AFTER a nightmare 2015 that saw him lose back-to-back contender fights with Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and Daniel Cormier, UFC light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson is a man on a mission.
The big Swede pushed Jon Jones harder than any fighter before or since when they met in one of the all-time great UFC world title fights back at UFC 165 in 2013.
IMAGE: Zuffa LLC
But Gustafsson’s quest to get back into world title contention has been hampered by setbacks.
A brutal battering at the hands of Johnson on Gustafsson’s home soil in Stockholm was not only hard to take physically, but mentally, too.
But after taking a little time out to reset and rekindle his passion for the sport, Gustafsson was gifted a shot at the UFC light-heavyweight title.
But a split-decision defeat to Daniel Cormier meant ‘The Mauler’ had fallen at the final hurdle once again, and he now finds himself on the outside of the UFC 205lb title picture, looking in.
His quest now is to fight his way back into contention, and a refocused Gustafsson will look to make a major statement on Saturday night when he takes on Poland’s Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night in Hamburg.
And a big win could put him right back where he wants to be – in the thick of it at the top of the light-heavyweight division.
Watch Alexander Gustafsson take on Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night, September 3. Watch the event live on BT Sport, with the preliminary fights live on UFC Fight Pass.
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