Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig is on tap for an unannounced event on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s September schedule
First reported by Front Kick, then confirmed by MMAJunkie, former two-time light heavyweight title challenger Gustafsson will return to the division, after an unsuccessful one-fight foray at heavyweight, and be welcomed to his old stomping grounds by a surging Craig who is unbeaten in his last five Octagon outings.
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig on the books for September 4 UFC event
The bout is expected to take place on the promotion’s September 4 card. The location and venue for the event have yet to be made official, however recent reports have suggested the organization’s return to London. The UFC was set for an event there in March of 2020 before the card was canceled during the early days of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Craig, 33, is on the best run of his UFC career. Scoring finishes in four of his last five, including a technical knockout over former division champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and dislocating the arm of rising prospect Jamahal Hill in his most recent victory at UFC 263. This will be the biggest spotlight yet for the 15-4-1 “Bearjew,” in a light heavyweight submission record-setting run in the Octagon.
Following a short-lived retirement in 2019, “The Mauler” returned to the Octagon in July 2020. But like his retirement, his debut at heavyweight did not last long, as he was submitted by one-time heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum in the first round.
In winning 11 of his 16 bouts in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Gustafsson, 34, was viewed as one of the best 205-pound fighters in the world for the better part of a decade. Scoring wins over division stars like Rua, Jimi Manuwa, Glover Teixiera, and current champion Jan Blachowicz.
However, his defeats in three separate title fights against division greats in Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones (twice) blocked him from ever reaching the pinnacle of the weight class. He has lost his last three inside the Octagon.
