Alexander Gustafsson News

Tom Taylor - April 20, 2018

Though Alexander Gustafsson’s recent career has been somewhat hindered by unfortunate injuries, it sounds like he’s still far from the end of the road. On Thursday afternoon, the long-time light heavyweight contender and two-time title challenger took to Instagram to announce a lucrative new deal with the UFC. In the caption for this Instagram post, he also took a subtle dig at reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who has assured he’ll be retiring soon. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhw3N4dn4NL/

Tom Taylor - April 17, 2018

Riding a nice knockout win over Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson expected to get the next crack at UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Regrettably for him, Cormier is headed back up to the heavyweight division, where his career began, to battle reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Speaking on The JRE MMA Show this week, Gustafsson explained his frustration with Cormier’s temporary departure from the division. He feels the absentee champion has put the division he rules in limbo.

Justin Golightly - March 20, 2018

It just so happens that when Alexander Gustafsson is ready to come back, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is jumping up in weight to try and hold belts in two divisions. Regardless if he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, Cormier will be retiring before March of last year so he’s on his way out. This leaves Gustafsson asking what about him? He thinks he deserves to fight for an interim belt. “Me fighting [Daniel Cormier] for the real title, that opportunity went out the window. I feel I earned my spot off my last performance, but here we are. With DC moving up, the next step for me should be for an interim title. I brought it up to the UFC. Let’s see what happens. All I know is that in my situation, whoever they put in front of me next, it must be for the interim title. I feel like I’ve been taking fights and climbing ladders, climbing rankings, my entire career.”

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2018

On July 7, in the main event of UFC 226, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will return to his former haunts in the heavyweight division, where he will challenge heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic for the title. While this fight is one of the most anticipated on the UFC calendar, it has left the light heavyweight division’s top contenders without a champion to gun for. Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson is one of those contenders. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Gustafsson expressed his frustration with Cormier’s departure from the division – even if it’s only temporary.

Justin Golightly - March 8, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold’s days in his division are numbered. He has been very vocal about his imminent move to light heavyweight, as his friend and teammate Daniel Cormier moves up to heavyweight before he ends his career. As vocal as he’s been about going to 205, one man has been just as talkative about welcoming him to the division: Alexander Gustafsson. Well, be careful what you wish for, because he’s coming for that ass. “I don’t see me coming back [to middleweight], man. The weight cut is too much on me. As you get older, your bones get bigger. The last couple cuts have been pretty brutal on me. I had trouble regulating my body temperature and all that shit. It’s not fun. It’s not a fun cut anymore. I’m a different fighter at 205-pounds. That weight cut is taking a lot out of me. We had to make weight and stress out through the staging process like the old days [at UFC 221].

Drake Riggs - March 5, 2018

No time was wasted by Volkan Oezdemir as he raced his way to an early title shot in 2017. The relative unknown Swissman, Oezdemir took out three top ten contenders in the short span of just a year’s time and did so in less than twenty minutes. After earning his title shot at UFC 220, Oezdemir put up a very valiant effort early on against the light heavyweight champion and future UFC heavyweight title challenger, Daniel Cormier but ultimately came up short.

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

As Daniel Cormier heads up to heavyweight in one of the blast few big fights before he walks away from the sport, he’s not the only one changing weight classes. His teammate Luke Rockhold has announced his move to light heavyweight is ‘imminent’ and Alexander Gustafsson has offered to welcome him to the new division. Although, with a logjam of top Swedish talent at the top, it may be Gustafsson who leaves his division soon as well. “It’s a bit of a tricky situation. [Illir Latifi and Jimi Manuwa] are teammates, we are friends — close friends — first and foremost and we won’t fight each other. I want to start our discussion by making it clear that we will not fight each other, so now you all know. It’s a tricky situation, for sure. But I mean, we’ll see what happens. [Daniel Cormier] is now going up to face Stipe [Miocic], Ilir Latifi has heavyweight as a possibility. We’ll sort it out somehow. Of course we both should be able to dream of the belt and we both should get our chances to fight for the title, but we’ll see how it all turns out when we get there.”

Justin Golightly - February 23, 2018

The next move for Luke Rockhold is light heavyweight. It’s something he’s been vocal about even before UFC 211, where he suffered a loss to Yoel Romero. He’s since doubled down on the move and had already been called out by Alexander Gustafsson, which is fight Rockhold is very interested in. Still, some fans doubt his commitment or decision to move up, but the former UFC middleweight champion states that there is only one thing to keep him at 185 and that’s only for one fight: Michael Bisping. “I’m not too excited about making that weight cut again. I just don’t feel nearly as strong, powerful, quick. It takes a lot out of me. Pretty much [Michael] Bisping is the only reason I would torture myself to get back there. That’s a loss that doesn’t sit well with me. I know the UFC is very interested in that fight and will pursue it on their end. If he doesn’t accept it, there’s no reason for me to stay at 185. Mr. [Alexander] Gustafsson has reached out, opened his mouth, and that’s a fight that interests me — very much so. I like that match-up. I like every match-up at 205. There’s a lot of interesting things there and I’m not coming to play around.”

Justin Golightly - February 13, 2018

With Daniel Cormier moving up to heavyweight for his superfight with Stipe Miocic before his retirement, it left room for Luke Rockhold to make his move. Before his loss to Yoel Romero, he opened up about how he’s getting older and weight cuts are getting harder. He decided going up to light heavyweight was ‘imminent’. However, two-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson warns Rockhold that he may want to re-think his division and offered a stern warning to the former middleweight champ. “Luke Rockhold, your teammate is holding my division hostage and you think there are only easy fights at light heavyweight? If you think [Yoel] Romero hits hard, then wait till you come to the big boys. I want Daniel Cormier, and knocking you out will keep me warm in the meantime. Beware of coming up in weight because I will be standing at the front door waiting.”— Alexander Gustafsson via his official Instagram.

Justin Golightly - January 27, 2018

It’s true. Oh, it’s true. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic are going to fight and the world will probably never be the same. Despite how earth-shatteringly insane the match-up is, some people somehow still aren’t in support of it. In all things, especially in MMA, you can’t please everyone even with the most legendary of match-ups. One of those people who aren’t happy, is former UFC light heavyweight challenger Alexander Gustafsson. “Daniel Cormier is fighting Stipe [Miocic]? Well, stop running and fight me. Don’t even think about giving the fight to anyone else. I have been quiet. I had a tough time after my last fight (injury etc.) but I’m next in line and the [Cormier] fight is mine. Come on, let’s have a another dance for the fans, UFC.” — Alexander Gustafsson via his official Facebook.

Justin Golightly - December 12, 2017

As Volkan Oezdemir prepares for his title shot against Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson has just had a successful surgery and has returned to training. When he comes back, he wants another chance at UFC light heavyweight gold against whoever wins, but there is one thing he wants even more. Back at UFC 165, Gustafsson put on a Fight of the Night performance against Jon Jones, putting the GOAT candidate in more danger than he’s ever faced in his career. Regardless of what Jones was on or wasn’t on, Gustafsson wants to run it back again with Jones to find out who is better once and for all. “…A fight is a fight, right?” – Gustafsson after Helwani asked if he still wants to fight Jon Jones even if he’s (allegedly) on PEDs. #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/UmA4jfYLzX

Justin Golightly - December 6, 2017

Things have been relatively quiet in the light heavyweight division for a little while now, but now we officially have Daniel Cormier defending his title against Volkan Oezdemir early next year in Boston. Aside from Ovince Saint Preux’s fight with Ilir Latifi at UFC Charlotte and Misha Cirkunov’s scrap with Glover Teixeira at UFC Winnipeg, we don’t have any big Top 10 match-ups in the division booked. That’s all about to change soon. After a successful surgery last month, Alexander Gustafsson is back to training for his comeback. Feels good to be back at the @allstarsgymsweden after the surgery. Time to get to work and come back stronger than ever in 2018!

Tom Taylor - October 16, 2017

Though nothing is official just yet, it sounds as though the next UFC light heavyweight title fight will pit reinstated champion Daniel Cormier against surging Swiss contender Volkan Oezdemir. If this fight does go down as expected, Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson will be watching it intently, as he’s likely to be the next man in line for the winner. Speaking on the Swedish show Viaplay Fighting, Gustafsson offered up a prediction on this fight. While he was careful not to discount Oezdemir, he appears to be quite confident in a Cormier win.

Chris Taylor - October 13, 2017

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson plans to sit out and wait for the winner of Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir. Volkan Oezdemir is expected to challenge Daniel Cormier for his UFC light heavyweight title in early 2018.

Justin Golightly - September 14, 2017

The nickname that Volkan Oezdemir wears like a badge of honor couldn’t be more appropriate. Mr. ‘No Time’ has spent six minutes and 10 seconds fighting in the UFC. That amount of time is three fights combined. It’s no wonder that Oezdemir just entered into the UFC this year and he’s already knocking on the door to a title shot. Unfortunately, Jon Jones has complicated the title picture a little bit, but that’s not going to slow him down. He’s talked about Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson before, but it looks like he’s doubling down on the Swedish mauler. “I think a fight with [Daniel Cormier] or a fight with [Alexander] Gustafsson are most likely next, but I think the best option for me is to fight Gustafsson. The situation isn’t very clear with the belt, so in the mean time I would like to fight Gustafsson for the number one contender spot. Maybe after that I can fight ‘DC’ for the belt. I think because he was the champion and with what has happened to Jones, he deserves to fight for the belt. It’s a smart choice for [Gustafsson] not fight me. He’s right there for the belt too. His next fight was supposed to be for the belt, so because of that, fighting would me would be completely stupid. He will lose his spot if he fights me, he will go down and lose one year of his life.”

Tom Taylor - August 23, 2017

It seems that almost every fighter on the UFC roster has something to say about Jon Jones’ potential USADA violation, which stems from a failed test that occurred on the night of the UFC 214 weigh-ins. Some fighters think it’s time for the UFC and the governing athletic commissions to drop the hammer on the light heavyweight great. Others, meanwhile, are eager to remind fans to not to judge until all the facts have been collected. Alexander Gustafsson, one of Jones’ fiercest rivals, falls into this latter category.

Russell Ess - July 31, 2017

Volkan Oezdemir has made a very clear statement to the UFC light heavyweight division with his last two impressive performances in the Octagon. Oezdemir holds a 15-1 professional MMA record and has only had three fights in the UFC, making his UFC debut against Ovince St. Preux at UFC Fight Night 104 back in February. Oezdemir took a split decision win over St. Preux and then went on to face Misha Cirkunov in his next fight in the Octagon. Oezdemir needed just 28 seconds to KO Cirkunov in his second UFC fight. It was quick work again over the weekend for Oezdemir who went into the fight ranked #5 by the UFC against #3 ranked Jimi Manuwa. The fight lasted just 42 seconds as “No Time” scored another highlight reel KO finish over Manuwa.

Chris Taylor - July 30, 2017

Jon Jones became the first man to finish Daniel Cormier at last night’s UFC 214 event in Anaheim, reclaiming his UFC light heavyweight title in the process. Jones and Cormier went back and forth during the opening two rounds of their highly anticipated UFC 214 main event scrap, with many fans and analysts scoring the fight 19-19 heading into round three.