At one time a seemingly perennial title contender, MMA has not been kind to Alexander Gustafsson lately. Still only 34-years-old, the ‘Mauler’ has competed just nine times in the last eight years, putting together a 3-6 record in the Octagon—and currently riding a three-fight losing streak.
The Allstars Training Center athlete was last seen in July of 2020, in a heavyweight contest against former champ Fabricio Werdum. That fight came after another year of absence during which Gustafsson seemed to be washing his hands of mixed martial arts altogether. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, however. And the Swede decided to try and reignite his passion for MMA up a division at 265 lbs.