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UFC Newcomer Alexander Gustafsson Proving Scandinavian MMA is Growing

Alex_medium Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland haven't been hotbeds of MMA talent. Over the years, there have been a few quality fighters coming out of the region that most hardcore fans would recognize instantly, but there hasn't been a large progression over the last few years in the talent being pumped out of these countries.

Norway's Joachim Hansen is probably one of the most recognized names on the list, but among casual fans -- Denmark's Martin Kampmann would fit the bill as one of the more successful Scandanavian fighters. Sweden brought two prospects to the UFC in Per Eklund and David Bielkheden, and other prospects such as Iceland's Gunnar Nelson, Swedish light heavyweight Bobby Rehman, welterweight Diego Gonzalez, lightweight Reza Madadi, and Finnish welterweight Janne Turilinta will all likely see a bright future with bigger promotions soon.

Sweden seems to be the driving force in Scandinavia as the country is beginning to produce much more well-rounded training camps for fighters as well as produce a solid amateur and professional MMA scene for fighters to test their mettle. One of the products of this progression is Alexander Gustafsson.

Gustafsson (8-0) will make his UFC debut at UFC 105 against fellow newcomer Jared Hamman on the event's undercard. "The Mauler", as he's monikered, will have to do what his fellow Swedish fighters haven't been able to do in their stints within the promotion... become successful. Both Per Eklund and David Bielkheden have gone 1-2 in the UFC with Eklund's last loss coming against Evan Dunham at UFC 95 and Bielkheden's last loss coming against Mark Bocek at UFC 97.

Alexander won't have it any easier. He'll debut in the shark tank that is the light heavyweight division, but he has some promising talent that could truly make him a success over his lightweight countrymen. Gustafsson has finished seven of his eight opponents while punching out six of those fighters, most of them within the first round. His background in boxing is easily the key to his success, and he's been known to mix both MMA and boxing into his schedule. In fact, he defeated Swedish amateur boxing champion David Loy in a boxing match. His boxing pedigree has translated well to MMA, and his precision striking coupled with his power could make him a fan favorite quickly.

A highlight of Alexander Gustafsson and training footage for UFC 105 after the jump...

Star-divide

Gustafsson trains out of Gladius MMA in conjunction with his team, Shooters MMA. He is trained by fellow Swedish MMA fighter August Wallen, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Roy Harris. Currently, Gustafsson is said to be a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Wallen, but he also has the services of BJJ purple belt Joakim Lundgren, BJJ and Thai Boxing trainer Jesper Hallberg and boxing coach Andrew Michael

What separates Gustafsson from most light heavyweights isn't simply the fact that he's a finisher or that he has an unblemished record currently. We all know that can change quickly within the confines of the UFC. His 6'5" height inside his 205 lb. frame while unleashing fury with his lengthy reach advantage make him a very tough fight for nearly anyone. He has the reach to keep opponents at bay, but he also has the boxing pedigree to strike efficiently from range without being countered. His length will easily work to his advantage on the floor, but he's still far from seasoned in that aspect. Fans would probably liken him to a Stefan Struve in terms of his look, but Gustafsson would rather unleash a fury of combinations than grapple.

"The Mauler" will have a lot to prove at UFC 105. Could he be a fighter that ultimately proves that the Scandinavian MMA scene can produce a successful light heavyweight fighter? His height, reach, and background definitely give him some huge advantages over Hamman, but we won't know the true disparity between his own training and the North American style of training until November. History would say that Gustafsson has some long odds in being a success, but there are always outliers.


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nice writeup. always good to learn about guys emerging from around the world.

www.tapology.com | twitter.com/tapology

by GregS123 on Oct 15, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions  

The above mentioned Reza Madadi might (or might not) have problems with his future career since he is suspected and arrested for participating in the now infamous (well, in Sweden) helicopter aided robbery of a cash depot that took place in Sweden a few weeks ago.

No one is convicted as of yet, of course.

by Sventsh on Oct 15, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions  

great article Leland

Alexander is really amazing fighter. I recommend that you all watch his fight against tough Pole Krzysztof Kulak. It’s his only fight he didn’t finish, however, he took it on one-day notice and I came to Poland after a night shift at work, just to beat crap out of Kulak.

here’s the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k95lLn0P_Bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-JGXsJF5l4

also check out this show in Sweden, one of the best European promotions

http://www.superiorchallenge.com/index.php?p=old_events&u=resultat&event=8

http://www.mmarocks.pl
https://twitter.com/mmarocks_pl

by Venom77 on Oct 15, 2009 4:24 PM EDT reply actions  

He does have a refined killer instinct. Kinda fearless style. I’m super psyched for this! KRIG ALEX!

by ununkvadrium on Oct 15, 2009 6:49 PM EDT reply actions  

looks good

nice article. i’m going to ufc 105 and this is the one fight that i din’t really know anything about either fighter. He looks to have some good hands; especially that left hook, his hands do hang a little low but maybe thats just a result of his hight for that weight class. Which should be a huge plus point for him in the ufc. Now anyone know anything about Jared Hamman

by quick rick on Oct 16, 2009 3:09 AM EDT reply actions  

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