UFC London: Alexander Gustafsson Returns After Two-Year Hiatus

The last time we saw Alexander Gustafsson, he was facing Fabricio Werdum at heavyweight.

The former light heavyweight contender will return to 205 pounds when he faces Nikita Krylov this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 208. The event takes place from The O2 Arena in London, England.

Gustafsson fought for the UFC belt in 2018, losing to Jon Jones in a rematch of their classic from 2013. That bout at UFC 165 remains on the short list for all-time best MMA matches.

Following that defeat, Gustafsson experienced an up-and-down run. He stopped Jimi Manuwa, but was finished by Anthony Johnson in 2015.

A year later, he fell to Daniel Cormier via split decision for the UFC light heavyweight title. Back-to-back wins over Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira positioned him for the Jones rematch.

After coming up short vs. Jones, Gustafsson was submitted by both Anthony Smith and Werdum.

Looking back, the fighters he has faced leaves you in shock of the competition at 205 pounds. Blachowciz and Teixeira would be go on to win the UFC title, while Cormier, Werdum, Johnson and Jones are among the best of all-time.

But at 35 years old, what kind of Gustafsson will we be getting?

Krylov is a hungry opponent, entering have lost his last two and four of six since 2018. He knows he needs a win, and besting Gustafsson would make headlines.