UFC on FUEL 9? Along With Two Other Fights


(Only Brandao can make a mouthful of Tropical Skittles seem so Goddamn intimidating. Photo via MMAWeekly.) 

A plethora of fights have recently been announced for the UFC’s return to Sweden on April 6th, starting with a featherweight scrap that is all but guaranteed to deliver some high-level thrills. Since winning the TUF 14 plaque back in December of 2011 following a dominant run on the show, Diego Brandao has gone just 1-1 in the UFC, dropping a unanimous decision to Darren Elkins in his sophomore appearance at UFC 146 before scoring a UD win of his own over Joey Gambino at UFC 153. For his next appearance, the 5’7″ Brazilian will be forced to somehow negate the distance created by 6’1″ Pablo Garza, who recently bounced back from a two-fight losing streak (including a UD loss to TUF 14 runner-up Dennis Bermudez) by retiring Mark Hominick at UFC 154. 

These subtle Cake references doing anything for you guys? OK, I’ll stop.

Although Garza hinted at a drop to 135 following his win over Hominick, it appears as if he will be looking to build a little momentum at featherweight before doing so. That, or Garza came to realization that he already resembles Brian Robeson at the end of Hatchet come fight night and dropping another ten pounds would likely kill him.

Also on par for UFC on FUEL 9 is a lightweight pairing between Reza Madadi (1-1 UFC) and TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson (4-3 UFC), both of whom are coming off losses at UFC 153 and UFC 155, respectively. Middleweights Tom Lawlor and Michael Kuiper will also meet at the event. Lawlor most recently dropped a controversial decision (controversial meaning “bullshit” in this case) to the highly-touted Francis Carmont at UFC 154, whereas Kuiper last scored a second round TKO over Jared Hamman at UFC 150. 

The full lineup for UFC on FUEL 9 is after the jump.


(Only Brandao can make a mouthful of Tropical Skittles seem so Goddamn intimidating. Photo via MMAWeekly.) 

A plethora of fights have recently been announced for the UFC’s return to Sweden on April 6th, starting with a featherweight scrap that is all but guaranteed to deliver some high-level thrills. Since winning the TUF 14 plaque back in December of 2011 following a dominant run on the show, Diego Brandao has gone just 1-1 in the UFC, dropping a unanimous decision to Darren Elkins in his sophomore appearance at UFC 146 before scoring a UD win of his own over Joey Gambino at UFC 153. For his next appearance, the 5’7″ Brazilian will be forced to somehow negate the distance created by 6’1″ Pablo Garza, who recently bounced back from a two-fight losing streak (including a UD loss to TUF 14 runner-up Dennis Bermudez) by retiring Mark Hominick at UFC 154. 

These subtle Cake references doing anything for you guys? OK, I’ll stop.

Although Garza hinted at a drop to 135 following his win over Hominick, it appears as if he will be looking to build a little momentum at featherweight before doing so. That, or Garza came to realization that he already resembles Brian Robeson at the end of Hatchet come fight night and dropping another ten pounds would likely kill him.

Also on par for UFC on FUEL 9 is a lightweight pairing between Reza Madadi (1-1 UFC) and TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson (4-3 UFC), both of whom are coming off losses at UFC 153 and UFC 155, respectively. Middleweights Tom Lawlor and Michael Kuiper will also meet at the event. Lawlor most recently dropped a controversial decision (controversial meaning “bullshit” in this case) to the highly-touted Francis Carmont at UFC 154, whereas Kuiper last scored a second round TKO over Jared Hamman at UFC 150. 

The full lineup for UFC on FUEL 9 is below.

-Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi
-Philip De Fries vs. Matt Mitrione
-Mike Easton vs. Brad Pickett
-Ryan Couture vs. Ross Pearson
-Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
-Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
-Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
-Michael Johnson vs. Reza Madadi
-Akira Corassani vs. Robert Peralta
-Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef
-Adlan Amagov vs. Chris Spang
-Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare

–J. Jones

Randy Couture Willing to Address Issue of Cornering Son Ryan on UFC on Fuel Card

Randy Couture made the quick transition from UFC Hall of Famer to UFC persona non grata when he signed a deal to work with UFC competitors Spike TV and Bellator.  In and of itself this would not be a big issue; it would just be another example of …

Randy Couture made the quick transition from UFC Hall of Famer to UFC persona non grata when he signed a deal to work with UFC competitors Spike TV and Bellator.  

In and of itself this would not be a big issue; it would just be another example of UFC president Dana White cutting ties with an individual that has, in White’s mind, crossed him. However, Randy is not the only Couture in the MMA game—his son, Ryan, is an active fighter and part of the UFC roster.

Ryan is booked to face Ross Pearson in his first UFC bout, a matchup that will take place on April 6 on the UFC on Fuel TV 9 fight card.

The fight is a huge step up in competition for Couture, who is coming off a controversial split-decision victory over K.J. Noons in his last bout, and odds are that he will be leaning on his father for advice in the time leading up to the fight.

It will be interesting to see if Ryan will request his father to be one of his cornermen for the fight in Sweden.  The move will not be unprecedented, as Randy has cornered Ryan in the past, but the situation may get sticky as White proclaimed at the UFC 156 media scrum (which was attended by Bleacher Report), “He’s (Randy) not cornering him. Randy Couture can’t buy a ticket to this motherf***ing event.” 

Randy addressed the issue with Knockout Radio (h/t to MMAWeekly), saying, “I’ve helped him (Ryan) formulate some of those game plans in some of those camps and cornered him for his last three fights, so if that’s what Ryan needs and that’s what Ryan wants, then I am certainly willing to walk across that and address that issue, if Dana tries to preclude me from being a part of Ryan’s career.”

If Ryan does request Randy as a cornerman and that request is denied for whatever reason, don’t expect Randy to slink off with his tail between his legs—especially since he has been an approved cornerman for Ryan in the past.

The unfortunate part of this all is that it puts Ryan, a young fighter stepping up to the biggest stage in the sport, in an awkward situation: the middleman between the two feuding parties.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ryan Couture Reportedly Gets First UFC Fight Scheduled


(Party’s over, Ryan. Time to get back to work)

It didn’t take long for new UFC lightweight Ryan Couture to get his first bout with the organization booked, and it won’t be an easy one. According to Sherdog.com, the former Strikeforce fighter will put his four-fight win streak on the line against Ultimate Fighter Season 9 winner Ross Pearson on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, taking place in Sweden on April 6th.

Pearson is coming off of a TKO win against fellow TUF Australia vs. the U.K. coach George Sotiropoulos last December. Couture last fought and won last month in Strikeforce’s final event against KJ Noons.

Fans have wondered what type of opponent Couture would get since his signing with the UFC was announced last week around the same time his father, retired champion Randy Couture, and the organization acrimoniously split when he signed with competitors Spike and Bellator.

As is usually the case with UFC matchmaking, Couture is certainly getting a stiff challenge in the much more experienced Pearson, but he’s also getting a huge opportunity. With his experience and quality of opponents Pearson may be the favorite in this fight, but it is certainly a winnable contest for the younger Couture.

Should Ryan beat Pearson, he’d immediately make himself known as a major player in the UFC’s lightweight division. How do you see the fight, nation? And is this a reasonable first UFC bout for Couture?

– Elias Cepeda


(Party’s over, Ryan. Time to get back to work)

It didn’t take long for new UFC lightweight Ryan Couture to get his first bout with the organization booked, and it won’t be an easy one. According to Sherdog.com, the former Strikeforce fighter will put his four-fight win streak on the line against Ultimate Fighter Season 9 winner Ross Pearson on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, taking place in Sweden on April 6th.

Pearson is coming off of a TKO win against fellow TUF Australia vs. the U.K. coach George Sotiropoulos last December. Couture last fought and won last month in Strikeforce’s final event against KJ Noons.

Fans have wondered what type of opponent Couture would get since his signing with the UFC was announced last week around the same time his father, retired champion Randy Couture, and the organization acrimoniously split when he signed with competitors Spike and Bellator.

As is usually the case with UFC matchmaking, Couture is certainly getting a stiff challenge in the much more experienced Pearson, but he’s also getting a huge opportunity. With his experience and quality of opponents Pearson may be the favorite in this fight, but it is certainly a winnable contest for the younger Couture.

Should Ryan beat Pearson, he’d immediately make himself known as a major player in the UFC’s lightweight division. How do you see the fight, nation? And is this a reasonable first UFC bout for Couture?

– Elias Cepeda