Alexander Gustafsson
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Alexander Lars-Åke Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
. He competed in the
Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight. The light heavyweight class has ...
division in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
(UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA career in the
Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight. The light heavyweight class has ...
division of the UFC, where he became a top contender and fought for the title three times. He is often regarded as one of the best mixed martial artists never to have won a UFC Championship.


Mixed martial arts career


Early career

Gustafsson started training
MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
in 2006, and before that, he trained in
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
, which he started when he was around 10 years old. He won the national championship (youth-junior level) in 2003, at the age of 16. In 2008–2009 he made a quick return to boxing, winning some amateur tournaments in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
and defeating the Swedish heavyweight boxing champion in an amateur fight. 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 the
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
in September 2009. Gustafsson also competed in the martial arts form of
shootfighting Shootfighting is a martial art and combat sport, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these being wrestlin ...
, 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 by split decision against Mats Nilsson in the Kaisho Battle 2007 event. 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. The most notable victories in his first 8 fights came against German prospect Florian Muller, who he defeated by TKO in the second round on 13 March 2008. 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 in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, on 13 September 2008, at KSW Extra. He won the fight knocking Kulak down several times, earning the unanimous decision victory. 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 by
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
in the first round. Gustafsson received his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 2019.


Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gustafsson made his UFC debut against Jared Hamman on 14 November 2009, at
UFC 105 ''UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, United Kingdom at the Manchester Evening News Arena. This event aired on the same day, via tape d ...
. Gustafsson dropped Hamman with a straight right punch and won the fight via KO at 0:41 in the first round. Gustafsson's next fight was against Phil Davis on 10 April 2010, at UFC 112. Gustafsson lost the fight via
submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
due to an anaconda choke. Prior to this, Gustafsson showed good
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
and takedown defense which
Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...
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. Gustafsson faced MMA and
kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...
veteran
Cyrille Diabaté Cyrille Moktar Diabaté (born October 6, 1973) is a retired French mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has also competed in shoot boxing and Muay Thai. He has fought at Palace Fighting Championship, Tachi Palace Fights, PRIDE, ShoXC, Deep, ...
at
UFC 120 ''UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010, at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The card featured six televised MMA bouts, as well as four un-aired preli ...
. In advance of this bout, Gustafsson traveled to
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, to train with Alliance MMA for a month. At the training camp, Gustafsson trained with notable UFC fighters like his former opponent Phil Davis,
Dominick Cruz Dominick Rogelio Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, sports analyst and color commentator. He competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the first ...
,
Brandon Vera Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977), or also known by his ring name as The Truth, is a Filipino and American retired mixed martial artist where he was the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Champion and the 2005 WEC Heavyweight Grand Prix Champ ...
,
Joey Beltran Joey Beltran (born December 9, 1981) is an American bare-knuckle fighter and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2007, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, Bellator MMA, Bel ...
and Travis Browne. He also took
grappling Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. Grappling contests often involve takedowns and ground control, and may end when a contestant concedes defeat. Shou ...
tips from Davis and worked to improve his strength and speed. 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 The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...
) in the second round. 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. Gustafsson won his second straight UFC fight on 27 February 2011, at
UFC 127 ''UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, February 26 in Nor ...
where he defeated James Te-Huna in the first round by submission due to a rear-naked choke. Gustafsson was expected to face
Vladimir Matyushenko Vladimir Vladimirovich Matyushenko (born 4 January 1971) is a Belarusian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 until 2014, he competed for Bellator MMA, the UFC, Affliction, Jungle Fight, and is the former IFL light heavyw ...
on 6 August 2011, at
UFC 133 ''UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of mun ...
. But Matyushenko pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Matt Hamill. 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. Hamill announced his retirement shortly after the fight. Gustafsson eventually faced Matyushenko on 30 December 2011, at UFC 141. He defeated Matyushenko by TKO in the first round after dropping him with a jab and finishing with punches on the ground. After the win
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
President
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
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. Gustafsson was expected to face Antônio Rogério Nogueira on 14 April 2012, at
UFC on Fuel TV 2 ''UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva'' (also known as ''UFC on Fuel TV 2'' or ''UFC: Sweden'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 14, 2012, at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Back ...
in Stockholm, Sweden, but Nogueira pulled out of the fight due to an injury and was replaced by
Thiago Silva Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fluminense. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, he is known ...
. 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 the
unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...
(30–27, 30–27, and 29–28) victory. Just like after his previous win, it was again clear that Gustafsson was in need of another step up in competition, and
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
President
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
said that his next fight would be against someone in the top of the rankings. Gustafsson faced
Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light H ...
on 8 December 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. 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). It was said that a victory over 'Shogun' Rua would likely ensure Gustafsson of a shot at the title in his next fight, 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. Gustafsson was expected to face former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
Gegard Mousasi Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. Mousasi most recently competed in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. He is also the former DREAM Light Heavywe ...
on 6 April 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 9 and it was said that a victory would ensure him of a shot at the title. However, on 30 March it was revealed that Gustafsson had suffered a cut during a sparring session. On 2 April it was announced by Swedish MMA Federation that he was not cleared to compete. Gustafsson was replaced by UFC newcomer Ilir Latifi, one of his main training partners.


Title shot

Gustafsson earned a title shot and faced UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
on 21 September 2013 in the main event at UFC 165. Despite being looked at as a big underdog coming into this fight, 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. After the fight, before being sent to hospital, 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. The fight was critically acclaimed by mixed martial arts media outlets and fighters, with many considering it to be the greatest light heavyweight title fight of all time. The fight was later named 2013 Fight of the Year by
World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...
along with various other major MMA media outlets, Gustafsson also won the prize for 2013 International Fighter of the Year. On 8 March 2020, it was announced that the fight will be inducted to UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing on 9 July. It was indicated by Dana White that he was interested in an immediate Jones vs. Gustafsson rematch, without confirming anything. Gustafsson ended up not getting the rematch after it was confirmed that Jones would be defending his belt next against
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
. 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. It was also said that Gustafsson, if victorious in his next fight, would get another shot at the title. 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.


Post title fight

At a post-fight press conference in Manchester, Dana White said that Gustafsson would be facing Antônio Rogério Nogueira on 8 March 2014, at
UFC Fight Night 37 ''UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 37'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 8, 2014, at The O2 Arena in London, England. The event was shown live in the UK on Channel 5 and BT Sport and in the ...
. He also stated that if both he and Jones won their next bouts, then the rematch would be set for the title. However, just 5 days after the fight was announced news came that Nogueira had to withdraw from the bout due to an injury. Later, reports came that said that Nogueira had never agreed to take the fight against Gustafsson at all. Instead, he faced undefeated striker
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
at the same event. 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. His performance earned him both ''Fight of the Night'' and ''Performance of the Night'' awards. On 27 April 2014, UFC President
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
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 on pay-per-view. On 24 May 2014, it was indicated that the rematch would take place in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
on 30 August 2014, at UFC 177. 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. On 2 June, the fight was still on hold, and UFC President
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
explained the situation as: "Jones doesn't want to fight Gustafsson". On 5 June 2014, the UFC confirmed that the Jones/Gustafsson rematch would take place on 27 September 2014, at UFC 178. At first, the fight was expected to take place in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, but the venue was later changed to Las Vegas. However, Gustafsson was forced to pull out of the bout due to a torn meniscus and was replaced by fellow top contender
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
. At first, a fight against Anthony Johnson was reported to be in the makings, but the bout would later be scratched by the UFC. Gustafsson was briefly linked to a potential bout with
Rashad Evans Rashad Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight division. Evans started his professional MMA career in 2003, and was the Heavyw ...
on 24 January 2015, at UFC on Fox 14. Subsequently, Evans announced he would not be ready during that time line as he was still rehabilitating a knee injury. Gustafsson instead faced Anthony Johnson at the event with the winner guaranteed a title shot against Jon Jones. 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. Gustafsson was expected to face Teixeira on 20 June 2015, at UFC Fight Night 69. However, it was announced that Gustafsson had been removed from the card due to an injury in his back. In June 2015, news then came that Gustafsson was about to be booked against
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
who recently had won the vacant title. At first, the matchup seemed to be set for 5 September 2015, at UFC 191. However, Cormier wasn't able to make it due to an injury and the fight was delayed. The title fight against Cormier took place on 3 October 2015, at UFC 192. 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. Their performance earned both fighters the ''Fight of the Night'' awards. In interviews after the fight, Cormier told reporters that the fight with Gustafsson had been the hardest of his career. As a result of the injuries Gustafsson sustained during the fight, a preliminary medical suspension was set for him until April. Gustafsson next fought Jan Błachowicz on 3 September 2016, at UFC Fight Night 93. He won the fight by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–27). A pairing with Antônio Rogério Nogueira was scheduled for a third time and was expected to take place on 19 November 2016, at UFC Fight Night 100. However just days after the fight was announced, Gustafsson pulled out of the bout citing an injury. In turn, he was replaced by
Ryan Bader Ryan Bader ( ; born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of RIZIN. He previously competed for Bellator MMA where he was the Bellator Heavyweight Champion, and still holds the record for th ...
. It was later revealed that he had sustained a back injury, which would sideline him from training and competition indefinitely. A rescheduled fight with Teixeira took place on 28 May 2017, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 109. After dominating the fight for four rounds, Gustafsson won the fight via knockout early in the fifth round. Their performance earned both fighters the ''Fight of the Night'' awards. After some time of hiatus from competition due to a shoulder injury, Gustafsson was first targeted to face Luke Rockhold, but Rockhold would have to pull out of the fight, citing an injury. Gustafsson was instead scheduled to face Volkan Oezdemir on 4 August 2018 at UFC 227. However, on 19 July 2018 it was reported that Oezdemir was removed from the bout due to a broken nose. It was reported that on 22 July 2018, Gustafsson also pulled out from the bout due to injury. 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. On 10 October, it was announced that Gustafsson would have a rematch with the returning Jon Jones on 29 December 2018 at
UFC 232 ''UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 29, 2018, at The Forum (Inglewood, California), The Forum in Inglewood, California. Background A UFC Ligh ...
for the vacant
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three. Gustafsson suffered an injured groin during the fight, as a result of a knee from Jones.


Retirement

Gustafsson next faced Anthony Smith on 1 June 2019, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 153. 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".


Return and move to heavyweight

Just a few months after Gustafsson's retirement from competition, rumors about a potential comeback were already in motion. On 7 November 2019, UFC President
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
confirmed that Gustafsson was showing interest in returning. On 11 December 2019, Gustafsson competed in a grappling match in Sweden, against Swedish MMA prospect Anton Turkalj. He was victorious by points. 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 the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
were lifted. He said that the outcome of this trip would determine if he was going to make a comeback or not. On 5 June 2020, Gustafsson announced his return to active MMA competition in the UFC as part of the heavyweight division. Gustafsson faced former UFC heavyweight champion
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
on 26 July 2020, at UFC on ESPN 14. He lost the fight via an armbar submission in round one. Gustafsson was scheduled to face
Paul Craig Paul Lindsey Craig (born 27 November 1987) is a Scottish mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2013, Craig formerly competed for BAMMA, where h ...
in a light heavyweight bout on 4 September 2021, at UFC Fight Night 191. However, a week before the event, Gustafsson withdrew due to injury. Instead, Gustafsson was scheduled to remain at heavyweight and face Ben Rothwell on 21 May 2022. However, at the end of March, it was announced that Rothwell was released from the UFC roster.


Return to Light Heavyweight

Gustafsson faced Nikita Krylov on 23 July 2022, at UFC Fight Night 208. He lost the fight via knockout early in the first round. Gustafsson was scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux on 10 December 2022, at UFC 282. However, Gustafsson withdrew due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Philipe Lins. 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." On 12 December 2024, it was reported that Gustafsson was granted his release from the UFC.


Global Fight League

On 11 December 2024, it was announced that Gustafsson was signed by Global Fight League. Gustafsson was scheduled to face former
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
challenger Ovince Saint Preux on 25 May 2025 at GFL 2. However, all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.


Training and fighting style

Gustafsson has been training in his native Sweden for the most part of his career, mainly at Allstar Training Center in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, which is run by Gustafsson himself (as a co-owner) and his head coach Andreas Michael, who is a former boxing coach and former amateur boxing coach for the Swedish Olympic team. Since his loss to Phil Davis at UFC 112, Gustafsson has also been training part-time with Davis and the others at Alliance MMA in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. After his title fight against Jon Jones at UFC 165, rumors came out that Gustafsson would leave Alliance to train only in Sweden, 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. Since then, Gustafsson has been training mainly in Sweden at Allstar Training Center, but the team has kept their close relationship with Alliance MMA in San Diego, having the two teams working together. Gustafsson and others from Allstar has travelled to train in San Diego in between fights. 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. In addition to Gustafsson and his long time training partner Ilir Latifi, the Allstar team has also added other big names from the heavier divisions. Names such as Gustafsson's former opponent
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
(who moved there after his loss to Gustafsson) and Gökhan Saki. 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. 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.


Personal life

In 2015, Gustafsson began a relationship with his present girlfriend, Moa. In 2017, the couple became engaged inside the octagon right after Gustafsson defeated Teixeira in his hometown of
Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. They have a daughter and son. He grew up in
Arboga Arboga () is a urban areas of Sweden, locality and the seat of Arboga Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 10,989 inhabitants in 2020. Overview The city of Arboga is known to have existed as a town since the 13th century but the are ...
, a small town about hour drive west of
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, together with his mother, step-father and four younger sisters. In interviews, his mother has said that she named him after
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
. He had a close relationship with his biological father, who lived in another city and was struggling with alcohol abuse. His biological father died a few weeks prior to Gustafsson's fight in London against
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
on 8 March 2014. In interviews after the fight he said he wanted to dedicate the victory to him. 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. When asked about his idols in combat sports, Gustafsson always names MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko as his biggest inspiration coming in to the sport. Gustafsson is a Christian, and he had a close personal relationship with his pastor, Wiggo Carlsson, until his death in 2012. He is a long time friend, and former occasional training and sparring partner, of two-division boxing world champion Badou Jack. With both being Swedish and Gustafsson coming from a boxing background, their paths crossed on the amateur boxing scene in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
in 2007–2008. He has often, both before and after his title fight at UFC 165, been compared to Swedish
Heavyweight boxer Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
Ingemar Johansson Jens Ingemar "Ingo" Johansson (; 22 September 1932 – 30 January 2009) was a Swedish professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1963. He held the world heavyweight title from 1959 to 1960, and was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside ...
who won the world title in 1959, focusing both on similarities and differences in their respective fighting styles. 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 for
aggravated assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result ...
, having assaulted a brother and sister unprovoked together with two accomplices, after a night of drinking. 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. He has said that it was getting involved in MMA that finally changed his life for the better. 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 a
divemaster A divemaster (DM) is a role that includes organising and leading recreational dives, particularly in a professional capacity, and is a qualification used in many parts of the world in recreational scuba diving for a diver who has supervisory respo ...
for
scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
. It was after his fight with Phil Davis he quit his regular job to fully commit to MMA. Gustafsson played a role in the Swedish mainstream movie '' Johan Falk – Blood Diamonds'' which premiered in 2015. As of 2019, Gustafsson is a part owner at the Swedish mixed martial arts promotion AK Fighting Championship. In 2021, the Allstar Training Center, of which Gustafsson is a co-owner, is expanding and opening a second training location, this time in
Torrevieja Torrevieja (; is a Mediterranean-seaside city and municipality on the Costa Blanca, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, in southeastern Spain. The city is in one of the only Spanish-speaking areas of the Valencian Community. Tor ...
, Spain.


Championships and accomplishments


Mixed martial arts

*
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
**
UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
( Fight Wing, Class of 2021) vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
1 at UFC 165
**Bonus Awards, Fight of the Night (Four times) vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
1,
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
,
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
and
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
**Bonus Awards, Performance of the Night (One time) vs.
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
**List of UFC records#Latest knockouts - By division, Latest knockout in a light heavyweight 5 round fight (1:07 into round 5) vs.
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
at UFC Fight Night 109 **UFC.com Awards ***2013: 2013 in UFC#2013 UFC.com awards, Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
1
***2015: 2015 in UFC#2015 UFC.com awards, Ranked #2 Fight of the Year *
World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...
** 2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
on 21 September
** 2013 International Fighter of the Year *ESPN **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
*Sherdog **2011 All-Violence 3rd Team **2013 All-Violence 2nd Team **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
*FoxSports.com **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
*Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Sports.com **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
*MMAJunkie.com **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
**2015 October Fight of the Month vs.
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
( UFC 192)
**2017 May Knockout of the Month vs.
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
( UFC Fight Night 109)
*SB Nation, MMAFighting.com **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
( UFC 165)
*MMAWeekly.com **2013 Fight of the Year (vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
) (UFC 165)
*Nordic MMA Awards – MMAviking.com **2011 Fighter of the Year **2012 Fighter of the Year **2013 Fight of the Year vs.
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
**2017 Knockout of the Year vs.
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
**2019 Fighter of the Decade


Amateur boxing

*International Boxing Association (amateur), AIBA: Swedish Boxing Federation **2003 Swedish National Youth Light Heavyweight Champion **2008 KP Cup Boxing Heavyweight Tournament Winner **2009 KP Cup Boxing Heavyweight Tournament Winner **2009 Tensta Box Open Heavyweight Tournament Winner


Submission grappling

*Swedish Submission Wrestling Federation **2008 Grapplers Paradise 4 −99 kg (−218 lbs) tournament winner


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–8 , Nikita Krylov , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 ,
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
, Submission (armbar) , UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 , Anthony Smith , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 2:38 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–5 ,
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
, KO (punches) ,
UFC 232 ''UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 29, 2018, at The Forum (Inglewood, California), The Forum in Inglewood, California. Background A UFC Ligh ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:02 , Inglewood, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 ,
Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 1:07 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Jan Błachowicz , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Hamburg, Germany , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 ,
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
, Decision (split) , UFC 192 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–3 , Anthony Kewoa Johnson, Anthony Johnson , TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 ,
Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. E ...
, TKO (knee and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:18 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–2 ,
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 165 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 ,
Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light H ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Seattle, Washington, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 ,
Thiago Silva Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fluminense. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, he is known ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,
Vladimir Matyushenko Vladimir Vladimirovich Matyushenko (born 4 January 1971) is a Belarusian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 until 2014, he competed for Bellator MMA, the UFC, Affliction, Jungle Fight, and is the former IFL light heavyw ...
, TKO (punches) , UFC 141 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Matt Hamill , TKO (punches and elbows) ,
UFC 133 ''UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of mun ...
, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:34 , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , James Te-Huna, James Te Huna , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,
UFC 127 ''UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, February 26 in Nor ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 , Sydney, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,
Cyrille Diabaté Cyrille Moktar Diabaté (born October 6, 1973) is a retired French mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has also competed in shoot boxing and Muay Thai. He has fought at Palace Fighting Championship, Tachi Palace Fights, PRIDE, ShoXC, Deep, ...
, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,
UFC 120 ''UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010, at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The card featured six televised MMA bouts, as well as four un-aired preli ...
, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–1 , Phil Davis , Submission (anaconda choke) , UFC 112 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Jared Hamman , KO (punches) ,
UFC 105 ''UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, United Kingdom at the Manchester Evening News Arena. This event aired on the same day, via tape d ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:41 , Manchester, England , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Vladimir Shemarov , KO (punches) , Superior Challenge 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Pedro Quetglas , TKO (punches) , The Zone FC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:08 , Gothenburg, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Krzysztof Kułak , Decision (unanimous) , KSW Extra , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Dabrowa Górnicza, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Matteo Minonzio , TKO (punches) , The Zone FC 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:52 , Gothenburg, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Florian Muller , TKO (knee to the body) , Fite Selektor , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:44 , Dubai, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Farbod Fadami , TKO (punches) , The Zone FC 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:31 ,
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mikael Haydari , TKO (punches) , FinnFight 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:50 , Turku, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Saku Heikkola , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto Finland: Chicago Collision 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:42 , Lahti, Finland ,


Grappling record


Pay-per-view bouts


Filmography


See also

* List of current GFL fighters * List of male mixed martial artists


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gustafsson, Alexander 1987 births Living people Swedish male mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Swedish practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing shootfighting Swedish Christians Martial artists from Stockholm Swedish male boxers Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century Swedish sportsmen