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Alexander Gustafsson

The Swedish UFC title challenger and jiu-jitsu purple belt who was choked by Phil Davis in 2010, then took grappling advice from him and won by chokes.

Biography

Alexander Gustafsson is a Swedish mixed martial artist, born in 1987, whose UFC career brought him a light heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones in 2013. In November 2012 Gracie Magazine described him as a purple belt in jiu-jitsu. He grew up in Arboga, a town under two hours from Stockholm, and came to fighting through boxing, which he took up at about the age of ten. He won the Swedish youth-junior national title in 2003 and began training mixed martial arts in 2006. In 2008 he won the 99-kilogram division at Grapplers Paradise 4, a submission wrestling tournament. His second UFC fight, at UFC 112 on 10 April 2010, ended 4:55 into the opening round, when Phil Davis caught him in an anaconda choke. Gustafsson then spent a month with Alliance MMA in San Diego, where Davis gave him grappling advice, and at UFC 120 he finished Cyrille Diabaté with a rear-naked choke in the second round. He credited the camp for that win. At UFC 127 in February 2011 he beat James Te-Huna with the same choke in the first round. In April 2012 he topped the bill at the UFC's first event in Sweden, beating Thiago Silva on points before about 15,000 people in Stockholm. Later that year Herbert Burns, a Brazilian national jiu-jitsu champion, told Gracie Magazine that he had taught Gustafsson for two weeks in Stockholm during the early stage of preparation for Maurício Rua. Burns said Gustafsson kept drilling the techniques he was shown until told to stop, and that his takedown defense had impressed him. Gustafsson beat Rua by unanimous decision on 8 December 2012, with six takedowns. At UFC 165 on 21 September 2013 he took Jones down before losing a unanimous decision. The World MMA Awards named it the 2013 Fight of the Year. After the title fight he trained mainly at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm, while the gym kept close ties with Alliance MMA, whose fighters came to Sweden for his camps. Davis, who had submitted him in 2010, helped him prepare for his 2017 fight with Glover Teixeira. Sherdog still listed him as an Allstars member in December 2018, with occasional training trips back to Alliance.

Sources for this profile

  • Graciemag, 'Herbert Burns: Gustafsson Can Surprise Shogun on the Ground', 30 November 2012.(opens in a new tab)

    • In November 2012, ahead of his UFC on Fox 5 fight, Gracie Magazine described Alexander Gustafsson as a purple belt in jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Article body, paragraph beginning "But Burns bets the house" — "a purple belt in jiu-jitsu"

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    • Brazilian national jiu-jitsu champion Herbert Burns said he taught Gustafsson for two weeks in Stockholm and that Gustafsson repeated the techniques he was shown until told to stop.

      Where in the source: Burns quote — "I taught Gustafsson for two weeks in Stockholm"

      Accessed:

    • Burns said he took part only in the early stage of Gustafsson's preparation for the Maurício Rua fight and singled out Gustafsson's takedown defense as what impressed him.

      Where in the source: Article body — Burns on the early part of the training and Gustafsson's takedown defense

      Accessed:

  • Wikipedia, 'Alexander Gustafsson', UFC career section (accessed 21 October 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • Gustafsson lost his second UFC fight, against Phil Davis at UFC 112 on 10 April 2010, by anaconda choke at 4:55 of the first round.

      Where in the source: Ultimate Fighting Championship section, paragraph on Davis at UFC 112

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    • Before UFC 120 in 2010 Gustafsson spent a month training with Alliance MMA in San Diego, took grappling tips from Davis, and then beat Cyrille Diabaté by rear-naked choke in round two; he credited the camp for the win.

      Where in the source: UFC section, paragraph on Diabaté at UFC 120 — Alliance MMA camp

      Accessed:

    • Gustafsson won his next UFC fight, against James Te-Huna at UFC 127 on 27 February 2011, by rear-naked choke in the first round.

      Where in the source: UFC section, paragraph on UFC 127

      Accessed:

    • At UFC on Fox 5 on 8 December 2012 Gustafsson beat Maurício Rua by unanimous decision, landing six takedowns.

      Where in the source: UFC section, paragraph on Rua at UFC on Fox 5

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    • In his UFC 165 light heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones on 21 September 2013, Gustafsson took the champion down for the first time in Jones's career before losing by unanimous decision; the fight was named 2013 Fight of the Year by the World MMA Awards.

      Where in the source: Title shot subsection — UFC 165, takedown and decision

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    • After the 2013 title fight Gustafsson trained mainly at Allstar Training Center in Sweden while the gym kept a close working relationship with Alliance MMA, whose fighters visited Sweden for his camps; Phil Davis helped him prepare for the 2017 fight against Glover Teixeira.

      Where in the source: Training and fighting style section — Allstar Training Center and Alliance relationship, Davis and the 2017 camp

      Accessed:

    • Gustafsson won the 99 kg tournament at Grapplers Paradise 4 in 2008, a submission wrestling event.

      Where in the source: Championships and accomplishments, Submission grappling list — "2008 Grapplers Paradise 4 −99 kg"

      Accessed:

    • Gustafsson is a Swedish mixed martial artist, born 15 January 1987; he began MMA training in 2006 after earlier boxing.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph and Early career — "born 15 January 1987"

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    • Gustafsson is Swedish.

      Where in the source: Opening sentence — "is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist"

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  • Sherdog, Guy Portman, '5 Things You Might Not Know About Alexander Gustafsson', 26 December 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • As of December 2018 Gustafsson was a member of Allstars Training Center in Stockholm; he first went to Alliance MMA in San Diego in 2010 to improve his wrestling and still trained there on occasion, though most of his time was spent at Allstars.

      Where in the source: Item 'He trains mostly in his home country' — "Allstars Training Center" and Alliance MMA

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    • Gustafsson started in boxing at about age 10 and won the 2003 Swedish youth-junior national title before moving to MMA.

      Where in the source: Item 'He started out in boxing' — "2003 Swedish youth-junior level national champion"

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  • UFC.com, Jordan Newmark, 'Graduation Day for Alexander Gustafsson', 6 December 2012.(opens in a new tab)

    • In April 2012 Gustafsson headlined the UFC's first event in Sweden in Stockholm, in front of about 15,000 spectators, and beat Thiago Silva by unanimous decision; he had grown up in Arboga, under two hours from Stockholm.

      Where in the source: Article body, paragraph on the Stockholm card — "Ericsson Globe" and Arboga

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