What The Heck Happened To Alexander Gustafsson?

Alexander Gustafsson was once on the verge of becoming UFC champion, pushing legends like Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier to their limits. But what happened to "The Mauler"? In this video, we dive deep into his meteoric rise, heartbreaking losses, and his eventual decline. Is Gustafsson still one of the greatest, despite never capturing UFC gold? Watch as we uncover his story, and let us know-does he deserve a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame?
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#ufc #alexandergustafsson

[@andreborz4116]

Mauler was done after Jones 2. After this match he never been himself in octagon again, the hunger for Gold, the self confident was gone forever with that fight. Sad but true.

[@a_ya5555]

Hard to be optimistic when you're robbed in the first fight and don't really have any high level judo, wrestling or other mat skills. A purple belt in bjj is not enough for holding a title at lhw imo. If he was multiple bjj black belt that is something more for him that could have given him more of an edge but it takes high wrestling caliber too imo

[@Iamhandsome1818]

@@a_ya5555you must be stupid to think that jones vs gus 1 is a robbery 🤡 .

[@zi326]

I would say he was done already walking into that fight. Smith, Santos and Reyes all did much better against Jones after that and I doubt any of them would have stood a chance against Gustafsson in his prime.

[@raensaeck]

I think having to fight someone testing positive on doping kinda ruined the sport for him

[@danfors1333]

Yeah, he lost that second fight in such a frustrating way that it was difficult for him to invest himself emotionally in any more fights. Early in 1st round Jones gave him a very sneaky knee below belt and the edge of the jockstrap injured the side of his groin so that he had zero use of his leg. He was a sitting duck rest of fight for Jones to do target practice on. It's the kind of stuff that makes a gamer rage quit, throw gamepad through TV screen and yell until neighbor complains.

[@corruptedhooman3268]

I feel bad for the man honestly having to fight a roided up to the gills jones twice and coming so close in the first he really deserved better

[@danfors1333]

In the second fight against Jones he got hopelessly injured just one minute into round 1. Jones did a cheap shot knee to the groin and the edge of the protection cup slid and damaged Gus so that he had zero use of his leg. He stood stationary being easy target with no ability to kick or doing any heavy punches rest of fight. His only remaining weapon being harmless jabs and that won't do against Jones so he lost in the 3rd.

[@toogoodtobeshoe1748]

Dude that finish of Glover was one of the cleanest LHW finishes I’ve ever seen. So crispy.

[@josephruhinda5591]

Oh yes he deserves to be in the UFC HOF

[@UFCfighterclips]

Totally agree with you! 🙌 His battles with the best of the best, like Jones and Cormier, were legendary. He definitely left a mark on the sport! 💥

[@mikeso2084]

No

[@raging100]

As a swede i can confirm that his downfall was mostly his head coach’s fault. He is a decent BOXING coach but when it comes to MMA he lacks many aspects. So alexander refusing to switch team was the start of his downfall especially after the first jones fight. There’s no way to sugar coat it

[@JG-vp5qx]

Are you crazy. Coming from a small country like Sweden and fight for the title 3 times is unbelievable good, both Alex and the team are legends

[@martinfrostevall7583]

Agree Their partnership took them to a certain level but never the highest. Andreas Michael is no firaz or danaher. To emotional coaching in the octagon. Coaching in the 1st jones fight was a frustrating disaster!

[@mikeso2084]

You sound like all the papers, in Sweden, at the time. Excuses was all he had after JJ2

[@danfors1333]

His loss against Rumble was a huge devastating coach blunder. Rumble overheard the coach's instructions to Gus between rounds and knew exactly what to expect and counter. It was really stupid of the coach to give instructions loudly in English for everyone to hear. Had he spoken in Swedish Rumble would have been clueless.

[@stephenbrand5661]

That first round loss against Rumble in Stockholm absolutely crushed him, it was brutal to watch him get destroyed so quickly in the main event of his country's first UFC show.

[@danfors1333]

A huge coach blunder that alone might have caused the end of Gus career. A Swedish coach choosing to loudly speak english to his Swedish fighter between rounds so that the American fighter overhears everything and knows exactly what to counter. Incredibly stupid and easily avoidable. I get annoyed whenever I hear young Swedes talk 50% English with other Swedes for no good reason other than to seem cool and international. It reminds me of that fight.

[@a_ya5555]

What happened was THE UFC ROBBED HIM OF THE TITLE IN THE FIRST JONES FIGHT. Just liked they robbed Santos and Reyes against jones and continually let jones use steroids thus giving him an endurance advantage. Having said that Alex's judo wasn't that good and his bjj wasn't black belt level, his wrestling wasn't upper tier and most of those things needed to be a lot better to reign at lhw or even hw. Aspinal has top tier judo, high level wrestling and great boxing for instance. Gus had boxing, timing. If he wants to make a comeback then he will need to train with monsters like Ante Delija an such. Then he will get smashed around and learn. He will need money to pay the high level fighters to train with him. Does he even have it???

[@UFCfighterclips]

@annna6553 Yeah, a lot of people feel like Gustafsson was robbed in that first Jones fight. It was so close, and with everything surrounding Jones' steroid issues, it’s hard not to wonder "what if." You’re right about Gus's skill set, his boxing and timing were incredible, but when you compare him to fighters today, like Aspinall with that top tier wrestling, you see where the gaps were. If Gustafsson does want to come back, he’d need to go through some serious training with high-level guys.

[@a_ya5555]

@@UFCfighterclips the thing is quite a few guys had the arts mastered, Fedor, Noguiera, etc early on. I don't know why these 7 years ago ufc fighters were such one trick ponies that didn't have more skills. I think the ufc was weak because of this in many aspects and why some of their champs would avoid wrestlers that also had great striking. If other fighters had those things the ufc wouldn't sign them and or their champions would avoid them or were sandbagging in lighter weight classes while being 6'4 or 6'5

[@seanmiller7889]

I certainly ejoyed watching all of Alexander's fights. Might be the best #2 of alltime.

[@mikkenieminen9603]

Gustafsson won over jones . affirmative action gave the win to jones

[@MrDaigoRiki]

Jone Jones vs Gusstafsson was one of the greatest fight.

[@UFCfighterclips]

I agree.

[@TheErolking]

He was so close to beat the goat

[@Mificusuhejc]

He beat both Blachowicz and Teixeira who both went on to become Champs

[@UFCfighterclips]

He deserve to be in the HOF for sure.

[@Mike-jm4gg]

RIP Anthony Johnson😢

[@thehackmusician]

Whether it's one huge war or bad head movement over a career, head, trauma is real and there is a tipping point.

[@UFCfighterclips]

Head trauma is definitely a serious issue in combat sports, and fighters like Gustafsson, who have been through multiple wars in the octagon, are at risk. Whether it's a single brutal fight or years of small impacts, it all adds up. Protecting fighters' long term health is crucial, and as much as we admire their toughness, it's important to recognize the toll this takes on their bodies.

[@thehackmusician]

@@UFCfighterclips totally, there's going to be a lot of dudes getting lost in the supermarket in their '50s

[@UFCfighterclips]

Haha, yeah, at this rate, we might need a GPS section just for former fighters in supermarkets! 🛒

[@thehackmusician]

@@UFCfighterclips I'd use it

[@damianedwards8827]

This is the guy who beat Jon jones

[@mr.tiddles1779]

GOOSESTOFFSON!!!!! lmao, fun vid

[@UFCfighterclips]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😄

[@joanneswafford8268]

Hell yeah

[@JamalTouil-d2z]

No it wasnt Jon Jones. It was Anthony Johnson. He made him cry in the ring. He beat him up really bad.

[@UFCfighterclips]

R.I.P 😢

[@christianf7740]

Do you really believe that he cried because of the beating? If so, try think again!

[@CreatedFast]

He lost the motivation after Jon Jones 2 and found other interests like hunting etc. Kept on fighting though because people wants him to + payment

[@UFCfighterclips]

Yeah, it’s tough to keep that fire burning when you’ve already given it everything you have. It’s good he’s found new interests like hunting, but I get why he’d still fight for the fans and a paycheck. Gotta do what you gotta do!

[@danielalexander2824]

SIMPLE. HE RETIRED

[@ve2430]

Rumble broke him

[@UFCfighterclips]

Yes, he did, it was a crazy fight

[@rainman80501]

Gustafsson had some great fights, he was a good competitor. But no, I don't think that he belongs in the UFC hall of fame. There are so many other fighters with higher accolades than Gus.

[@UFCfighterclips]

Fair point!

[@mattiasandersson8693]

If cerrone gets in, he gets in imo

[@HPloveCraftsCat1352]

You keep that same energy when journeymen Donald Cerrone and Matt Serra are both there? The UFC Hall of Fame is a joke and so is your comment. If those two journeymen are able to be in the H.O.F the Gus sure as hell deserves to be there too

[@tommyfindlay]

Stop please Alex🙏🏿😳🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@UFCfighterclips]

I feel you! 👊

[@Robert-p7j9m]

Uh huh

[@a_ya5555]

Viking? Most vikings left these areas(and went east, south etc. Jan Blachowicz has some viking in him) but vikings were mainly from Denmark. Today Denmark hooligans beat up swedes that come over to denmark to visit. I would say Gus is a good fighter but never had all the skills to put it together. If you don't have wrestling or top tier sambo, bjj or judo than you can't dominate with just boxing timing.

[@MrJam100]

U have couple of football hooligans, that's it 🤣

[@a_ya5555]

@@MrJam100 I'm not Danish, I just know some people that are. Denmark is a very small country but they have had several world boxing champions and guys in mma that have knocked out blachowicz, ddp, and other top 5 ufc stars before they went to ufc. There's a lot of talent around the world that never goes to the ufc. For instance Ante Delija was rag dolling Aspinal a bit in his recent training camps.

[@UFCfighterclips]

@annna6553 MMA today is like a buffet, you need to have a bit of everything to stay on top!

[@a_ya5555]

@@UFCfighterclips I think guys in pride fc were more well rounded which is why they were better than the ufc until pride went under. I think ufc is finally having to give more well rounded guys a shot(sort of) and that is forcing their upper tier(to some extent) to learn more styles and be more well rounded like you said.

[@UFCfighterclips]

@annna6553 Absolutely agree 100%!

[@rockytopren]

I don't know, honestly I thought he beat Jon Jones. Didn't see the fight with Cormier.

[@UFCfighterclips]

Totally get what you’re saying! That first fight with Jon Jones was razor-close, and a lot of fans thought Gustafsson edged it out. As for the Cormier fight, it was another back and forth war, with Gustafsson pushing DC to the limit. Definitely worth a watch! 👊

[@Marvin-ut4xs]

Naw Jones beat him but I think he beat DC imo

[@Pringlelover]

@@Marvin-ut4xs No. The fight was very close. You can’t say that either fighter won it conclusively. I couldn’t score it for either fighter.

[@Marvin-ut4xs]

@@Pringlelover facts

[@Pringlelover]

@@Marvin-ut4xs I’m referring to the Jones fight, to clarify.

[@Deggsey]

Yes he was great fighter to watch and his first fight with jones is still one of the best UFC fights I’ve ever watched.

[@UFCfighterclips]

I agree with you, it was the craziest fight.

[@robertlindblad919]

Gustafsson is a beast 💪💪

[@UFCfighterclips]

No doubt about it 👊🔥

[@techjuvas]

His back never healed up, thats the issue, so he couldn't use his footwork. Also, his chin is gone.

[@banmadabon]

HOFamer for sure

[@UFCfighterclips]

Definitely agree!

[@tehmudjinkhan2207]

The best fighter ever to NOT win a belt. He beat Shogun, former champion. He knocked out Jimi Manuwa who was 14-0 with 14 finishes at the time. Close first fight with Jones. Split decision loss to Cormier. Blachowicz and Teixeira had a title fight in 2021 and before that Alex had beat them both. He beat world champions, but always before or after they had the belt.

[@tomerlandson2524]

Might be because I'm Swedish but I honestly think Alex is the best UFC fighter to ever exist that never have held a belt... The man was an absolut monster and in my opinion there is no one that ever have pushed Jones as far as he did in the first fight and Jones is the GOAT and it's very hard to argue with that...

[@libertarianrevolution7026]

He got kicked in the balls during his rematch with Jon Jones. He was given a little time to recover but I have to wonder if it was enough.

[@UFCfighterclips]

Yeah thats right...

[@andreamantovani5354]

He won the first fight with Jones, even at the disadvantage of not being roided vs the most roided fighter in the ufc. All thet said, he shoukd have improved his wrestling and especially his ground technique

[@giorgiociaravolol1998]

He was literally my inspiration to take MMA alongside figures like Wonderboy and Horiguchi

[@kurtfranklin2680]

I never cared for the fact that gust of sand would literally turn tail and run from his opponent to create distance. It was just a bad look.

[@MakoSportscards]

He gave dc and steroid jones there toughest fights. Absolutely the best fighter to not win a belt.

[@raensaeck]

Can we please start mentioning that Jon Jones tested positivte before his second fight with Gus.

[@charliesvard2502]

Great video but why didn’t you include the knee that almost finished DC?

[@bjornlindqvist8305]

too many injuries

[@JG-vp5qx]

Alex is a legend, 3 times fight for the title. Close fight with Jon Jones, best fighter ever. Split decision with Cormier.

[@UFCfighterclips]

Absolutely, Alexander Gustafsson is a legend in the UFC!

[@christianf7740]

He stayed with his coach ("front kick Alex!") and team in Sweden. He should have stayed in San Diego instead. Jones is a disgusting cheater but even more disgusting is Dana White who still lets him fight.

[@UFCfighterclips]

What do you mean he is a cheater? Do you mean steroids or his fighting style? Like his elbows and knees?

[@christianf7740]

Yes, steroids. But come to think about it, Jones loves to extend his fingers to his opponents eyes and while his ”oblique kick to the thighs” (knee) is not cheat I find this style rather tasteless.

[@dkeelin]

he was never the same after hurting his back. his grappling strength declined heavily

[@stefanparkes4675]

It's definitely time to retire when Smith beats you...🙏💖 AG

[@tristan583]

He doesn’t deserve to be an UFC HOF , he didn’t beat legends

[@DawidDuch-lx5of]

Actually he did. Shogun is a legend of MMA. He also beat 2 future champions - Teixeira and Blachowicz, and these guys didn't really evolve to become champions, especially Glover.

[@Faktamenakjubkan89]

semangat bro

[@deadlyicecream1]

Naah, you can't get in the hall of fame for losing to all the greats

[@UFCfighterclips]

@deadlyicecream1 You’re right! Hall of Fame usually means beating the best, not just competing with them. But still, those close fights with legends like Jones and Cormier put him on the map, even if he couldn’t seal the deal.

[@deadlyicecream1]

@@UFCfighterclips absolutely. He definitely had a great technique

[@tempsitch5632]

Cutman getting paid per ounce of vaseline ? 3:21

[@UFCfighterclips]

xD