(Pictured left: Matt Brown’s son reacts as Tarec Saffiedine’s son kicks a corner stool in half off-camera. Photo via Getty.)
On the heels of tough losses to Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, respectively, it looks like top welterweight contenders Matt Brown and Tarec Saffiedine will meet when the UFC returns to Sweden for a TBA Fight Night event on January 24th. The bout, which has yet to be officially confirmed, was first reported by Swedish outlet Kimura.se this morning and appears to be legitimate.
Saffiedine has fought just twice since making the transition over to the UFC, picking up a unanimous decision win over Hyun Gyu Lim at Fight Night 34 before dropping the aforementioned fight to MacDonald in October. Brown, on the other hand, was riding a 7-fight win streak (6 finishes) prior to the Lawler bout at UFC on FOX 12 in July. As is the case with every Brown fight, expect fireworks for this one, Nation.
In other fight booking news…
(Pictured left: Matt Brown’s son reacts as Tarec Saffiedine’s son kicks a corner stool in half off-camera. Photo via Getty.)
On the heels of tough losses to Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, respectively, it looks like top welterweight contenders Matt Brown and Tarec Saffiedine will meet when the UFC returns to Sweden for a TBA Fight Night event on January 24th. The bout, which has yet to be officially confirmed, was first reported by Swedish outlet Kimura.se this morning and appears to be legitimate.
Saffiedine has fought just twice since making the transition over to the UFC, picking up a unanimous decision win over Hyun Gyu Lim at Fight Night 34 before dropping the aforementioned fight to MacDonald in October. Brown, on the other hand, was riding a 7-fight win streak (6 finishes) prior to the Lawler bout at UFC on FOX 12 in July. As is the case with every Brown fight, expect fireworks for this one, Nation.
In other fight booking news, featherweight scrappers Jimy Hettes and Diego Brandao have been booked to throw down at UFC 183, which also goes down in January. The former has not competed since getting absolutely dominated by Dennis Bermudez en route to a third round TKO at UFC 171 last March, whereas the latter was steamrolled by Conor McGregor hype train at Fight Night Dublin. Our prediction: Brandao via TKO (Ballpoint pen to the jugular).
(Literally every street corner in Istanbul, sans heroin.)
Want to know how I know that none of the other MMA sites who reported on this morning’s UFC/EA Gamescom presentation actually watched a second of it? Because not one of them noted that the presentation began with Bruce Buffer introducing Head of EA Sports, Andrew Wilson, and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC Europe, Garry Cook, via A GOLDEN MICROPHONE, the glossy reflection of which would have burned a hole in Thor’s retina had the albino shut-ins who go to these things allowed even a crack of sunlight into the building. And behind Buffer on the jumbotron during his epic introduction? You best believe it was a giant photo of himself in action — his eyes more piercing as the night, his suit classier than your Grandfather’s high school portrait. A visual echo, if you will.
Anyway, it was at this presentation that Cook announced the UFC’s international plans for 2014. Although he got off to a rough start when he said that mixed martial arts integrates such “popular Olympic sports as wrestling,” Cook quickly recovered by reciting some diversity stats like he was MMA Supercomputer Bjorn Rebney before laying out the UFC’s goals for 2014:
We have athletes representing 37 countries. We broadcast our events in 28 languages. And we’ve established major broadcasting partnerships in 145 countries around the world.
And in 2014, you’ll see more live events. England, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Turkey, and most importantly, we will be back in Germany in 2014.
Cook conveniently neglected to mention Scotland, which also was highlighted on the jumbotron, as among the UFC’s scheduled trips in the coming year. Man, those British sure can carry a grudge.
(Literally every street corner in Istanbul, sans heroin.)
Want to know how I know that none of the other MMA sites who reported on this morning’s UFC/EA Gamescom presentation actually watched a second of it? Because not one of them noted that the presentation began with Bruce Buffer introducing Head of EA Sports, Andrew Wilson, and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC Europe, Garry Cook, via A GOLDEN MICROPHONE, the glossy reflection of which would have burned a hole in Thor’s retina had the albino shut-ins who go to these things allowed even a crack of sunlight into the building. And behind Buffer on the jumbotron during his epic introduction? You best believe it was a giant photo of himself in action — his eyes more piercing as the night, his suit classier than your Grandfather’s high school portrait. A visual echo, if you will.
Anyway, it was at this presentation that Cook announced the UFC’s international plans for 2014. Although he got off to a rough start when he said that mixed martial arts integrates such “popular Olympic sports as wrestling,” Cook quickly recovered by reciting some diversity stats like he was MMA Supercomputer Bjorn Rebney before laying out the UFC’s goals for 2014:
We have athletes representing 37 countries. We broadcast our events in 28 languages. And we’ve established major broadcasting partnerships in 145 countries around the world.
And in 2014, you’ll see more live events. England, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Turkey, and most importantly, we will be back in Germany in 2014.
Cook conveniently neglected to mention Scotland, which also was highlighted on the jumbotron, as among the UFC’s scheduled trips in the coming year. Man, those British sure can carry a grudge.
Unfortunately, this recent announcement all but closes the door on the possibility of a Paraguay vs. Uruguay: One Guay Out season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2014. We really tried, you guys, but sometimes a petition with 7 signatures just isn’t enough. Perhaps even more befuddling than Eitherguay’s exclusion from the list of future UFC visits was the inclusion of Turkey. Then again, perhaps the move is simply part of the UFC’s plan to treat ONE FC like a child who has never played Risk before. Yes, perhaps.
One thing’s for sure: If the UFC plans on holding an event in Poland, they might want to look into the judging situation over there. I personally cannot have another one of my bets coming down to which judge is on Team Coco and which is not. My bookie has already warned me about this like three times.
(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
Silva, who is returning from a one-year suspension for submitting artificial urine to the California State Athletic Commission in an attempt to mask steroid use ahead of his UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera, was originally slated to rematch “The Truth” at UFC on Fuel 3 on May 15 before a training injury forced his opponent out of the bout. Igor Pokrajac stepped up to replace Vera, but it looks like the UFC will now have to find a replacement for the Croation.
Silva, who is returning from a one-year suspension for submitting artificial urine to the California State Athletic Commission in an attempt to mask steroid use ahead of his UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera, was originally slated to rematch “The Truth” at UFC on Fuel 3 on May 15 before a training injury forced his opponent out of the bout. Igor Pokrajac stepped up to replace Vera, but it looks like the UFC will now have to find a replacement for the Croation.
This bout definitely provides a step up for Silva in competition from his previously slated two opponents, but this isn’t the first time the 29-year-old has faced a highly-touted adversary. A win over a bright prospect like “The Mauler” could propel the American Top Team fighter, who is 1-2 and 1 NC in his past four fights, back into the mix of 205-pound UFC contenders.
Gustafsson (13-1) will have the home crowd in Sweden on his side, as well as the momentum of four-straight wins — three in the past year — inside the Octagon. Silva’s inactivity may be the biggest factor in this fight, but Gustafsson may have a chink in his armor that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt might be able to expose. The sole loss of the 25-year-old’s career came against Phil Davis via first-round anaconda choke, which makes the pairing with Silva — a known knockout artist with unheralded submission skills, very intriguing.
UFC on Fuel 2, AKA UFC Sweden Saturday, April 14, 2012 Ericsson Globe Arena Stockholm, Sweden
Main Card (Fuel TV):
Thiago Silva vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire
Preliminary Card (FX):
Diego Nunes vs. Dennis Siver
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
Papy Abedi vs. James Head
Cyrille Diabate vs. Jörgen Kruth
ason Young vs. Eric Wisely
Reza Madadi vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo
Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad
Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef
“I’m going to prove once and for all that I am the #1 Light Heavyweight in the world from theÅlandIslands to the Faroe Islands.”
It looks like the UFC’s first venture to Sweden will be a success, at least as far as live gate revenue is concerned. According to a report from MMAViking.com, tickets to the April 14th card sold out in under an hour. As usual, UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers were given first crack at tickets before they were sold to the general public.
You know as well as I do how hard it is to get people to shell out their hard-earned krona so close to Walpurgis Night, which only emphasizes how popular the sport has become in Nordic sphere. Though the capacity of Sweden’s Ericsson Globe Arena tops out at 14,000 seats, the fast sellout is reminiscent of the organization’s previous trips to Canada and Brazil.
Full line-up for the event after the jump:
“I’m going to prove once and for all that I am the #1 Light Heavyweight in the world from theÅlandIslands to the Faroe Islands.”
It looks like the UFC’s first venture to Sweden will be a success, at least as far as live gate revenue is concerned. According to a report from MMAViking.com, tickets to the April 14th card sold out in under an hour. As usual, UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers were given first crack at tickets before they were sold to the general public.
You know as well as I do how hard it is to get people to shell out their hard-earned krona so close to Walpurgis Night, which only emphasizes how popular the sport has become in Nordic sphere. Though the capacity of Sweden’s Ericsson Globe Arena tops out at 14,000 seats, the fast sellout is reminiscent of the organization’s previous trips to Canada and Brazil.
Full line-up for the event:
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
Akira Corassani vs. Jason Young
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Francis Carmont
Papy Abedi vs. James Head
Besam Yousef vs. Simeon Thoresen
Jorgen Kruth vs. Cyrille Diabate
The UFC announced today that a light heavyweight bout between former PRIDE standout Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and fast-rising Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson has been inked for the main event of UFC Sweden on April 14. The event, also dubbed “UFC on FUEL 2,” will take place at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm and will be broadcast live on FUEL TV.
“Sweden has been on our radar for a long time and on April 14, we’re excited to finally bring the UFC to Stockholm,” UFC President Dana White said today. “We’re putting together a great card for the Swedish fans. I can’t wait to get there in April!”
(“Does my breath smell like surströmming?”)
The UFC announced today that a light heavyweight bout between former PRIDE standout Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and fast-rising Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson has been inked for the main event of UFC Sweden on April 14. The event, also dubbed “UFC on FUEL 2,” will take place at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm and will be broadcast live on FUEL TV.
“Sweden has been on our radar for a long time and on April 14, we’re excited to finally bring the UFC to Stockholm,” UFC President Dana White said today. “We’re putting together a great card for the Swedish fans. I can’t wait to get there in April!”
The card also features bouts between Siyar Bahadurzada and Paulo Thiago, DaMarques Johnson and John Maguire, Jörgen Kruth and Cyrille Diabate, Magnus Cedenblad and Francis Carmont, Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara, Brad Pickett and Damacio Page and James Head and Papy Abedi.
Tickets go on sale for the event to UFC Fight Club members on Wednesday and to the general public on Friday.
