Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA career in theLight Heavyweight division of the UFC, where he became a top contender and fought for the title three times.[5][6] He is often regarded as one of the best mixed martial artists never to have won aUFC Championship.[7][8][9][10]
Gustafsson started trainingMMA in 2006, and before that, he trained inboxing, which he started when he was around 10 years old.[11] He won the national championship (youth-junior level) in 2003,[12] at the age of 16. In 2008–2009 he made a quick return to boxing, winning some amateur tournaments inSweden and defeating the Swedish heavyweight boxing champion in an amateur fight.[13][14] He was set to compete in the national championship event the following year, 2010, for which he was a big favorite to win. However, his newly awakened boxing career ended when he signed with theUFC in September 2009.[15]
Gustafsson also competed in the martial arts form ofshootfighting, before starting his professional MMA career, with a Shoot record of 5–1, with 4 wins by KO/TKO and 1 by decision, his only loss came bysplit decision againstMats Nilsson in the Kaisho Battle 2007 event.[16] Before signing with the UFC, Gustafsson fought mostly in smaller promotions in Sweden and other parts of Europe. By 2009, he had racked up a perfect pro-record of 8–0, with 6 wins coming by the way of KO/TKO, 1 by submission and 1 by decision.[17][18]
The most notable victories in his first 8 fights came against German prospect Florian Muller, who he defeated byTKO in the second round on 13 March 2008.[19]
Later that year, after another TKO victory against Matteo Minonzio, he replaced his former opponent Florian Muller on less than 24 hours notice against Krzysztof Kulak, who at the time was a top prospect inPoland, on 13 September 2008, atKSW Extra. He won the fight knocking Kulak down several times, earning the unanimous decision victory.[20]
In his last fight before he was signed to the UFC, Gustafsson fought European veteran Vladimir Shemarov on 30 May 2009 at Superior Challenge 3. He won the fight byknockout in the first round.[21]
Gustafsson made his UFC debut againstJared Hamman on 14 November 2009, atUFC 105.[22][23] Gustafsson dropped Hamman with a straight right punch and won the fight via KO at 0:41 in the first round.[24][25][26]
Gustafsson's next fight was againstPhil Davis on 10 April 2010, atUFC 112.[27][28] Gustafsson lost the fight viasubmission due to ananaconda choke. Prior to this, Gustafsson showed goodwrestling and takedown defense whichJoe Rogan praised him for. After being softened up by brutal elbows, Gustafsson was sprawled by Davis and was forced to tap out at 4:55 of the first round.[29]
Gustafsson faced MMA andkickboxing veteranCyrille Diabaté atUFC 120.[30] In advance of this bout, Gustafsson traveled toSan Diego, California, to train withAlliance MMA for a month. At the training camp, Gustafsson trained with notable UFC fighters like his former opponentPhil Davis,Dominick Cruz,Brandon Vera,Joey Beltran andTravis Browne. He also tookgrappling tips from Davis and worked to improve his strength and speed.[31] After dominating the first round in stand up as well as on the ground, dropping Diabate twice, Gustafsson defeated Diabate via submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round.[32][33] In post-fight interviews Gustafsson said that the main reason for his success against Diabate was the time that he spent at Alliance MMA in the training camp.[34]
Gustafsson won his second straight UFC fight on 27 February 2011, atUFC 127[35] where he defeatedJames Te-Huna in the first round by submission due to a rear-naked choke.[36]
Gustafsson was expected to faceVladimir Matyushenko on 6 August 2011, atUFC 133.[37] But Matyushenko pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced byMatt Hamill.[38] In the 2nd round, Gustafsson dropped Hamill with a straight punch followed by two uppercuts, finishing Hamill by TKO, with punches and elbows from the mount.[39][40] Hamill announced his retirement shortly after the fight.[41]
Gustafsson eventually faced Matyushenko on 30 December 2011, atUFC 141.[42] He defeated Matyushenko by TKO in the first round after dropping him with a jab and finishing with punches on the ground.[43][44] After the winUFC PresidentDana White said that a first round finish of Matyushenko, who he referred to as a gatekeeper at the time, made it clear that Gustafsson was a force to be reckoned with and that he would get a step up in competition for his next fight.[45]
Gustafsson was expected to faceAntônio Rogério Nogueira on 14 April 2012, atUFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm, Sweden,[46] but Nogueira pulled out of the fight due to an injury and was replaced byThiago Silva.[47] Gustafsson was able to effectively use his reach and jab to largely outstrike Silva, scoring points by knocking him down early in the first round as well as scoring a takedown in the second. His dominant performance earned him theunanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28) victory.[48] Just like after his previous win, it was again clear that Gustafsson was in need of another step up in competition, andUFC PresidentDana White said that his next fight would be against someone in the top of the rankings.[49]
Gustafsson facedMaurício Rua on 8 December 2012, atUFC on Fox 5.[50] He was able to use his reach and powerful striking, as well as his wrestling, from which he was able to land six takedowns, to defeat Rua via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–26).[51] It was said that a victory over 'Shogun' Rua would likely ensure Gustafsson of a shot at the title in his next fight,[52] but since he didn't want to sit out of competition for a long time to wait for his chance, Gustafsson said he was fine with having another fight before that could happen.[53][54]
Gustafsson was expected to face formerStrikeforce Light Heavyweight ChampionGegard Mousasi on 6 April 2013, atUFC on Fuel TV 9[55] and it was said that a victory would ensure him of a shot at the title.[56] However, on 30 March it was revealed that Gustafsson had suffered a cut during a sparring session.[57] On 2 April it was announced by Swedish MMA Federation that he was not cleared to compete.[58] Gustafsson was replaced by UFC newcomerIlir Latifi, one of his main training partners.[59]
Gustafsson earned a title shot and facedUFC Light Heavyweight ChampionJon Jones on 21 September 2013 in the main event atUFC 165.[60] Despite being looked at as a big underdog coming into this fight,[61] Gustafsson challenged Jones unlike any previous contender, taking the champion down for the first time in his career, picking him apart on the feet and cutting Jones badly above the right eye early in the fight. Jones later rallied, and dominated the final rounds and in the end out landed Gustafsson in strikes, 137–114. Gustafsson ultimately lost via unanimous decision.[62][63] After the fight, before being sent to hospital,[64] Jones said Gustafsson had given him the hardest fight of his career. Gustafsson and Jones were awarded the "Fight of the Night" bonus award for their performances.[65][66] The fight was critically acclaimed by mixed martial arts media outlets and fighters,[67][68] with many considering it to be the greatest light heavyweight title fight of all time.[69][70]The fight was later named2013 Fight of the Year byWorld MMA Awards along with various other major MMA media outlets, Gustafsson also won the prize for2013 International Fighter of the Year.[71][72][73] On 8 March 2020, it was announced that the fight will be inducted to UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing on 9 July.[74][75]
I learned a lot after that fight about myself. Even if I lost that fight, I still went from basically a no one to someone to people are talking about me. It was a big turnaround in my career for sure.
— Gustafsson about his title challenge after the Hall of Fame induction[76]
It was indicated by Dana White that he was interested in an immediate Jones vs. Gustafsson rematch, without confirming anything.[77] Gustafsson ended up not getting the rematch after it was confirmed that Jones would be defending his belt next againstGlover Teixeira.[78] It was said that the next opponent for Gustafsson was not confirmed yet, but that the fight would take place in Sweden or England in early 2014.[79] It was also said that Gustafsson, if victorious in his next fight, would get another shot at the title.[80] When asked about all this, Gustafsson said that his main goal was to get another shot at the title and that he's happy to fight anybody to get there, he also said that as long as Jon Jones still is the champion, he will be the main target.[81]
At a post-fight press conference in Manchester, Dana White said that Gustafsson would be facingAntônio Rogério Nogueira on 8 March 2014, atUFC Fight Night 37.[82]He also stated that if both he and Jones won their next bouts, then the rematch would be set for the title.[83] However, just 5 days after the fight was announced news came that Nogueira had to withdraw from the bout due to an injury.[84][85] Later, reports came that said that Nogueira had never agreed to take the fight against Gustafsson at all.[86] Instead, he faced undefeated strikerJimi Manuwa at the same event.[87] He won the fight by TKO after dropping Manuwa with a knee followed by a flurry of punches in the clinch, in the second round, handing Manuwa the first loss of his career.[88][89]His performance earned him bothFight of the Night andPerformance of the Night awards.[90]
On 27 April 2014, UFC PresidentDana White confirmed that a rematch with the champion Jon Jones would be next for Gustafsson, and stated the possibility of the match taking place in a stadium in Sweden onpay-per-view.[91][92] On 24 May 2014, it was indicated that the rematch would take place inLas Vegas on 30 August 2014, atUFC 177.[93] The statement, and the time and venue, wasn't official however, since Gustafsson was the only one who still had agreed to take the fight.[94][95] On 2 June, the fight was still on hold, and UFC PresidentDana White explained the situation as: "Jones doesn't want to fight Gustafsson".[96][97][98]
On 5 June 2014, the UFC confirmed that the Jones/Gustafsson rematch would take place on 27 September 2014, atUFC 178.[99] At first, the fight was expected to take place inToronto, but the venue was later changed to Las Vegas.[100] However, Gustafsson was forced to pull out of the bout due to a torn meniscus and was replaced by fellow top contenderDaniel Cormier.[101]
At first, a fight againstAnthony Johnson was reported to be in the makings,[102][103] but the bout would later be scratched by the UFC.[104]
Gustafsson was briefly linked to a potential bout withRashad Evans on 24 January 2015, atUFC on Fox 14.[105] Subsequently, Evans announced he would not be ready during that time line as he was still rehabilitating a knee injury.[106] Gustafsson instead facedAnthony Johnson at the event with the winner guaranteed a title shot against Jon Jones.[107] Gustafsson lost the fight via TKO in the first round, marking the first time in his career that he had been stopped due to strikes.[108]
Gustafsson was expected to face Teixeira on 20 June 2015, atUFC Fight Night 69.[109][110] However, it was announced that Gustafsson had been removed from the card due to an injury in his back.[111]
In June 2015, news then came that Gustafsson was about to be booked againstDaniel Cormier who recently had won the vacant title.[112][113] At first, the matchup seemed to be set for 5 September 2015, atUFC 191.[114] However, Cormier wasn't able to make it due to an injury and the fight was delayed.[115]
The title fight against Cormier took place on 3 October 2015, atUFC 192.[116] It was a back and forth fight that saw Gustafsson land two takedowns in round 2 and also drop Cormier by a knee and following punches in the end of round 3. He lost the fight by split decision.[117] Their performance earned both fighters theFight of the Night awards.[118] In interviews after the fight, Cormier told reporters that the fight with Gustafsson had been the hardest of his career.[119][120] As a result of the injuries Gustafsson sustained during the fight, a preliminary medical suspension was set for him until April.[121]
A pairing withAntônio Rogério Nogueira was scheduled for a third time and was expected to take place on 19 November 2016, atUFC Fight Night 100.[124] However just days after the fight was announced, Gustafsson pulled out of the bout citing an injury. In turn, he was replaced byRyan Bader.[125] It was later revealed that he had sustained a back injury, which would sideline him from training and competition indefinitely.[126]
A rescheduled fight with Teixeira took place on 28 May 2017, in the main event atUFC Fight Night 109.[127] After dominating the fight for four rounds, Gustafsson won the fight via knockout early in the fifth round.[128][129] Their performance earned both fighters theFight of the Night awards.[130]
After some time of hiatus from competition due to a shoulder injury,[131] Gustafsson was first targeted to faceLuke Rockhold,[132] but Rockhold would have to pull out of the fight, citing an injury.[133] Gustafsson was instead scheduled to faceVolkan Oezdemir on 4 August 2018 atUFC 227.[134][135] However, on 19 July 2018 it was reported that Oezdemir was removed from the bout due to a broken nose.[136] It was reported that on 22 July 2018, Gustafsson also pulled out from the bout due to injury.[137] It was later revealed that Gustafsson had suffered a hamstring injury, and that the UFC was hoping for him to be back before the end of the year.[138]
On 10 October, it was announced that Gustafsson would have a rematch with the returning Jon Jones on 29 December 2018 atUFC 232 for the vacantUFC Light Heavyweight Championship.[139] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.[140] Gustafsson suffered an injured groin during the fight, as a result of a knee from Jones.[141]
Gustafsson next facedAnthony Smith on 1 June 2019, in the main event atUFC Fight Night 153.[142] He lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the fourth round. In his post-fight interview, Gustafsson announced his retirement from MMA by taking off his gloves, laying them on the floor of the octagon, and saying "The show is over, guys".[143][144]
Just a few months after Gustafsson's retirement from competition, rumors about a potential comeback were already in motion.[145][146][147] On 7 November 2019, UFC PresidentDana White confirmed that Gustafsson was showing interest in returning.[148]
On 11 December 2019, Gustafsson competed in a grappling match in Sweden, against Swedish MMA prospect Anton Turkalj.[149] He was victorious by points.[150]
In an interview on 3 April 2020, Gustafsson revealed that he was planning a training trip to the United States as soon as the travel restrictions due to theCOVID-19 pandemic were lifted. He said that the outcome of this trip would determine if he was going to make a comeback or not.[151]
On 5 June 2020, Gustafsson announced his return to active MMA competition in the UFC as part of the heavyweight division.[152] Gustafsson faced formerUFC heavyweight championFabrício Werdum on 26 July 2020, atUFC on ESPN 14.[153] He lost the fight via an armbar submission in round one.[154]
Gustafsson was scheduled to facePaul Craig in a light heavyweight bout on 4 September 2021, atUFC Fight Night 191.[155] However, a week before the event, Gustafsson withdrew due to injury.[156]
Instead, Gustafsson was scheduled to remain at heavyweight and faceBen Rothwell on 21 May 2022.[157] However, at the end of March, it was announced that Rothwell was released from the UFC roster.[158]
In a January 2024 interview, Gustafsson stated that he was training again, that he was still under contract with the UFC, and said "If I fight, it would be in the UFC."[163]
On 12 December 2024, it was reported that Gustafsson was granted his release from the UFC.[164]
Gustafsson has been training in his native Sweden for the most part of his career, mainly at Allstar Training Center inStockholm, which is run by Gustafsson himself (as a co-owner) and his head coach Andreas Michael,[168] who is a former boxing coach and former amateur boxing coach for the SwedishOlympic team.[169][170]
Since his loss toPhil Davis atUFC 112, Gustafsson has also been training part-time with Davis and the others atAlliance MMA inSan Diego, California.[171][172]After his title fight against Jon Jones atUFC 165, rumors came out that Gustafsson would leave Alliance to train only in Sweden,[173] but Gustafsson and his team later came out saying that the rumors were false and that he would still mix up his training by spending time at Alliance as well as flying people in from the United States to train with him in Sweden for his future fights.[174][175]
Since then, Gustafsson has been training mainly in Sweden at Allstar Training Center, but the team has kept their close relationship withAlliance MMA in San Diego, having the two teams working together.[176][177] Gustafsson and others from Allstar has travelled to train in San Diego in between fights.[178][179] At numerous occasions, Alliance fighters has also travelled to Sweden to be a part of Gustafsson's training camps.Phil Davis was there helping him to prepare for Teixeira, in 2017.[180][181]In addition to Gustafsson and his long time training partnerIlir Latifi,[182] the Allstar team has also added other big names from the heavier divisions. Names such as Gustafsson's former opponentJimi Manuwa (who moved there after his loss to Gustafsson)[183][184] andGökhan Saki.[185]
Gustafsson's fighting style is striking heavy. The strongest foundation comes from his boxing background. He uses good technique and fast movements with great footwork, to set up his combinations. He also uses his reach and mobility to circle and stay on the outside of his opponents range to find his own openings.[186] During his UFC career he's also made big improvements in his wrestling and grappling. His offensive and defensive wrestling is now at a high level.[187][188]
In 2015, Gustafsson began a relationship with his present girlfriend, Moa.[189] In 2017, the couple became engaged inside the octagon right after Gustafsson defeated Teixeira in his hometown ofStockholm, Sweden.[190] They have a daughter and son.[191][192][193]
He grew up inArboga, a small town about1+1⁄2 hour drive west ofStockholm, together with his mother, step-father and four younger sisters. In interviews, his mother has said that she named him afterAlexander the Great.[194] He had a close relationship with his biological father, who lived in another city and was struggling with alcohol abuse.[195] His biological father died a few weeks prior to Gustafsson's fight in London againstJimi Manuwa on 8 March 2014. In interviews after the fight he said he wanted to dedicate the victory to him.[196][197]
His nickname, "The Mauler", was given to him early in his career by training partners, referring to the powerful striking, killer instinct and aggression to finish fights.[198]
When asked about his idols in combat sports, Gustafsson always names MMA legendFedor Emelianenko as his biggest inspiration coming in to the sport.[199]
Gustafsson is a Christian, and he had a close personal relationship with his pastor, Wiggo Carlsson, until his death in 2012.[200]
He is a long time friend, and former occasional training and sparring partner, of two-division boxing world championBadou Jack. With both being Swedish and Gustafsson coming from a boxing background, their paths crossed on the amateur boxing scene inStockholm in 2007–2008.[201][202][203] He has often, both before and after his title fight atUFC 165, been compared to SwedishHeavyweight boxerIngemar Johansson who won theworld title in 1959, focusing both on similarities and differences in their respective fighting styles.[204]
Gustafsson had a troubled youth which led to him ending up in fights often as a teenager, for which he was first convicted when he was 15. As an 18-year-old in 2005, he was sentenced to prison foraggravated assault, having assaulted a brother and sister unprovoked together with two accomplices, after a night of drinking.[205][206] He was released in 2006, turned his life around, got back into training, found MMA and moved to another city to leave the trouble behind him.[207] He has said that it was getting involved in MMA that finally changed his life for the better.[208]
Before embarking on his fight career, Gustafsson had various other jobs. He was a construction worker and also worked security as a bouncer in night clubs. He also had a license to work as adivemaster forscuba diving.[13][209] It was after his fight withPhil Davis he quit his regular job to fully commit to MMA.[210]
As of 2019, Gustafsson is a part owner at the Swedish mixed martial arts promotion AK Fighting Championship.[213] In 2021, the Allstar Training Center, of which Gustafsson is a co-owner, is expanding and opening a second training location, this time inTorrevieja, Spain.[214][215][216]
^Alexander Gustafsson UFC UFC Fighter Mixed Martial Arts Fighter ">."Fighter Profile".Fight Matrix.Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved5 October 2021.
Anton Turkalj
